It is the next day, and Ash is slowly waking up in his bedroom. He sits upon his bed and stretches while Pikachu gets up from his spot next to him and yawns cutely.

"Morning, Pikachu," Ash greets with a smile. "Sleep well?"

"Pikachu," Pikachu replies happily.

"Great. Let's go downstairs and get some breakfast," Ash suggests.

Pikachu happily nods in agreement, and Ash gets up to change out of his pajamas. The two of them make their way downstairs and head to the kitchen, where they find Delia and Serena cooking together.

"Morning, Mom. Morning, Serena," Ash greets.

"Ash, you're up early," Delia says with a smile.

"Good morning, Ash. Are you hungry?" Serena asks sweetly.

"You bet," Ash answers with a determined grin.

"Good. We're almost done, so why don't you set up the plates and utensils," Serena says with a warm smile.

Ash does as he is told while Delia and Serena finish cooking. Ash gets a bowl of Pokemon food for Pikachu and places it on the table for the yellow mouse to eat with him, Delia and Serena. After bringing the food to the table, Delia and Serena sit down with Ash, and the three of them hold each others' hands and say grace before they start eating. For a couple of minutes, they eat in silence until Ash remembers something.

"Oh yeah, Serena, have you told my mom what we decided yet?" He asks.

Delia and Serena look at him in confusion before Serena remembers what he's talking about.

"No, I haven't had the chance," she answers.

"That's okay," Ash says with a friendly smile before turning to his mother. "I'm going with Serena on her journey."

Delia's eyes widen in surprise.

"Really? That's great," she says happily. "But, are you still planning to compete in this year's Kanto League?"

"Yup. That's why I want to join," Ash answers. "Both the Kanto League and the Grand Festival are going to take place in the Indigo Plateau, and they're just a few weeks away from each other. Besides, Serena was such a terrific help when she supported me during the Kalos League, so it would be great to have her with me again while I also help her with her contests."

As Ash takes another bite of his food after giving that information, Delia turns to Serena, who looks away and nods with her cheeks turning pink.

"Well, that sounds like a wonderful idea, sweetie," Delia says happily. "I'm sure that you will both do great helping each other out."

"Thank you, Mrs. Ketchum," Serena says.

"Yeah, thanks, Mom," Ash says with his mouth full.

Delia smiles warmly in response before she realizes something.

"So have you thought about what Pokemon to bring with you, Ash?" She asks.

Ash pauses in mid-chew and swallows before scratching his chin in thought.

"I haven't thought about that," he admits before turning to Serena. "We could go to Professor Oak's lab today and see all of my Pokemon."

Serena smiles brightly and says, "That sounds like a great idea."

"Awesome. I know everyone will be happy to meet you," Ash says with a toothy grin.

"Pikachu," Pikachu says in agreement.

Serena smiles back with her eyes closed before they return to their meal. Neither teenagers or Pikachu notice, however, that Delia is still smiling at both of them, delighted with the news.

*******************************************************************************

After breakfast, Ash, Serena, and Pikachu help clean the dishes with Delia and then walk over to Professor Oak's laboratory. As the laboratory got in their line of sight, Serena can't help but have a nostalgic smile on her face that Ash notices.

"What are you thinking about, Serena?" He asks.

Serena snaps out of her train of thought and blushes lightly before she answers.

"Oh, I'm just remembering when I was last at Professor Oak's laboratory," she admits.

"Oh, I bet. You're probably thinking about when we both went to summer camp there, aren't you?" Ash says.

Serena nods with a smile.

"I guess it never occurred to me that I would see it again," she says before she looks away bashfully. "Then again, I also thought I would never see you again after I moved."

"Well, I'm glad you found me when you did," Ash says with a grin.

"Pikachu," Pikachu says happily in agreement.

"So am I, Ash," Serena replies before she quietly whispers. "More than you might ever know."

The three of them remain quiet during the remainder of the walk to the front door. Ash knocks, and they wait for a moment before the door opens to reveal a familiar older boy.

"Hey, Ash," Tracey says happily.

"Hi, Tracy. How've you been?" Ash gets while shaking Tracey's hand firmly.

"Great," Tracey replies before turning to Serena. "And you must be, Serena. Am I right?"

The honey blonde girl nods with a friendly smile and says, "Yes, I'm Serena. It's nice to meet you. You're Professor Oak's assistant, right?"

"That's right. I help the professor with everything here at the lab, including taking care of the Pokemon," Tracey answers. "Speaking of which, the professor is outside with Bulbasaur."

"Great, let's go head over there, Serena," Ash suggests.

"Right," Serena says in agreement.

The four of them make their way through the building to the back where there is a large meadow full of Pokemon. Serena stares in awe as they walk until they see Professor Oak struggling with a Muk that has tackled him.

"Muuuuuuk," the Muk bellows.

"Yes, Muk. It's nice to see you too. Now please get off me," the professor says.

Suddenly, a Bulbasaur runs over to them and starts hitting the Muk with Vine Whip. The Muk winces in pain until it finally gets off the old man and goes away. Professor Oak sighs in relief before turning to the Bulbasaur.

"Thank you, Bulbasaur," he says with a smile. "I don't know what I'd do without you."

"Bulbasaur," the Bulbasaur says with a smile.

"Hey Professor Oak, Bulbasaur," Ash greets as he, Pikachu, Serena, and Tracey approach them. The old man and the Bulbasaur turn to see them with the old man smiling and the Bulbasaur happily running over to Ash for a hug.

"Ash, my boy, so good to see you," Professor Oak greets. "And Serena, nice to see you here again."

"Thank you, Professor," Serena says politely.

"So, Ash, are you here to visit your Pokemon?" Professor Oak asks.

"Actually, I'm here to partly do that but mostly to pick who to take with me," Ash answers while he puts down Bulbasaur.

"Oh? Where are you going?" Professor Oak asks.

"I'm going to join Serena on her journey through Kanto and enter in the Indigo League this year," Ash announces proudly.

"Oh, that sounds like a splendid idea," Professor Oak says. "It's been a long time since you first entered."

"It sure has. I want to enter to show how much stronger I've gotten with my Pokemon," Ash says proudly. "And with Serena by my side to cheer me on just like in Kalos, I know I'm going to win."

Serena smiles and looks down to hide another blush while Professor Oak and Tracey chuckle at Ash's declaration.

"Sounds like you have quite the plan," Professor Oak says before turning to Serena. "And you're going on a journey to enter in Kanto's Pokemon contests, correct?"

"That's right," Serena says. "I'm going to compete in my first contest in Cerulean City."

"Ah, that's where Misty is," Tracey says with a smile. "It's been a long time since I've seen her."

Serena looks at Tracey curiously, wondering about his sudden enthusiasm about Misty. Before she can ponder more about it, though, Ash steps in, speaking to Tracey.

"Yeah, it's been a while for me too," he says. "I'm sure she'll be happy to see us."

"I know she will," Tracey says before turning to Serena. "You're going to like Misty, Serena. She's a good person. I'm sure she'll be happy to cheer you on with Ash at your first Pokemon contest."

"I hope so," Serena says before chuckling nervously. "Although, come to think of it, I don't think I've been told the difference between Pokemon showcases and contests."

"Ah, I can help you with that," Tracey says, stepping in. "A Pokémon contest is divided into two parts. The first round is called the appeal stage, where coordinators have their Pokémon performing their moves to showcase their style and skill. A panel of judges gives them points based on their performance, usually formed by Mr. Contesta from the organizing committee, Mr. Sukizo from the Pokémon Fan Club, and the Nurse Joy from the local Pokémon Center. The coordinators with the highest scores proceed to the next round."

Serena nods in understanding before she asks, "Alright, so what is the next part? Does it vary by the contest just like with showcases?"

"Nope, next is when you start competing in the battle stage," Ash says with a smirk.

"The battle stage?" Serena asks, surprised.

"Indeed," Tracy confirms. "You see, in the battle stage, coordinators compete in Pokémon battles against each other while continuing to show off their Pokémon's style and skill. Each battle lasts five minutes, and the objective of the battle is to decrease the opponent's points. Coordinators lose points when their Pokémon is hit by an attack when their Pokémon's attack fails when the opponent's Pokémon performs a particularly appealing move, or when the opponent's Pokémon uses the other Pokémon's attack to its advantage. A battle can also end when one of the Pokémon is unable to battle."

"Wow, so I basically have to be both battling and performing at the same time?" Serena asks, feeling uneasy. "That sounds a little hard."

"Don't worry, Serena, I'll help you practice," Ash says without thinking.

"Really?" Serena asks, hopefully.

"Of course," Ash replies with a smile. "I've seen my friends Dawn and May compete many times, and I even competed in three of them myself and tied for first with May in an unofficial contest. I can help you know what to do during the battle stages before we reach Cerulean City, no doubt."

"Pikachu," Pikachu says in agreement.

A part of Serena feels uneasy about Ash bringing up other friends who are girls that she hasn't heard about, but the rest of her is too touched to care. She smiles sweetly and thinks, "He really is such a caring person. He didn't even think twice to say that."

"That's Ash for you. Quick to help others," Tracy says.

"Indeed," Professor Oak says in agreement. "But back to the matter at hand. Ash, what Pokemon are you going to choose?"

"Well, the thing is, that's what I'm hoping to figure out," Ash admits. "I'm hoping that through this journey, I can show how much I've learned since the last time I entered the Indigo League as I grow stronger with my Pokemon. So I think I'm going to take any Pokemon I have who I still need to grow to their very limit so that all of my Pokemon are at their best in time for the league."

Serena and Tracy smiles approvingly while Professor Oak acts uneasy.

"Uh, I hope that doesn't include your Bulbasaur, my boy," he says nervously. "Things would get rather chaotic without it managing all of your other Pokemon."

"Don't worry, Professor. I know you need Bulbasaur here," Ash says assuringly. "Besides, Bulbasaur is perfectly strong just the way he is. Right, buddy?"

"Bulbasaur!" Bulbasaur replies firmly.

"Oh, that's a relief," Professor Oak says with a sigh. "Do you have anyone else in mind?"

"Nope, I'm just going to see all of my Pokemon and figure it out from there," Ash answers.

"Very good," Professor Oak says approvingly. "I'm sure all of your Pokemon will be very happy to see -"

Suddenly, the ground begins to rumble and shake. Serena looks around, wondering what is going on while, Ash, Tracey, and Professor Oak have already figured it out. Before long, thirty Tauros appear within view, running straight to Ash. Realizing that Serena is standing right next to him, Ash pushes Serena away while Pikachu quickly hops off of Ash's shoulder just in time before the Tauros ram him and send him flying into the air.

"Ash!" Serena calls out fearfully.

Ash hangs in the air for a moment before he falls down and lands right on top of one of the Tauros. The other Tauros crowd around trying to nudge Ash, trying to show their affection.

"Okay, Tauros, okay. I'm glad to see all of you all too," Ash giggles.

Serena gets up and looks at the display in confusion.

"What is going on?" She asks.

"Oh, all of Ash's Tauros all just wanted to say hi," Tracey answers.

"Wait, all of these Pokemon are Ash's?" Serena asks, surprised.

"Yes, they are," Professor Oak says.

Serena stares at the Tauros surrounding Ash befuddled and takes out her Pokedex.

"Tauros, the Wild Bull Pokémon," the Pokedex says. "When whipping itself with its three tails, its Tackle is a powerful destructive force. Due to their docile nature, they won't attack without being assaulted first."

"Yeah, but thankfully Ash's Tauros don't cause much trouble thanks to Bulbasaur," Tracey says. "Besides, they're pretty friendly whenever they see Ash coming to visit."

"What a relief," Serena says, letting out a big sigh.

Overhearing the conversation, Ash manages to move away from the Tauros and walk over to Serena.

"Sorry if I worried you, Serena," he says sincerely.

"It's okay," Serena says appreciatively. "Just please tell me that's the only time I have to worry about your well being."

Ash chuckles nervously and scratches the back of his head.

"Honestly, Serena, you might never know when it comes to some of Ash's Pokemon," Tracey says, which makes Serena groan in worry.

True to his word, Serena finds herself surprised in one way or another when being introduced to the rest of Ash's Pokemon in the lab. The two teenagers and Pikachu saw Charizard next who made Serena worry again when it breathed a Flamethrower right at Ash's face only for Ash to assure her that it's just how Charizard greets him. Thankfully, the rest of his Pokemon didn't make Serena worry as much. From Kingler to Heracross, to Sceptile, to Infernape to Krookodile, Serena found herself having a lot of fun meeting Ash's Pokemon. With every Pokemon Serena meets, she feels like she was learning another amazing thing about the boy she cares for.

Ash also enjoyed seeing all of his Pokemon again, but found himself smiling every time he watches Serena interact with them. His smile grows whenever he sees some of his Pokemon like Oshawott show affection to the honey blonde girl, making her laugh. Serena was uneasy, however, by the way his Bayleef gave her a hard glare while nuzzling its head against Ash's without him noticing.

Eventually, Ash decides to let out all of the Kalos Pokemon he brought with him, letting them know that they're going to stay in the lab from now on. Talonflame quickly began to enjoy flying freely with Staraptor, Swellow, and Unfezant. Noivern happily befriended Gliscor and started gliding together while Hawlucha begins a friendly rivalry with Bulbasaur. By the time Ash, Serena, and Pikachu finished saying hi to all of his Pokemon, it is late in the afternoon, and Serena suggests that they all sit down for a late lunch. Thus, she, Ash, and Pikachu sit down on the grass, and Serena opens her backpack and takes out a few sandwiches and drinks that she and Delia packed before they left the house. Tracey passes by along the way with bowls of food so that a lot of Ash's Pokemon can eat with them. As they eat, Ash decides to tell Serena stories about some of his other Pokemon that he had to release or give away from Butterfree to Lapras.

"So Greninja isn't the first Pokemon you ever had to release," she says.

"Nope," Ash confirms before frowning slightly. "I hope he's doing well without me, though."

"I'm sure he's doing fine with Squishy and Z2 helping him," Serena says comfortingly. "They'll have all those remaining vines destroyed before you know it."

"Pikachu," Pikachu says.

"Yeah, you're right," Ash says with a sad smile. "Still, who knows how much the Bond Phenomenon could help with the Kanto League."

Serena frowns and says, "Well, you shouldn't think about what you could do with Greninja and start thinking about you can do with the Pokemon you have right now."

Ash chuckles lightly.

"Yeah, you're right, Serena," he says.

"Good," Serena says firmly.

"Speaking of which, have you decided who to take on your journey?" Tracey asks after he brings the last bowl of Pokemon food to Buizel.

"Oh yeah," Ash says enthusiastically. "I think I should take a powerful water Pokemon that hasn't evolved yet, so my first choice will be Oshawott."

"Oshawott!" Oshawott says happily while eating.

"Next, I think I should have a fire Pokemon too," Ash continues. "Since Quilava only recently evolved when I last used it during the Sinnoh League, that means we have lots of room to make him even stronger."

"Quil!" Quilava says gleefully.

"And speaking of Sinnoh, Gible got pretty strong, but I also didn't have him through all of my journey in that region," Ash says. "So, an entire journey through Kanto should be just what we need to be at our best together."

Gible, who is gorging down on his Pokemon food, pauses mid-bite before happily shouting, "Gible!" and jumps up to bite on Ash's head. Tracey sighs and helps Ash get the dragon and ground Pokemon off of him.

"I wish Gible would not do that," Serena mutters.

Ash rubs his head before he laughs off the pain and continues.

"As I was going to say next, I'd also like to train up Snivy," he says.

"Snivy," Sviny says plainly without looking at her trainer.

"And as for my fifth choice, it was a tough decision, but I would like to train Boldore some more."

"Boldore," Boldore says happily.

"So with all of those Pokemon, you would cover electricity with Pikachu, water with Oshawott, fire with Quilava, dragon, and ground with Gible, grass with Snivy and rock with Boldore," Tracey says. "Sounds like you have a very diverse team to take with you."

"Yup, that's the idea," Ash says proudly.

"Great," Tracey says as he stands up. "I'll go over to the lab and get their Pokeballs for you."

"Awesome. Thanks, Tracey," Ash thanks.

While Tracey leaves, Serena opens her backpack again and takes out a basket.

"In the meantime, I brought Pokepuffs," she says with a smile. "Would anyone like some?"

"I do! I do!" Ash says excitedly.

"Pika, pi!" Pikachu says in excitement.

"Of course, there's one for each of you," Serena says, smiling as she gives Pokepuffs to Pikachu and then Ash. "Anyone else want to try one?"

A bunch of the Pokemon became so interested that they all began to pile up on Serena. The honey blonde girl is worried at first before she starts laughing and gives a Pokepuff to one Pokemon at a time. Suddenly, a giant hand snatches the basket from her hand, and everyone looks up to see Snorlax dumping all the remaining treats into its mouth.

"Snorlax, you shouldn't take all of the Pokepuffs," Ash rebukes.

But instead of showing any shame, Snorlax swallows all the Pokepuffs and carelessly tosses Serena's basket, sending it flying in the air and landing far into the woods before Snorlax lays down and snores with a smile.

"My basket!" Serena cries as she runs over to the woods to find it while Ash stands up to yell at Snorlax. Serena runs further into the woods and tries to find any sign of her basket with no success. She starts to worry that she won't find it the further she looks around. After a couple of minutes, she stops searching and sighs in defeat.

"It's no use. I'm never going to find it," she thinks glumly. "I guess I'll have to buy a new one when we pass by Viridian -"

But as she turns around to head back, Serena looks around and realizes she has no idea where she is or where is the way out. She starts to worry as she tries to figure out which way to go.

"Why didn't I look where I was going?" She thinks while walking. "Maybe I should have waited until Ash and Pikachu could come along to help me find my basket or - WAAA!"

Serena trips on something, and she loses her balance and falls down on her face. She groans in pain before she sits up, rubbing her forehead. Then Serena opens her eyes and freezes in confusion as she sees her basket on top of a small, blue blob with legs and a light blue tail. She stares in confusion until the figure suddenly runs away in panic.

"Hey, wait. That's my basket!" Serena calls out as she quickly gets up and chases after the figure that has her basket. The figure runs as fast it can until it runs into a tree and falls down on its back. Serena catches up and kneels down behind it and frowns.

"Are you okay?" She asks.

The figure lets out a weak, muffled groan in response.

"Here, let me help you get my basket off of you," she says softly.

The figure doesn't seem to resist as she grabs her basket with both hands and gently lifts it off the small, blue figure. She smiles, glad to have her basket back until she sees that the figure is a tiny Poliwag. The two of them stare at each other for a couple of seconds until the Poliwag suddenly sprints back up and starts hopping away.

"Poliwag, wait!" Serena cries out and starts chasing after the Poliwag.

The two of them keep their chase for a couple of minutes until Poliwag finds a large hedge and hides in it, hoping Serena won't find it. But Serena saw it hide in the hedge and stops walking when she's only a couple feet away from it. She carefully gets down on her knees and raises her hands.

"Please don't run, Poliwag," she pleads. "I'm not going to hurt you."

Poliwag stays still, hoping the honey blonde girl will go away.

"I'm sorry that my basket fell on you and that I scared you," Serena says sincerely.

Again, no response. Serena thinks for a moment before she gets an idea and takes out her backpack. Poliwag tilts its body curiously as it watches Serena take out a handful of Pokemon food.

"Here, are you hungry?" Serena asks with a friendly smile.

Poliwag leans in with interest. It looks up and down between Serena and the food, debating on whether or not to trust her. Finally, after a minute, it slowly and carefully gets out of the hedge and checks its surroundings before walking over to Serena.

"That's it," Serena says encouragingly. "Just a little more."

Poliwag continues to walk carefully until it is less than half an inch away from Serena's hand. It pauses for a moment before it leans in and takes a bite. It munches for a couple of seconds, and then suddenly, its eyes light up.

"Poli!" It squeaks happily before snatching the rest of the treat in its mouth.

"Is it good?" Serena asks, smiling.

"Poli!" Poliwag says happily.

Serena's smile brightens until she and Poliwag hear the sound of footsteps coming from behind her.

"Hey, Serena, where are you?" Ash cries out.

Poliwag gets nervous and starts to back away. Serena realizes this and quickly waves her hands.

"Please don't worry," she says worriedly. "You're not in danger. That's just Ash looking for me."

Poliwag hesitates, unsure of whether or not to trust Serena. The two of them remain still until Ash walks over to them and opens his mouth to speak before Serena quickly hushes him. He looks at her in confusion until she turns to the Poliwag and says, "See? This is my friend, Ash. He won't hurt you."

Ash stands still for a moment until he realizes what is going on and smiles. Poliwag remains hesitant while the raven-haired boy kneels down next to the honey-blonde girl.

"Hello, Poliwag. It's nice to meet you," he says with a friendly smile.

Poliwag whimpers and takes another step back, making Serena's heart sink.

"Quick, try to feed it," she whispers loudly to Ash as she hands him some of the Pokemon food in her hand.

Ash nods and turns to Poliwag, asking, "Would you like something to eat?"

Poliwag continues to be hesitant. Ash scratches his chin in thought until he gets an idea.

"Here, like this," he says before he puts a piece in his mouth and eats it with a smile on his face. "It's really good."

Serena fights the urge to giggle at his demeanor while Poliwag looks at him interested. Just like with Serena, it takes several careful steps and slowly takes a bite of the Pokemon food before it decides to trust both strangers and starts eating from out of both of their hands.

"There you go," Ash says with a toothy grin as he starts to pet Poliwag on the head.

"Great job," Serena says happily while also petting the Pokemon.

"Poli," Poliwag says with its mouth full, enjoying the food and the affection.

The two teenagers pet the small Pokemon in silence for a couple of minutes, enjoying the moment. Then, Ash lifts his head to check their surroundings and looks confused.

"What is it, Ash?" Serena asks.

"I don't know," Ash says. "I have the strange feeling that this area looks familiar."

Serena tilts her head curiously and looks around herself. Her eyes widen when she realizes that they are standing next to a familiar tree. She looks around again to make sure she isn't wrong.

"It can't be," she whispers.

"What is it?" Ash asks.

Serena turns to Ash, keeping her shocked face for a moment before it transformers into a fond smile.

"Ash...this is where we first met," she says.

"What? Really?" Ash asks, surprised.

"Yes," Serena says softly, pointing behind Poliwag. "Right there is where I fell down and hurt my leg, and then you came to help me."

Ash stares at her befuddled. He looks at the spot where Serena is pointing and looks around the area again before a small smile enters his face.

"Well, what do you know?" he says. "This really is the spot where I found you."

Serena's smile grows, uplifted that he recognizes the area as well. Suddenly, Ash begins to laugh, making Serena and Poliwag look at him, confused.

"Ash, what's so funny?" Serena asks.

Ash continues to laugh for a few more seconds before he answers.

"I just remembered I was chasing a Poliwag that day," he says. "I was trying to catch it to show it to Professor Oak, but it was hopping so fast that I couldn't catch up, and that's when I found you lying on the ground."

Serena blinks for a moment. Then she covers her mouth to contain a giggle before she starts laughing too.

"You're right," she says in mid-laughter. "And I was chasing this little guy before it tried to hide right under that bush over there. And here you are finding me on my knees again."

The two of them laugh out loud, confusing Poliwag, who is unsure of how to react to their demeanor. When the laughter dies down, Ash and Serena let out big sighs before they continue to pet Poliwag in silence much to the water Pokemon's delight. Serena smiles fondly again as she stares at Poliwag while stroking it. Her heart feels light as a feather to find the place where she met the raven-haired boy she has held close to her heart for so many years. In her mind, it felt like this was a twist of fate that the two of them would be here thanks to a wild Poliwag again.

"It would be incredible if this was the very same Poliwag," she thinks in her mind before she shakes her head. "No, this one is too small. It probably is only a couple of years old. It can't be the same one from eight years ago. But still, it's wonderful that this kind of fortune would happen. I would never have imagined that this could happen in my wildest dreams."

She turns her head to face Ash, who gives Poliwag a toothy grin as he pets it. She turns back to Poliwag, who is still cheerfully enjoying the moment between the two teenagers. Serena smiles with a thankful look in her eyes before she nods firmly

"Okay, that settles it," she says out loud.

Ash and Poliwag turn and look at Serena, confused.

"What's that?" Ash asks.

Serena ignores Ash and leans closer to Poliwag with a warm look.

"Poliwag, can I catch you?" she asks kindly. "You see, we're going on a journey together, Ash and I, and I would very much like for you to join us. I'm going to enter in Pokemon contests with my Pokemon, Braixen, Pancham, and Sylveon. It's going to be a lot of work but also a lot of fun. Will you join me?"

For a moment, there is silence between the two teenagers and the water Pokemon. Serena begins to worry that Poliwag might do something that might mean it refuses to join her. Finally, Poliwag takes a couple of hops away from Serena backward and takes a defensive stance.

"Poli!" It says.

"I think it wants to have a battle with you," Ash says.

Serena stares at Poliwag for a moment before she gives it a determined smile.

"Alright, if it's a battle you want, then it's a battle you'll get," she says while taking out a and tossing it up in the air. "Go, Braixen!"

The Pokeball opens, and with a flash, Braixen appears ready for battle. Poliwag frowns and shoots water out of its mouth, heading straight for the fox Pokemon.

"Braixen, dodge that Water Gun and use Hidden Power," Serena commands.

Braixen raises her stick up in the air, and three blue orbs appear floating around it. Then with a flick of her arm, the orbs fly directly at Poliwag and hit it. The tadpole Pokemon flies in the air and lands a couple of feet away from where it stood but slowly gets up. It quickly fires another Water Gun, which catches Braixen off guard, sending flying to a tree.

"Oh no! Braixen, are you okay?" Serena asks worriedly.

The fire Pokemon grunts in pain, having taken a lot of damage from the attack. Poliwag decides to take advantage of this and hops toward Braixen, looking ready to do something with its tail.

"I think it's about to use Double Slap on Braixen," Ash says.

Serena's eyes widen, realizing that Ash is right and rattles her brain, trying to think of something until she gets an idea.

"Braixen, wait until I say go then hit Poliwag with Scratch," she orders.

"Braix," Braixen says in understanding.

Poliwag continues to charge at the fire Pokemon, ready to attack Braixen head-on. Serena keeps her eyes on the small Pokemon until it is close enough.

"Go!" she orders.

Braixen quickly gets up and charges at Poliwag with its paw glowing white. The tadpole Pokemon hesitates, taken aback by the sudden movement from its opponent, allowing Braixen the opportunity to scratch at it hard. The impact sends the little Pokemon flying into the air and hit a tree before it lands on the ground, groaning in pain.

"Alright," Serena says with a smirk before she takes out an empty Pokeball and throws it shouting, "Go Pokeball!"

The ball hits Poliwag on the head and opens. The water Pokemon turns completely pink and gets sucked into the ball before it closes and starts to wiggle. Serena, Braixen, and Ash watch as the Pokeball moves back and forth several times before it stops, and they hear a loud ding.

"Alright!" Serena says happily, picking up the Pokeball. "I caught Poliwag!"

"Braixen!" Braixen shouts happily.

"Great job, Serena," Ash congratulates.

"Thank you, Ash," Serena says before tossing the ball into the air. "Poliwag, come on out."

That ball opens, and Poliwag appears with a smile on its face. Serena takes out two more Pokeballs and tosses them into the air. The two balls open to reveal Pancham and Sylveon appearing next to Braixen.

"Everyone, I'd like for you to meet our new friend, Poliwag," Serena says with a smile.

Braixen, Pancham, and Sylveon all give Poliwag friendly greetings. The tadpole Pokemon smiles cheerfully and greets them back. Serena gets down on her knees and picks Poliwag up.

"Poliwag, I know we're going to be the best of friends," she says.

"I think so too," Ash says.

The two teenagers and four Pokemon silently enjoy the moment until they hear the faint sound of Pikachu in the distance.

"Pikachu's probably starting to worry that we got lost," Ash says. "Let's head back before he and Tracey start to look for us."

"Alright," Serena says in agreement. "Everyone, return."

Braixen, Pancham, Sylveon, and Poliwag return to their Pokeballs, and Ash gestures Serena to follow him as they make their way out of the forest. As they walk away, Serena looks back to the very spot where she and Ash first met, and the thankful look in her eyes returns. She holds out Poliwag's Pokeball and smiles fondly, imagining what kinds of things lay in store once she starts traveling with her new Pokemon and the boy of her dreams.