We join Ash and Serena as they are making their way into the forest towards Ash's training area.

No one's POV

Ash and Serena walked in a comfortable silence, taking in the beauty of nature around them. There were various forest Pokemon watching the two as they made their way along the forest path. Some Pokemon would often come over to Ash to greet him as they were already familiar with the Raven-haired boy due to his frequent walks along the very same route. Ash had made lots of Pokemon friends in the forest due to the calming aura that he radiates. Ash has always had an uncanny ability to befriend any Pokemon, from Legendaries like Giratina to a Rattata.

Serena found this quite peculiar. She watched as various Pokemon came up to Ash to nuzzle his cheeks or run/fly around him, or simply walk beside him. Nothing of this sort had happened this morning when they were making their way out of the forest. To Serena's surprise, some Pokemon walked up to her too, replicating the same friendly gestures as they did with Ash.

This was all new to Serena. She would often spend her days either shopping in the bustling cities or racing Rhyhorns in her back garden. Those activities seemed hectic. Walking through the massive crowds with her friends in the city was enjoyable, however, Serena felt that it was missing something, but she couldn't quite put a finger on it. However, while on this walk with Ash, she started realising what it might have been. Just being there, beside Ash, in a forest brimming with the colours of Autumn, she found peace. The honking of cars were replaced by the chirping of the forest Pokemon. The filthy, polluted air was instead replaced by clean, crisp breeze. The towering skyscrapers were replaced by beautiful, lush trees, and, the loud, often rude, citizens were replaced by happy, friendly forest Pokemon. Serena was completely indulged in the serene environment around her. She was completely enveloped in her own little world consisting of her, Ash and the forest around her.

"Here we are!" exclaimed Ash with excitement.

Serena looked ahead to see the same training spot that she saw yesterday. The clearing was big enough to have a battle on.

"That's great!" replied Serena with excitement equaling Ash's. She too had been waiting for this battle. She too wanted to see what it felt like to battle Ash. She had watched Ash battle multiple times now. He has battled Gary, Drew, Paul etc. and She had always been there to watch him and closely inspect his battling style.

Ash and Serena stood on opposite sides of the battlefield.

"Alright Serena, this will be a 1-on-1 battle. is that alright with you?" asked Ash.

"Sure Ash, that's fine by me. But just so you know, I won't be holding back!" said Serena with a confident look on her face.

"Me neither!" replied Ash.

"Pikachu, buddy, get in there!" said Ash.

Pikachu jumped off Ash's shoulder and onto the impromptu battlefield.

"Pika!"

"Wh-What? You're using Pikachu?" asked Serena with a worried tone.

"Serena, don't worry! As soon as you start worrying, you'll start doubting yourself and your Pokemon. Be confident! It'll rub off on your Pokemon too! Now, show me what you can do Serena!" replied Ash calmly with a tone that encouraged Serena.

Serena took in every single one of Ash's words. She knew this battle could be very helpful to her. She always trusted her Pokemon. She had initially started off as a trainer challenging gyms, but she soon found out that she didn't enjoy it and it wasn't for her. However, during their short lived journey, Serena had grown quite close to her Pokemon, especially her Delphox. She knew that she could always rely on her Delphox for almost anything, and she knew, she could count on Delphox during this battle with Ash. With her mind made up, she decided to continue.

"Alright then, Delphox, come on out!" said Serena as she threw her Pokeball with elegance and grace. Ash kept a note of this.

Delphox emerged out of Serena's Pokeball and onto the battlefield too.

"Delphox!" roared the bipedal Pokemon as it too gracefully landed on the battlefield.

"Alright, we'll start things off. Pikachu, use Volt Tackle!" said Ash.

Pikachu started bulleting his way towards Delphox while surrounded by a thick veil of electricity. Serena knew Pikachu was fast so she had to come up with a counter strategy to either slow him down or put him off.

"Delphox, use Fire Spin on yourself!" said Serena. This caught both Ash and Pikachu off guard. Its often Ash who comes up with outrageous strategies like that, however, watching Ash's battles, it must have rubbed off on Serena too.

With that command, Delphox was surrounded by a shield of fire and Pikachu had to stop his attack to avoid damaging himself.

"Now use Future Sight!" said Serena.

With that, Delphox sent a few balls of Psychic energy out of the Fire Spin and into the sky where they vanished. Ash was amazed by this. He hadn't expected Serena to be efficient with her moves.

"Pikachu, Thunder!" said Ash.

With that, Pikachu jumped into the air and fired a bolt of electricity towards the Fire Spin.

"Delphox, Fire Blast! Straight up towards the Thunder!" said Serena. Ash smirked at this.

As the Thunder barreled its way down towards the Fire Spin, Delphox pointed her staff towards the sky and a 大 shaped fire made its way out of the staff, however, the edges got caught in the Fire Spin while the center tried to keep moving forward. This resulted in a massive explosion where the center completely split apart and formed a flower shape while the Fire Spin exploded into tiny embers that few around the battlefield. It was definitely beautiful, however, it didn't stop the Thunder. Eventually, the Thunder hit Delphox and smoke built up.

"Delphox!" Serena cried out. As the smoke settled, she could see that Delphox was still standing, although, she did seem quite weak.

"Are you alright Delphox?" asked Serena just to make sure that she can still battle.

"Phox!" replied the Pokemon while nodding her head.

"In that case, use Flamethrower!" said Serena.

Delphox twirled her staff around her fingers and shot a beam of fire out of the stick. The sheer speed took Ash by surprise.

"Pikachu use Iron Tail to block it!" said Ash. He knew that Iron Tail would not be of much use against a Fire type move, but, he knew it was the only way to defend Pikachu right now. All his other moves would either take too long while Volt Tackle would have basically been a Kamikaze.

Pikachu's tail turned metallic and he held it out in front of him to block the Flamethrower. Once the Flamethrower ended, Delphox twirled her staff and pit it back in her tail.

Ash had already seen what he needed to see, so, he decided to end the battle here. Ash he was about to call another move, a sudden flash appeared in the sky and Pikachu was bombarded by a multitude of Psychic energy beams.

During the heat of the battle and Ash's constant evaluation of Serena and Delphox, he had completely forgotten about the Future Sight from earlier. Once the attack stopped, he saw Pikachu was injured but was still completely fine for battle. Ash was extremely impressed with Delphox's power. It was also clear to him that Serena and Delphox had a very strong bond with each other. They seemed to always be in sync and there was almost no dealy in an attack being called and it being commenced. It was almost as if one of them could tell what the other was thinking.

Ash sighed. He knew the battle was now over. Although both Pokemon could go on for longer, he had already found the answer he needed.

"Alright Serena, this battle is now over! That was a great battle!" said Ash with a warm smile towards Serena.

Serena, on the other hand, was confused, and slightly scared. That last Future Sight did seem very powerful, so she thought Pikachu might have been badly injured. She was too occupied by the battle. She gave it her all, but she thought that she might have gone a bit over board.

"What?... What's wrong Ash?" she asked. She wanted to know why he stopped the battle.

"I think I found the answer Serena." said Ash while giving Pikachu an Oranberry.

"And one for you." said Ash as he handed an Oranberry to Delphox too who gladly accepted it with a grateful smile.

"R-Really Ash!?" asked Serena with excitement clearly evident in her voice.

Ash looked at Serena, she had a beautiful smile on her face while her eyes with shimmered with hope and excitement. Her cheeks were tinted pink too, however, this time, it was also due to excitement and the adrenaline running through her body because of the battle. The orange hue of the setting sun lit up here face and the gentle breeze carried the fallen leaves. Serena was stood there with a fist clenched under her chin. The sight of her made Ash's heart flutter.

"Lets go for a walk." he said to Serena as he headed towards the setting sun. Serena quickly returned Delphox and followed Ash.

Once she caught up with Ash, she confronted him.

"So... what did you find Ash?" she asked while looking at the raven haired boy.

Ash looked at her and chuckled at the fact that she was so eager to know. Deep inside, Ash was very relieved. Serena's behaviour showed that she truly wanted to know what her dream was. She wanted to feel passionate about something and have something that is worth working hard for.

"Lets find a nice place to sit and talk first" said Ash as he kept walking.

Serena pouted playfully at this. She wanted to know what it was as soon as possible, however, she loved spending time with Ash.

Ash chuckled at Serena's childish behaviour.

They kept walking until they reached a cliff. There was a clearing where the two could sit and in front of them, they could watch the sun set over the whole forest. Serena stared in awe. The forest below the cliff extended to as far as the eye could see. The setting sun changed the gradient of the sky from a vivid blue to a warm orange while the clouds appeared to be a collection of purple, pink and orange. It was just a beautiful sunset that helped Ash and Serena to relax their minds after a long day.

They both sat there, quite close to each other, quietly for a moment, just admiring the scenery, until Ash finally spoke.

"Serena..."

Serena turned her head to look at Ash who was still staring ahead.

"You know, you and Delphox were amazing. The two of you were fighting as one and that clearly shows how close the two of you are. I can also tell that Delphox has been trained fantastically. You really care for your Pokemon, and that's pretty obvious from that battle from earlier." Ash stopped. He let Serena process what he just said that let her decide what to make of it.

After a short pause, he continued. "There were moments in that battle that stood out to me. The way you and Delphox moved was very elegant. It was almost as if I was watching a performance battle. Care to explain why?" asked Ash. He had a feeling that it was because of Dawn and May, but still decided to get some concrete confirmation.

"O-Oh... I have been watching Dawn and May practice for their Contests quite often... I guess I just picked up on it." she replied.

"Ah... I see. You know, you were really good. It looked very natural for you to act that way." he replied. Serena blushed at the complement.

"Th-Thanks Ash!" she replied while smiling to herself.

"Not only that though. Delphox has a great moveset too! Fire Spin, Flamethrower, Fire Blast and Future Sight are amazing moves. I know what you did with the Fire Spin and the Fire Blast during the battle was an accident, but, it did look very good, and now, you know how to do it again." Ash said. He then finally turned to look at her.

"That's why I have come up with what I think are two things that you will enjoy." he said.

Serena looked at him. All her attention was on him and the words that were coming out of his mouth.

"Serena, I really think that you would make either a great Coordinator or a great Performer." said Ash.

Serena knew that Ash would say that she could be a Coordinator. Almost all her friends said they should try to be a Coordinator, however, none of them ever talked about performing.

"Performer?" asked Serena. She knew what a performer was, but was surprised by the fact that Ash mentioned it as one of her options.

"I know that you used to go for Gym battles, but you stopped because you didn't enjoy it, right?" asked Ash.

"Yeah..." replied Serena.

"That's why, I was thinking that you might not enjoy Contests as they, too, have battles. Performances, as you know, don't." replied Ash.

Serena could now understand what Ash was trying to say.

"That's not all Serena. You make the best macaroons and Pokepuffs I've ever tasted. You love fashion and your Pokemon knowledge is amazing too. You enjoy cooking too, as I've heard from the girls. I really think you will enjoy Performances Serena. Heck, I wouldn't be surprised if you become the Kalos Queen." said Ash with confidence while having a hint on shyness. He had just complemented Serena a lot.

"Take your time to think about it Serena. You don't have to take my advice though. I don't want to force anything on you. Maybe I'm wrong here and maybe you won't enjoy any of my recommendations, but I truly believe that you will enjoy once of them. Coordinator? or Performer?" finished Ash.

Serena sat there taking in everything Ash had just said. Her cheeks were now red because of Ash's complements, however, she was too busy thinking about everything Ash had just said. It was true. It was all true. She loved cooking and baking. Having Ash complement her baking meant a lot to her. It showed to her that she really was good at it. She also enjoyed making and wearing new outfits. It was a hobby of hers and it was one of the few things she felt passionate about. She also enjoyed spending time with her Pokemon. Rhyhorn racing practice limited the amount of time she could spend with her Pokemon. Finding a new dream would let her spend more time with her Pokemon. Finally, what she enjoyed the most, was making people happy. Serena loved seeing people around her being happy. It made her feel happy. She wanted to be the reason people around her become happy and the reason they smile. Being a Performer allowed her to do all that while enjoying herself. She had never thought of it before, but now that Ash had mentioned it, it seemed so blatantly obvious. Rhyhorn racing was not for her. Serena now knew that she wanted to try out Performing. Maybe, just maybe, she found something that she could finally devote herself to. A path that she could follow that leads her to her dream. The dream that she could finally enjoy pursuing.

"No matter what you choose Serena, just remember that I will always be cheering you on!" said Ash with a little fist pump.

Serena looked over to Ash. Ash's support is what helped her realise what her dream might be, and with Ash's support, she knew she could achieve it. She was filled with confidence. She wanted to try out Performing immediately. She wanted to start practicing immediately.

"Thank you... so much, Ash! What you're doing for me really means a lot to me." she said as sincerely as possible.

"You've been there for me from the day you arrived. You've always supported me and picked me up whenever I was down. I am so grateful to Arceus that you are here with me. You really do mean a lot to me Ash." said Serena.

The simple fact is, she meant to say everything she had just said. After all he has done for her, she couldn't hold back her feelings for the boy completely. She thought that he deserved to have hints about how she feels about him thrown at him. However, she couldn't help but blush at what she had just said. She didn't think it was enough though. She wanted to show more gratitude. With that, she made another bold move. Just like last night, she bought her face closer to Ash's and pecked him on his cheek.

"PIKA!?"

Pikachu hadn't seen what had happened last night. This was completely new to him and was taken aback by what happened between his trainer and his trainer's best friend.

Ash, who was already frozen still by her little 'confession' was now even more startled by her actions. His mind was completely numb. He couldn't understand what Serena just said or did. Actually, he understood what she said and did... but he couldn't understand what they meant. His eyes were widened and his jaw was dropped leaving his mouth slightly agape with the edges slightly curled up. He was staring straight ahead at nothingness and he had a huge blush on his cheeks.

Serena on the other hand, stood up and ran away from embarrassment while still having a huge grin plastered on her face. She had seen Ash's face before she left and was completely satisfied by his reaction. Yesterday, she had no where to go, but today, was knew she couldn't handle the embarrassment. She giggled to herself as she ran. This time, she knew where she was going so she wasn't going to suddenly run past a cliff into a 30m drop.

Ash on the other hand was still had there. He had the biggest, goofiest grin plastered on his face as he slowly lifted his hand and placed the palm on the spot where she had kissed him. It was the second time she had done so, and if anything, it felt even better than last night. Ash finally got back to his senses as he dropped flat on his back and stared into the now dark blue sky while sighing a breath of satisfaction.

"Today was a good day." he said to himself with the grin still on his face.

End of Chapter 12.

So... Serena has finally found something that she might enjoy. I spent a whole chapter just focusing on it. I probably shouldn't have done so, but I am planning to make this a very important part of the story so I am trying to give it as much space as possible.

Next chapter should be up on Saturday. I know I said I would write two chapters today, but I don't want to rush this story. I want to spend time thinking about how I could link events together. Instead, I might update my One-Shots later today.

Anyway, thank you so much for reading. I hope you enjoyed it. If you do spot any mistakes, please don't hesitate to let me know.

Thanks again. See you in the next chapter!