"Because you make her happy. More than you know Ketchum." Elaina smiled and winked at me. She pivoted on her heel and began racing through the stadium while gesturing for me to follow. I tied to catch up but she was surprisingly fast.

"Elaina, wait!" I called to her but she never slowed.

"Hurry up Ash!" She giggled as she sprinted faster. I heard the click of the large stadium doors open. Hundreds of people flowed out of the main stage area. They swept the front room within seconds. I desperately looked for a blonde haired girl but she became lost in the crowd. My feet stopped dead in their tracks.

"Elaina!"

No answer.

Instead of looking for her I decided to make my way to the backstage area. After all, thats where she said we were going. Eventually I found the sign that declared 'Backstage. Performers only.' I immediately rushed straight in, ignoring the message and the lady at the desk.

Inside was much more peaceful than the havoc outside. Practically all the performers had left so everything was still. Mirrors were rowed along the walls with small desks beneath them. The room smelt like an explosion of flowery scents. It reminded me of Serena's fragrance. I cautiously walked deeper into the room. My footsteps were the only thing that could be heard.

"Serena?" I said softly, attempting to catch the attention of anyone close by. There were sudden footsteps behind me. In my alarmed state, I spun around only to find a familiar brunette. Shuana had changed out of her performers outfit and into her normal cloths. Though she looked slightly defeated, she still bared a smile.

"Are you looking for Serena?" She asked, her grin widening.

"Uh...yeah." I said slightly distracted.

"She's in the room just down that hallway." Shauna pointed at a brightly lit corridor. I nodded and thanked her. "Make sure to knock first." She warned before disappearing off.

As instructed, I rapped the door with my knuckle and listened for the sweet voice to follow.

"Yes? Come in." Came the faded call behind the door. I slowly turned the brass nob and let myself in. Serena sat unmoving on a red, pillowy chair as she gazed mindlessly at her reflection in the mirror. Her face was blank but her eyes were full of emotion. Her beautiful honey colored locks cupped her face and her fair skin sparkled under the show lights.

I was blindly staring at her, awaiting a comment. But she never moved. She just sat and observed her reflection, encased in her own thoughts. I wondered if she even remembered telling me to enter. It certainly didn't seem like it.

My heart ached as I watched her silently criticize the girl in the mirror. I couldn't tell if it was good or bad. Probably a mixture. Serena deserved every good thing in her life. And it physically pained me to see her upset. I wasn't sure why. Mostly I ignored the theories in my head as to why she was different. None of it made sense to me. I shrugged off my difficult thoughts as I attempted to capture Serena's attention.

"Serena?"

The girl jumped out of her seat. Her face was panicked, even as she drank in my presence. Her hand clutched her heart and she looked breathless.

"Ash? What are you doing here? Only performers are allowed backstage." She noted in her startled state.

"Since when do I follow someone else's rules." I shrugged. Serena sighed.

"That's true." She rolled her eyes playfully at me. It felt like a weight had been lifted off my shoulders as she returned to her normal, happy self. Just talking to her seemed to put me at ease.

"I came here to congratulate you. You looked amazing on stage." I commented truthfully. Her performances were very entrancing. They captured me more than anyone else's. Why, I don't know. That was another thing I was still yet to fathom.

Serena's cheeks turned bright red as she averted her gaze to the floor. It looked like she was burning up a fever and I became concerned. But soon the color flushed from her face and I decided to ignore it.

"T-thanks, Ash." She managed in a small voice.

That was when I started seeing double. My vision swapped repeatedly between Serena and what appeared to be the woods at dusk. My head began swimming as the images continued to blur together.

I blinked.

When my eyes opened I was no longer standing in front of the honey blonde. Instead, before me stood thick vegetation of the Kalos forest. What remained of the day's sunlight drifted trough the gaps in the trees. My whole vision was washed in a yellowy haze. I looked around my peaceful surroundings. Everything was still, but somehow I sensed danger.

There was a small rumbling sound. It came from below the earth, sending vibrations through my body. In my hand I clutched a glowing stick, which I twirled as the danger neared me. Though I knew catastrophe was close, I was surprisingly calm. It was as if I had been through the routine many times before.

Suddenly the ground in front of me burst open, sending rubble and dirt everywhere. I shielded my eyes with a long, blue arm and staggered a few steps back. Once I had recovered, I looked up to see a looming vine. It was at least fifteen feet in height and three in width. The vine was an unnatural onyx with random scarlet thorns.

I lunged at the danger without a second thought. The glowing stick in my hands slashed through the fleshy vine with ease. Within seconds, all that was left were small pieces of poison salad. I stood up straight, admiring my work.

"They are getting weaker. Soon, everything can return to normal. But our work is not done Greninja. Not until all the inhabitants of Kalos are safe." Came a voice inside my head. I turned around and saw Squishy perched on a tree stump. The little green thing closed its eyes in pleasure as it soaked up the last of the sun.

Then my vision began shaking again. The forest blurred as it traveled further away from me.

"Ash?" I heard a cry in the distance. It was soft but appealing. I tried to find the source amongst the blackness.

"Ash?!" Came the sweet voice again. I searched for it but my vision was black. Nothingness. I wasn't sure if I was in my own conscience or my Pokemon's. In my frantics, a light appeared. It grew larger and larger until I could decipher some shapes.

Big cerulean eyes bore into me. They were awfully close. The skin above the shinning orbs were creased with worry. I stared into them mindlessly as I recovered. They scanned every feature on my face with concern. Only after a few minuets of silence did I realize the beautiful blue eyes belonged to Serena.

Upon realizing this, I felt the blood rush to my cheeks and I tried to stagger backwards. Unfortunately, I was unsuccessful because my back was pressed up against a wall. Our close proximity gave me a strange feeling. It was warm and fuzzy but like fireworks were exploding in my chest at the same time. It was unrecognizable. I couldn't put a label on this feeling. I had never experienced anything like it.

My heart rate accelerated. My face heated. My eyes widened. And I seemed incapable of forming sentences. Mostly everything got caught on my tongue. Mostly everything.

"S-Serena?" I gulped. It was about the only thing I could manage. Being lost for words was an extremely foreign feeling for me. Everything I was feeling was beyond the norm.

"Ash, are you alright?" She wondered as she moved backwards a fraction. One part of me was screaming for her to back away so I could breath. The other was screaming for her to get closer. Conflicted, I decided to ignore everything.

"I-I think so." I attempted to laugh it off. Surely I could never feel something so intense ever again. It must be a one time thing. An anomaly. Right?

Nervously, I rubbed my index finger under my nose. Serena gave me one more glance over before believing me.

"You just spaced out for a minuet. Your eyes rolled back in your head and you looked like you were about to pass out-" her eyes widened in sudden realization when she concluded what happened. "You saw him again, didn't you?" She asked in a softer tone.

"Yes, I did." I said blankly.

"What was he doing? Is he okay?" She asked with concern. I looked away, thinking about what my other half had been doing for weeks on end. "That's okay if you don't want to tell me. I understand." She noted.

"Thanks Serena." I nodded, giving her a sad smile.

She backed away from me, taking her warmth with her. There was apart of me that was deeply upset about this. I don't know why. So I brushed it off and carried on as if I felt nothing. It seemed like the right thing to do.

"I-I should get dressed. I don't want to keep you and the others waiting longer." She suggested. I nodded.

"Has Elaina passed through here? I came with her to congratulate you but lost her in the crowd." I asked, now just realizing that the short tempered, blonde girl was no where to be found.

"No she hasn't. She probably has gotten herself lost somewhere." She shook her head as she chuckled to herself. "We should go look for her after I get dressed."

I agreed before slipping outside the small dressing room. As I did, my heart rate returned to normal and everything was okay again. Nothing to worry. I could carry on without a care. A few seconds later, Serena emerged in her usual attire. I smiled at her and suggested we get going. After all, we were the last people left backstage.

When we entered the front of the stadium, only a few people were left drifting about. Serena's eyes searched the perimeter for her friend. Instead, she found Elaina's lost and conflicted brothers. The two boys appeared to be bickering. They tried to keep their voices down but it looked surprisingly difficult. Aron towered over Leon, but the little twin didn't seem the least bit intimidated.

We joined the pair and they quickly wrapped up their argument. Both were still unpleased with the other but the realization that their sister was no where to be found seemed to take the matter off their minds.

"Where's Elaina?" Leon asked in puzzlement.

"We don't know. She might be lost." I answered.

"That sounds about right. She would be the only person stupid enough to get lost in a place filled with maps and signs." Aron rolled his eyes as he insulted his sister. I found that the siblings often made a habit of teasing each other. Rather reminded me of myself and previous traveling companions.

"I don't think she got lost." Serena said with worry in her words. "I think she got pulled into a fight."

I followed Serena's line of vision. Standing by the stadium exit was a familiar blonde girl sizing up a ponytail of thick, dark curls. My eyes widened and I looked to Serena with concern. But she had already gone running. I followed her with the twins close behind.

As we got closer to our friend, I noticed just how much trouble she had pulled herself into. Bella had an army of five girls behind her who looked on with hatred. My guess was that they were totally loyal to Bella.

Soon we were within hearing distance and the yelling rang through my ears. I wasn't sure why Elaina hated Bella, but if I knew her at all, it was for good reason. And despite her willingness to argue, she didn't appear ready to share why. 

"I know you saw Serena preform today. And you know she was amazing. There's no argument even you could put against that." Elaina snarled. Her face was red with anger and her fists clenched tightly at her sides.

"Other than the fact that she lost." Bella looked smug as she admired her nails. Elaina looked as if she was about to snap. I cautiously made my way closer, just in case I had to stop her from ripping Bella to shreds.

"Only to the Kalos queen! I don't see you on that stage. All I see is your pathetic jealousy as you stand in the crowd and watch." Elaina smirked as all the smugness was wiped from her enemies' face.

"Maybe I will get on that stage. Then I'll show you and your push-over friend who really deserves the title of Kalos queen." Bella gritted her teeth in fury, stupidly putting her words before her actions.

"Good luck getting any princess keys." Elaina began to smile evilly at the thought of Bella's idea. She knew full well that Bella didn't match the power of her words.

"Oh yeah? What's stoping me?" The brunette spat back.

"The fact that I'm your competition." Elaina's smirk widened as a flicker of horror flashed in Bella's eyes.

"Elaina! What are you doing?!" Serena tried to keep her voice leveled and controlled but she was struggling. It wasn't often she raised her voice.

"It's not my fault! She found me." The blonde girl pointed disapprovingly at Bella.

"And you wonder why your brothers locked you in the hotel room. You're a magnet for fights." Serena shook her head at her friend then grabbed her by the wrist. "Now let's go. We can take an hour to rest at the hotel then I would like to go for a celebratory dinner."

"Celebratory dinner? That sounds good to me." I stated, smiling at the thought of a delicious meal. Only afterwards did I realize I had attracted unwanted attention.

"Oh hey Ash! I didn't see you there." Bella smiled as she battered her heavy eyelashes at me. An uncomfortable feeling coiled in my stomach.

"Ummm...hey Bella." I said unsurely.

"I bet you have been training hard since we last saw each other. You never know, maybe soon you'll be the campion. And then, you'll probably need a girlfriend. You know, for better press and to appeal more to your fans. If you ever have a problem with that, I could always help you out." She stepped closer to me, her eyes filled with hunger. I stepped back, still not comfortable with how she greeted me.

What was she talking about? A girlfriend? Where did she get that from?

"Uhhh..." Was about the only thing that came off the tip of my tongue. I looked at Serena, as I mostly did in a difficult situation. She always helped me, even if it was just a little and even if she didn't realize it.

But her face was dark as she glared at Bella like a vulture. The cheer and happiness I saw in her had vanished. Elaina mirrored the same expression.

But there was something about the look in Serena's eyes. She looked ruthless. Uncontrolled. She was shaking, limb from limb. Her lips quivered, as if she was about to speak but she held herself back. After she took a deep breath, most of the negativity had disappeared from her features. She calmed herself with a regular rhythm of breaths. Quickly, she took my wrist with her other hand.

"Let's go." She said with no emotion before she turned around and dragged us out of the stadium. She grasped my wrist tightly and pulled me on her left and a staggering Elaina on her right.

"Bye Ash!" I heard Bella call enthusiastically behind me. Serena's grip on my wrist tightened.

There was something off about Serena lately. I wanted to know what it was. Just like how I wanted to know who she was yet to confess her love to. It was none of my business. And I should have left it alone. But since when had something like that stopped me?

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Small insight into Ash's feelings and views. Hopefully that can shed some light on how he feels about Serena in this book. I don't think I will add anymore points of views. The main ones will be Serena and Elaina. But I will try to do an Ash chapter every once in a while to update you on his progress ;)