Before you read this chapter, make sure to check out The Hat-trick Hero, an Amourshipping book I will focus on in summer. I just published the prologue of it and it's having over 8 votes now. Eggcellent!

Now, let's get crackin the chapter, shall we?

Back to Ash's house, as he just installed the "Dream" program for Serena, so she could sleep like a human, he started to have dinner.

As he was eating like he hadn't eaten anything for a century, Serena just sat in front of him and giggled. Ash looked up and saw that.

"What's so funny?" Ash asked with a confused face

"It just... looking you like that, it's just fun to see" Serena said with a smile. Ash still liked that smile. It looked like a sun that warmed his heart.

"Okay, whatever you say, robot girl" Ash rolled his eyes and continued his meal. After Serena cleaned the dishes, they just sat and talked

"So Ash, what are we going to do tonight? Watch some movies, maybe?" Serena asked but Ash didn't respond. He just stared at Serena a while

"Ash, is there something wrong with me?" Serena asked again. Then she saw Ash raised his hand and put it on Serena's head. He used his fingers to stroke her hair, which was made of metal and stiff. He used his hand to rub her head in a circle

"Ash, what are you doing?" She asked with a little steam from embarrassment on her head, but she didn't bother it. Then Ash lowered his hand to her cheeks, which was also made of metal. It was quite rough to touch, but not too much

"Ash, stop this!" She said while trying to push his hand off but she couldn't. Then he put his fingers on Serena's lips. They weren't made of metal. They were made of rubber, or in fact, they were more like gum. They smelt like strawberry, which Ash knew it by sniffing it.

"Ash... please..." Serena begged with a tear from her eye. Ash saw that and quickly wiped it away. He knew she didn't feel comfortable about that.

"Sorry Serena, it just..." He said while staring at Serena's eyes. They were cerulean blue and looked natural, even though they were just two lightbulbs in her eyes.

"You just look so pretty, even if you are a robot" Ash said while rubbing his nose in embarrassment

"R-Really?" Serena asked nervously and he nodded

"I'm serious. I didn't know a robot girl could be this cute like you" Ash said

"You think I'm... cute?"

"Yes, especially when your clothes is changed" Ash said then did the unexpected. He leaned in Serena. She noticed that but she didn't push his face away. She squeezed her eyes and just waited for it. Ash's face just inches apart from her until... his phone rang. Ash groaned and picked it up, while Serena opened her eyes and steamed more

"This is Ash Ketchum. Who is it?" Ash asked in the phone

"Yo Ashy-boy. Long time no see!" A voice from the other side said

"Gary?!"

"Your boi is here."

"So, why did you call me?"

"You got fired from Flare Corp, right?" Gary asked

"Yeah, that was my mistake though" Ash said

"Hey Ash. I heard that there will be a building contest next couple of weeks. The winner will have a chance to work for a company. I think you should register, since you are unemployed now" Gary said

Ash was quite hesitant. He of course wants a new job, but he couldn't leave Serena alone while he is gone. But he made up his mind

"Sure, Gary. I will" Ash said

"Okay, bye now. Oh, by the way, Dawn told me everything"

"Hey, did she tell you about..."

"Yeah. Have fun with her, Ashy-boy" Gary said but Ash's face went red for that

"W-Whatever! Bye!" Ash shut his phone before Gary could say anything further. Then he turned his head and saw Serena. She was asleep on the couch

'Poor thing. She must be very tired' Ash thought and carried her bridal style upstairs, in his bedroom. He put her on a bed he had arranged before.

"Goodnight, my little robot" Ash said and went to the bathroom to brush his teeth and for a bath, before he went to bed and thought about the next day

However, sleeping was hard for him. He'd been counting sheeps for an hour and he hadn't felt sleepy yet

"1001 sheeps, 1002 sheeps,... ARGH! Why can't I sleep?!" Ash got up and got himself a glass of water. While drinking it, he thought about the contest

"As an inventor, this will be easy. But there will be different competitors. I'm not sure if I can defeat them..." He said to himself and looked at Serena, who was sleeping

"She has some tiny snores when she sleeps. How cute" Ash said

"Ash, you're so funny..." Serena mumbled in her sleep and Ash chuckled a bit

"Next time I might invent some sort of dream watching machine to know what did she dream of" Ash said. Suddenly, her body started to shake

"Ash, don't do that..." She mumbled, made Ash worry. He then listened further

"Ash, no! Don't take that!" She mumbled. He started to worry more, but he kept listening

"Ash! Don't leave me..." She mumbled, with her eyes starting shedding tears. Ash stood up and sat on her bed

"No! No! Ash! NO! I don't want to be alone!" She mumbled, but more like a shout, with more tears from her eyes. Ash decided to shake her, hoping she could snap out

"Ash! Please don't die! ASH!" This time she was crying. She didn't open her eyes

"Serena! Wake up! I'm here!" Ash shook her more but she didn't wake up. He then decided to hit the "Dream" button to turn it off. Serena sat up immediately

"Ash! Ash! Where are you?" She looked around the room in panic and tears. Ash stopped her head and forced her to look at him

"Serena, I'm here!" Ash said to her. She stunned for some seconds then suddenly tackled him into a hug, knocked him to the bed. She sobbed in his chest, while Ash hugged her back. She was hugging so tight that it looked like she didn't want to let him go

"Shh... it's okay, Serena... I'm here..." Ash said softly in her ears

"I was dreaming about a red hair man, who shot you. And before I knew it, you died in front of me!" Serena said and sobbed louder.

"Lysandre..." Ash mumbled, then he rubbed Serena's back

"It's okay... it's just a nightmare..." Ash said softly, tried not to make her scared. Then she looked up with tears in her eyes

"Promise you won't leave me?" Serena asked with some sniffs. He wiped her tears and smiled. "I promise"

"Pinky swear?" Serena showed her pinky finger. Ash was shocked about this

"Who... taught you about this?" Ash asked

"It's Dawn. She told me to do that if I make a promise" Serena said and Ash clenched his fist. That was his weakness, and Dawn was the only one who knew it. And she taught it to Serena. But to a girl like Serena, he couldn't deny

"Okay, I guess" Ash did the pinky swear, and Serena let out a small smile.

"Alright, I'm going back to bed now. Goodnight, Serena" Ash went to his bed, but got stopped when Serena wrapped her arms around his waist

"Please, don't leave me. Can you... sleep with me?" Serena begged. Ash felt quite embarrassed, but he nodded. He signaled Serena to come to his bed. He lied on one side while Serena lied on the others.

"You feel safe now?" Ash asked and she nodded. Then he heard some tiny snores again. He knew she was asleep

"Sweet dream, my robot" Ash said and drifted to sleep, without worrying about tomorrow