Serena's POV:

The flower hadn't wilted or crippled. Not even by morning. All the way through my slumber, it stayed vibrant and fresh, still carrying its unique fragrance. Truly, undying. In fact, the first thing I did after the sun awoke me was fix it behind my ear again, just the way Ash had. Unfortunately I couldn't seem to get it quite exact, so it felt rather awkward. I wanted to ask Ash for his assistance but, of course, I was too scared.

It was the perfect accent, just as Ash had stated the previous day. The pinks tied in perfectly with the color of my dress, complimenting it elegantly. Elaina questioned me about the flower, how could she not? I simply said 'we're working it out for ourselves' in response. At first she grinned widely, obviously happy with our efforts but then began complaining that she wasn't satisfied with my answer. I just laughed and brushed her off.

We were currently strolling through the forest, morning sun still shining through gaps in the canopy. I kept fiddling with the flower, trying to make fit right. My mind was rather distracted as it flicked between memories of the previous day and trying to follow Elaina's desperate attempts to get me to tell her about the flower.

Luckily, Aron and Ash walked on ahead, discussing the matter of Chespin and Cydaquil's training progress so they didn't hear our current conversation. I was extremely relived for this, seeing as I would probably have been the color of a sun kissed tomato if not.

"Come on! Please tell me! It's not like I'm going to tell the whole world! Serena? Serena!" My best friend complained beside me as I continued to analyze Ash's back and how his skin hugging jacket outlined the contours of his shoulders. I'm such a stalker.

"Maybe I'll tell you someday, but for now, the only answer you'll get is that we're trying to figure it out for ourselves." I muttered, still slightly distracted.

"You're turning my own words against me! You can't do that, it's totally unfair!" She threw her arms in the air with protest. Her voice raised until I was sure she would rope Ash and Aron in any second. Quickly I gave her a stern glare and dragged her to a stop.

"Quite down or Ash will hear you." I whispered harshly and she instantly smacked her trap shut. I studied her with a hard look, making sure there was no possibility of her doing it again. Elaina looked back with puppy eyes as if trying to worm her way out of my scolding. But then she dug her hole deeper.

"So did he give you the flower before or after he kissed you?" She asked bluntly, causing my jaw to drop and my cheeks to burn like an inferno. My whole face practically flushed an unnatural red at the mention. Anyone would have predicted that I had run a marathon, but no, this was the extent of my blushing.

"What!? No...he did not...we did not...that's not true!" I struggled to get the words out of my mouth. It was as if my jaw couldn't function properly and my sentences got stuck in my throat. Nothing came out quite the way I wanted it to. But in the process of embarrassing myself, I also happened to capture Ash's attention.

"Serena, what are you talking about?" He called to me with sudden concern creasing his face.

"Nothing!" I shouted back in alarm. That was a close call. I sighed in relief as Ash reluctantly turned away and continued his conversation with Aron. Though, the jet haired boy kept glancing back to check if I was having a heart attack, which seemed like a general possibility. In that moment I felt like curling into a ball and slowly shrinking until nothing remained, until I ceased to exist. Hopefully, then, I couldn't embarrass myself anymore.

"He didn't kiss you? That's upsetting." Elaina shrugged as we trudged on, following the duo of boys in front of us.

"Can we stop talking about the matter?" I asked, simply to question. But, I knew she wouldn't let up so easy and my answer was almost enviable.

"Nope, not until I get a truthful and detailed explanation." Elaina remarked as she continued making puppy eyes and pouty faces at me. Predictable. I sighed.

"Hey, what's that?" I heard Aron exclaim up ahead. Elaina stopped attempting to poke my shoulder and perked up, following her brother's line of vision. Even I was pulled out of my distracted state, eyes finally leaving Ash's back. The blonde boy stuck a pointer finger out towards a large gap in the the canopy. Through the hole, a tower was visible not too far away.

It was a tall wooden structure that looked as if it had been built from the works of historic cultures. The winding tower stood out against its sky-blue cloudless backdrop and seemed awfully compelling. A ladder twisted up its exterior until it reach a roofed balcony at the top. I bet the view from there is amazing!

"It looks like a watch tower of some sort." Ash inquired as everyone studied the foreign structure.

"Come on, let's check it out!" Elaina exclaimed as she began skipping in the direction with her mood suddenly lightened. Her mind seemed to wonder elsewhere from my precious flower and I was so thankful for that. We all agreed and followed the abruptly enthusiastic girl. The walk wasn't far and only took a few minuets. It mainly consisted of Elaina butting her way into Ash and Aron's conversation as I strolled quietly behind, my mind beginning to wonder again.

Normally, I wasn't much of a daydreamer. But lately a lot had been clouding my brain, like a hurricane of emotions. I couldn't help but analyze everything that had happened in the past month twenty times over. I also couldn't block his face from popping up either. Ash's features were imprinted into my mind and every so often they would engulf me completely. I couldn't hear anything around me, didn't recognize where I was going, cause he was just there, staring back at me with those auburn eyes. Reminding me that I had pathetically fallen in love.

And then of course there was the flower, gently resting behind my ear, that conveyed a message that made my heart flutter and my stomach do flips. A flower that sprouts where future lovers venture. Could it really be true? The tale was supposedly a myth after all. Could a flower really have that much significance? I can't possibly get hope from the presence of a flower. As much as I desired Ash to love me back, I couldn't imagine him changing from the dense boy I knew.

"It's really uhh...tall." Elaina gulped, dragging me out of my conflicted thoughts. I hadn't even noticed our arrival at the base of the tower. In fact, the wooden structure seemed to stretch even further into the sky from this angle. My friend stared up intensely as her cheeks went white, all traces of color draining from her face.

"I'll bet you can see Lumiose city from up there, right Pikachu?" Ash exclaimed as he turned to his trusty partner for an answer. The small electric mouse grinned at its trainer in delight, finally ready for some adventure.

"Pika Pi!" Pikachu cried joyfully, his squeaks echoing through the forest. My crush eagerly swung himself onto the ladder. Ash's fingers clutched the handles and he began ascending the rungs. He climbed a short distance before stopping briefly. The raven haired boy casually swung himself around so we could all witness the Cheshire Cat grin stretched across his face.

"Any one coming with me?" Ash asked with a slight impatience evident in his voice. He was hyped up and revving to go, yet again. That boy was always on the move, jumping from one activity to the next with only time to discuss battle tactics and eat masses in between. It wasn't exactly a trait I disliked, his eagerness was one thing that caused me to fall head over heels, but the constant need for adventure could get slightly tiring. Only very recently had he started to simmer down a little, which made me worry and wonder at the same time. What really caused Ash's sudden change in behavior?

"Umm...I would, but, the last time I was at that height, I was hanging off the side of a hot air balloon, so I'm going to have to pass. I've decided that I like the world a lot better from this point of view." Elaina said in a shaky voice. I noticed that her skin had now gone ghostly as she contemplated the idea of climbing the tower. She looked weak kneed and lightheaded all of a sudden.

"It's called being scared of heights!" Aron teased, prodding his sister with a malicious smirk. Elaina instantly frowned and tried to distance herself. Despite her brothers comment, it appeared as if she was going to fight back anyways.

"I-I am not! I just don't feel like it right now." My friend denied, crossing her arms over her chest and turning a nose at her brother.

"Admit it, you have a fear of heights." Aron continued to tease the already upset blonde girl. I saw Elaina's lips quiver, as if she was going to deny it again, but she never spoke up. Her eyes became encased in conflict as she looked at the ground. She couldn't bring herself to admit she had weaknesses.

"Leave her alone Aron." Ash commented from up above "you know how much she hates being the weak link."

"I am not the weak link!" Elaina cried as she glared at Ash. Soon, anger seemed to replace fear and I could almost see her fuming. Her icy stare caused Ash's grin to disappear, cause if looks could kill, Ash would be no more. "I'll climb that damn tower, I'll show you." She growled and began proceeding forward.

I put a hand on her shoulder and stopped her in her tracks. When Elaina looked at me, her face softened and I saw the fear swirling in her eyes again. A war played in her mind. Her ego against her well being, one had to lose. She was conflicted to the point where I was certain she was unable to make rational decisions.

"Don't do it Elaina. You'll only hurt yourself. Nothing's there to catch you if you fall and I'm sure everyone will be happier with you alive, even with a broken pride, rather than mangled on the forest floor." I warned, trying to be stern. Only a strict scolding would change her intensions.

"But I-"

"No." I deadpanned. She finally gave in, her shoulders relaxing as she accepted defeat. My friend dropped her gaze to the ground and she was too embarrassed to meet anyone's eyes.

"Fine." I heard her mumble as she shuffled away from me. In a sense, she looked angered but I could see the relief hiding behind her rock solid walls. She would secretly thank me later, probably in her own way, she was too egotistical to ever openly admit it.

"I'll stay down here with her, make sure she doesn't get into any trouble." Aron stated as he mussed his sister's hair. She threw him one of her signature glares but it seemed to have no effect on the fourteen year old.

"I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself." Elaina commented in a harsh tone but Aron didn't even flinch.

"I'll believe it when I see it." He replied with a teasing glint in his eyes. The siblings began bickering, as usual. Eventually, you got used to the constant insults being thrown from one side to the other.

"Serena, you coming?" I heard my crush ask from behind me. I diverted my gaze away from the siblings to the raven haired boy who was still dangling from the ladder rungs.

His warm eyes met mine and I instantly saw the innocent boy who I met when I was younger. No longer was he the boy who was constantly distracted, or had a kink for insulting my friend or was secretive about his visions. Just, the boy I loved. He had changed over the past couple weeks. He seemed lost, like Elaina's lessons had plunged him into a sea of foreign emotions, all coming to life. He was starting to see the world in a new light, and it all appeared a bit overwhelming for him. But I knew in that moment, the Ash I had always loved was not gone, and far from it. Soon he would figure out how to be himself with this new knowledge. I guess it's true what they say, ignorance is bliss.

(Not really sure if that whole paragraph made sense, sorry😬)

"Yes, I'm right behind you." I replied as I flashed my crush a smile.

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"Ash, it's beautiful!" I gawked as I stared over the huge expanse in front of me. Miles upon miles of untouched forest and meadow surrounded the 360 degree view from the tower top. The view was breath taking, the whole world at my finger tips. I felt 1000 feet tall at that height, everything els shrunk down to the size of my nail. Golden sunlight highlighted the oasis of greens and casted a warm glow onto everything it touched.

I skipped up to the balcony railings with a new born eagerness and a sudden spike of adrenaline. I let the thin fresh air fill my lungs, energizing every inch of me. Why was everything so much better 100 feet off the ground? My fingers coiled around the wooden bars and I swung myself forward so my torso hung in mid air. I stepped onto my tiptoes allowing myself, for a brief moment, to experience the feeling of flying.

Wind ruffled through my short honey blonde locks and I felt as light as air. Like a feather that could be swept away at any moment. My eyelids fluttered closed so could I enjoy every aspect of that incredible feeling. I swayed forward some more, desperate to hold onto weightlessness. My toes left the floor as I continued to lean over the railing. Further, further and-

"Serena! Stop doing that!" I heard a cry from behind me. Immediately, my eyelids flashed open and I rocked back onto my heels. The abruptness and angst behind those words struck at my heartstrings.

Upon tuning around, I came face to face with Ash. He met my eyes, his orbs spilling over with a mixture of distress and panic. In fact, I saw the same fear in his features now as I had in Elaina's a few moments ago. The sight made my heart ache.

"Why? What's wrong?" I finally managed to string a sentence together. The boy continued to study me like a priceless antique on the brink of shattering to pieces. He chose his words very carefully, as if he was still trying to make sense of his answer himself.

"If you leaned forward one more inch, you would have fallen. I couldn't bare to watch any longer." Ash replied hesitantly, but it was as if he was speaking exactly what was on his mind. For a brief moment, I was incapable of saying anything. My face muscles refused to work as I stared back at my crush.

Get yourself together Serena!

"O-oh, I-I'm sorry. I-I just love the view." I muttered and my words trailed into silence. It was all I could think to say, the right words just couldn't come to mind. I was utterly hopeless.

"No, don't apologize. You can still enjoy the view, just don't scare me like that. If you had fallen, I don't know what I would do..." Ash shuddered at the thought, it seemed to petrify him. Even I felt a slight shiver snake down my spine.

"Don't worry, I'll be more careful." I tried my best to smile at him, but it was weak and fragile. Even the slightest disturbance could shatter it to pieces. There was a difficulty to holding a powerful smile when you were engulfed by a wave of emotions. It's funny, I could beam as bright as the sun in front of hundreds of people, but this one boy crippled and fractured everything into dysfunctional pieces.

We both walked to the railing and admired the view. A heavy silence settled upon us, neither sure what to say. And this silence was all that was needed to make my mind go off on a tangent.

Could Ash really care that much? What would Ash do if I died? How long would he grieve me? How long until he forgot my existence?

"You like leaning over the railing?" The jet haired boy questioned, thankfully dragging me out of my broken thoughts.

"I love it. It's like I'm flying." I whispered and Ash nodded slowly as he began calculating. I continued to stare onto the vast landscape as he pondered over whatever was consuming his mind.

"Here, how about I hold you." Ash suggested. My pupils dilated as I looked at my crush with eyebrows knotted. He looked back almost emotionless but with undeniable certainty. "Go on, I'll make sure you're safe."

I nodded weakly, still not fully positive of the idea. After a deep breath, I closed my eyes and felt the wind nip at the skin on my face. I pressed my palms into the wood and balanced my weight on them. My toes lifted off the ground and I rocked forward. Thrill swirled in my chest as an amazing feeling pulsed through my veins yet again.

Then, I felt Ash's warm hands on my waist. The touch of his fingers sent tremors through my body more exhilarating than flying itself. I gasped as his grasp suddenly tightened. I was grounded, anchored. He held me firmly in place and soon, falling didn't even cross my mind. I exhaled heavily and leaned forward more. A small giggle escaped my teeth frame as a result of overflowing happiness. I never wanted that perfect moment to end.

"Spread your arms out wide, don't worry, I've got you." Ash said from behind me. His breath tickled the skin on my neck, causing me let out a shaky sigh. None the less, I obeyed his instructions, slowly lifting my hands off the railing. They were shaking almost uncontrollably as I lifted them into the air.

I put my trust in Ash and I shifted the rest my weight onto him, yet still, he withstood it with ease. My arms were spread wide, opening my chest so I could gulp down more fresh air. Chill from the wind tickled my fingers and I let the shivers travel up my arms. Still, they were nothing compared to the sparks Ash's hands on my waist created. My whole body vibrated with emotion.

Suddenly, my balance tilted slightly. I wobbled and a small squeal filled the silence. My arms began to retreat back to the railing and my heart rate accelerated until I heard it blaring in my ears. But as always, Ash was there to catch me. His grip on my waist strengthened and he anchored me again.

"You're okay, I've got you. And I'm never letting go." He reassured me. With that in mind, my balance returned and my pounding heart began to take on a regular rhythm. I wasn't sure what I would do without Ash. Most times, I liked to think I could coupe perfectly fine in his absence, being a strong independent woman. But times like this made me question those thoughts. Could I survive without him to keep me grounded?

"Never let go of me Ash, promise?" I asked. There was a pause, a moment of silence before he responded.

"I promise."

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Oh yes, I just went there. We've got a new Rose and Jack now! Literally got my inspiration from the titanic😂😂😂