Serena POV

"Hey, Sere." he spoke out calmly from the opened door, as his sight directed towards mine where I was sitting, skirting around his dad warily to give me a kiss on the cheek.

"Hi, Ash." I replied, watching him glance at Mr. Ketchum, who was staring at the plain floor without taking a look at his own son.

Slipping his hand over mine as I stood up, Ash whispered, "Ready to go?" in my ear. His warmly breath blew gently in my ear with each words he spoke out.

"Yeah, I'm ready," I said, but still floored by what Mr. Ketchum had just said.

Finally, Ash turned to his dad. "Hey, Dad."

Reluctantly, Mr. Ketchum looked up at his son. "Hi, son." He said as he gave a salute while speaking.

Ash's eyebrows rose at the salutation his dad gave him. "Um... didn't know you were planning on visiting today." He sounded slightly resentful and I couldn't blame him. The lack of his dad's visits obviously hurt him deeply, even though he didn't like to show it.

"I came to visit Dr. Brock."

Shrugging, Ash muttered, "Of course." He lightly squeezed my shoulder. "We should head on out, Sere." I nodded as Ash started hustling me out, one hand on my back. He apparently couldn't wait to leave. "Later, dad."

We were halfway out of the room when Mr. Ketchum suddenly called out, "Ash!"

"Yeah?" Ash said carelessly looking over his shoulder.

Mr. Ketchum cleared his throat before he went on. "I think we need to have a little talk when you come back from the cemetery." He glanced over at me and gave a slight nod. "It's long overdue."

"Okay. I guess," Ash replied, nodding. "See you later, then. C'mon, Sere. Weirdo."

-----

We stopped at the local flower shop to buy some flowers before headed out to the completely quite cemetery where Gary was buried.

Lined up rows of tombstones stood erect in silence to the left and right, in front and behind, Some were crumbled with the weathering of centuries, some were smooth marble with new black writing and laid with floral tributes. Most though, were overgrown and unkempt, for now even their mourners had joined them under the clay soil. An upon the hill from a clear distance, a new grave had been dug to await it's new occupant. The black hearse slowly wended it's way down the central lane followed by a procession of black limousines.

My sight swiftly changed to another direction as I spoke. "When was the last time you came here?" I asked Ash as we walked up to Gary's grave which was so neat. Row upon row of white marble tombstones all rising from the manicured grass. Each one was perfect, polished and exactly the same as all of the others, except the name it bore. They were lined up perfectly with those in front and behind.

I looked beside me at Ash as his face went somber and pale, looking down at the final resting place of his best friend. "Too long ago," he replied, his voice hoarse. Reaching down while supporting his knees, he placed the bouquet of flowers on the granite slab, running his fingers along the inscription written on the tombstone. 'Here lies Gary Oak. Beloved son and friend. We loved him, but God loved him more. Rest in eternal peace.'

"You remember him, don't you?" He questioned whilst eying on the tombstone.

"Yeah," I nodded. "He was my lab partner for a couple of weeks. Always happy."

A slight glimpse of his lips twitching with a smile, Ash said, "Yeah, that used to get me all kinds of confused. His family was kinda screwed up, his dad was always in rehab but Gary was always smiling." He turned to look at me, his eyes thoughtful. "I see lots of similarities between you two."

"You do?" I replied, surprisingly.

"Yeah. You both care about others, you're both happy, no matter what life throws at you..." His voice trailed off as he stared at Gary's grave pensively, his hands jammed into his navy jeans pockets. "I bet you would have been really good friends if life had turned out differently."

Letting out a breath, I said, "Maybe." I didn't want life to turn out differently because maybe Ash and I wouldn't have gotten together. Stepping forward, I slipped my hand in his and smiled up at him. "But I'm kinda glad life turned out this way for us."

Grinning down at me, Ash murmured, "Co-sign." He bit his lip, staring at the inscription reflectively. "I don't know what to say."

"Imagine he was right here with you. What would you say to him?" Ash shot me a surprised look at my answer and I elaborated. "That's what I do when I think about Maria."

Worrying his bottom lip between his teeth, Ash gave me a cute sideways look as he cautiously asked, "Do you think there're still- still alive?"

"No," I replied simply. "I don't think I'll ever see her again. I miss her, but I get that things had to be like that." Sighing, I continued. "I just wish I had a chance to show her how good I turned out."

Ash nudged me, a small smile on his face. "I always knew you'd be a good egg."

"Funny." I stuck my tongue out at him.

Turning serious, he wrapped his arms around me, whispering, "I bet she'd be really proud of you."

"You think?" I curiously questioned.

"Uh huh. You're really something."

I smiled, my heart swelling with the sweetness overload Ash was giving me. "Thanks, Ash."

"I don't know what to say, Sere. Help me out?" Ash pooched his bottom lip out at me.

"Hey, Gary, it's Serena, your old lab partner. I'm here with Ash and we bought you flowers." I stroked the pretty petals of the chrysanthemums I had picked out for him. "I'm pretty sure you'll like them. And I know you appreciate Ash's visit. Personally, I think he owes you an apology but I know you'll forgive him because you're just that kind of guy." I nudged Ash, signaling for him to continue where I left off.

He stepped forward, his face tense. "Hey bro. you don't have to tell me that the flowers are sissy, I know they are. But Sere forced me to get them."

"Don't put me into this!" I exclaimed, folding my arms over my chest, a smile on my face.

"I miss you, man. I would pour out a little liquor for you but I stopped drinking and I lost my fake ID. Yeah, the crappy one you made for me. Sorry." Ash grinned, his eyes misting over as the memories took hold of him. "I know you'd be proud of me for quitting the party boy lifestyle so I'm gonna pat myself on the back for you." I giggled as he clapped himself on the back a couple of times. "So, you probably know about my aneurysm rupturing. I was in a coma for a week but I'm balling like a champ now. And my mom came back!" He grinned ruefully, running a hand through his hair. "I bet you'd have the biggest crush on her, you cougar hunter." He turned to me, a faraway look in his hazel eyes. "Did I tell you that his last girlfriend was 24?"

I immediately giggled. Somehow, I could definitely see Gary dating someone much older than him. "Really?"

Ash's lips twisted up in a smile. "Yeah, he liked them mature. He was a real character." Heaving a deep sigh, he turned back to his best friend's grave. "Well, I'm here to say bye for a while. I got expelled from Lumiose so I'm being sent to Kanto for school. Yeah, I know you're laughing at me up there, you jerk. I finally pissed the old man off so much he did something concrete about it. But I'll be back. Can't keep a good man down, right? Besides, I have a girlfriend now." He slid his arm around me, pulling me towards him and kissing my forehead. What he said next gave me a warm, fuzzy feeling inside. "You remember when you said I would meet someone who knocks me off my feet? Well, I finally did. And she didn't just knock me off my feet; she elbowed me in the face." Ash grinned teasingly at me as my mouth opened, mortification seeping in. Oh, the horror of that moment... I had honestly thought he had forgotten about that! Guess there was truth in his 'I remember everything' line.

Getting into the groove, Ash went on to say, "So, in one year, I got sick, fell in love, got expelled, lost my friends and got my mom back. Not bad, hey? I just wish you were here to see." He ran a shaking hand over his face. "I miss you, Gary. I miss you a lot."

Ash never really told me what went down between him and his dad after we went to visit Gary.

"He apologized. I accepted his apology. Case closed," was his cryptic response to my veiled questions. Because I didn't want to seem like the meddler I truly was, I didn't tell him that I had something to do with Mr. Ketchum's 'we need to talk' spiel. But somehow, I think Ash knew.

-----

The day of his departure deeply dawned and I woke up all weepy, certain that it was going to be a hard day. Delia had left a few days earlier to get their new house in order and now it was Ash's turn to follow her. Because he didn't want any tears or dramatic moments at the airport, Ash elected to say goodbye to his family at home and travel to the airport by himself. After assuring and reassuring him that I wasn't going to cry when saying au revoir, he gave in, after much resistance, and agreed to let me see him off. Although I knew that Ash didn't want to make things harder than they needed to be, I still wanted to say bye to him properly, with a big send off. I wasn't backing off without a fight and he knew it. May gave me a ride in her family limo and I showed up in the airport concourse with a balloon and dry eyes.

Ash had made that very clear. Just say bye, don't turn it into a soapie moment. I intended to follow through on his orders, even my heart was aching. As soon as I walked into the main waiting lounge, Ash's eyes flicked towards me and he jumped up.

"I almost thought you weren't going to show," he whispered in my hair, holding me close as our bodies came together from holding each other.

I tossed my head. "What? And miss my chance to say bye to you? Never."

"My planes about to board," he said, his eyes inscrutable as they bored into mine. I felt the pit of my stomach drop at his words, bringing home the finality of this moment. He was leaving. It wasn't a joke or a bad dream. Ash Ketchum was going away. "We should make this quick."

I looked at him, really looked at him, trying to memorize on his soft skin, the bow shape of his perfect lips, the way his hair curled into his eyes. My head was filled with all the things I wanted to say but couldn't because this was a tears free zone and if I started telling him what was really on my mind I wouldn't be able to stop the tears from falling. So I put on my happy face and handed him the balloon. "From me, May and Dawn. They couldn't come see you off because May was sure she would start crying and Dawn had a date with Paul."

"She's not still dating that guy, is she?" Ash asked interestedly.

I managed to force a grin on my face even though the last thing I felt like doing was smiling. "It's been four months."

"Trippy as f***. Has it really been that long?"

"Yeah, it has," I nodded, not trusting myself to speak.

Ash grinned. "We underestimated them, huh?"

"I'll say."

Over the speakers, a cool, magnified voice said, "Now boarding Flight 209."

"That's me," Ash said, a rueful light in his hazel eyes.

My throat worked as I swallowed back tears. "Well, have a safe flight. Call me as soon as you arrive, okay?"

Nodding, Ash said, "You bet. Enjoy your vacation with your dad." He leaned in to kiss me softly, his eyes miserable. I closed my eyes, melting into the sweet kiss as Ash's hands cupped my face. Pulling back, he whispered, "Stay safe."

"You too, Ash. Take care."

I turned my back on him and he turned his back on me as we went our separate ways, just as we'd discussed. No over-the-top emotions, no sappy cliché moments. Just simple and functional.

It felt like my heart was being ripped out of my chest as I stumbled my way through the waiting area, tears leaking from my eyes.

This is it.

No more Ash for a year. Who knew what was going to happen? How long could our relationship last with him overseas? Why hadn't I told him I loved him?

Suddenly, a pair of arms wrapped around my waist and spun me around.

It was Ash.

I stared up at his flushed, upset face for a second before he hugged me.

"You honestly thought I was gonna let you leave like that?" he asked, his voice muffled as he squeezed me tight.

All I could think of to say was, "Your plane is boarding."

"I know, but let me say this first, okay? It's important." He stepped back, wiping my cheeks gently before cupping my face as I wondered what he was going to say. "I love you. I've never felt like this about any girl and I want you to be happy no matter what." His voice was so earnest, so filled with love and raw emotion that the tears started trickling down my cheeks again. "I'm so grateful I had the chance to be with you, Serena Yvonne. You changed my life."

Sobbing openly, I whispered, "I love you too."

He kissed me again, soft lips melding against mine. "I love you so much. Being with you, kissing you, holding you is- indescribable, Serena. You took me as I am and I'll forever be grateful." His eyes glimmered with sorrow as he clasped my hands in his. "You might date other people and I might date other people but you'll always be my Sere. You know that, right?"

I nodded, my lips trembling. "Is this the part where we break up?" I asked him, my voice shaking.

"I don't want us to break up," Ash said simply.

Trying to lighten the mood, I quipped, "We can have an open relationship." Unfortunately, that just made me cry even harder.

"I don't want that either, Sere. I just want you. But since I can't have you, I'm not gonna be selfish and say nobody can have you." His breath came out in a shuddering sigh. "I love you too much for that."

"That's so honest of you."

I kissed him again as the boarding announcement came over the speakers again.

"I love you, Serena Yvonne."

Sniffling, I said, "I love you, Ash Ketchum."

"I gotta go." He held me tighter as he said that, fingers digging into my waist like he never intended to let me go.

"I know."

Leaning his forehead against mine, he murmured, "I don't want to leave you."

"You have to," I whispered, trying to convince him, trying to act like I didn't just want to stand here in the waiting lounge, my arms around Ash, forever and ever.

Ash's voice came out in a warm rush against my forehead. "There's still time to elope."

"Ash-," I started, leaning back to look into his eyes. He gazed back at me, seriousness etched into his face.

"I could trade in my first class ticket for two coaches. Then we could go to anistar city and get married. Will you marry me? Make me the happiest man in the world?" He gave me an adorably imploring look that tugged at my heart strings.

"You're a goof and I love you. But you have to go."

His face fell. "I know. Remember, five years. Lumiose tower. You better be there because I swear this isn't the last time I'll ask you."

"I'll be there with bells on, Ash."

We kissed again, hungrily, trying to prolong our time together but as the final call to board came over the PA, we knew it was a wrap. With a final sad smile thrown over his shoulder, Ash walked over to the boarding official and showed her his ticket. I stood there for a second, watching his slim back in the green GNR band t-shirt he was wearing. The boarding official handed him back his ticket and he turned to look at me, blinking back tears as he mouthed the words 'I love you' at me. Then he walked through the gate and disappeared.

Wiping tears away, I walked outside to where May's limo was parked.

"How'd it go?" May asked, handing me a box of Kleenex.

I took one, thanking for waterproof mascara. "Not good," I sniffed, my shoulders heaving with sobs. May patted my shoulder as I cried.

"He'll come back to you," she said comfortingly, stroking my neck-lengthened honey-blond hair as I cried on her shoulder. "I know it. You know it."

At that moment, I didn't know anything.

All I knew for sure was that the love of my life was in a plane taxiing on the runway and I wouldn't see him for a year.

Ash... was gone.