Serena looks down and watches her hands shake as she sits on a bench in the waiting room. It's the third day of the Johto Grand Festival, and the tournament is coming close to the end with the final contest battle. Serena has managed to make her way to the final round by beating Dawn during the quarterfinals and barely having more points than Solidad in the semifinals. At the same time, however, May has also triumphed against Harley and Drew during her battles in the quarterfinals and semifinals, respectively. Now the festival is taking a short break so that Serena and May's Pokemon can heal up before the final battle that will decide who will become Top Coordinator.

Serena sees two hands take hers, and she looks up to see Dawn giving her a frown while sitting on the bench opposite from hers.

"Come on, Serena. Get it together," she says. "You can do this."

Serena gives her friend a small smile and says, "Sorry, Dawn. I guess I can't help myself. I barely did a thing against May's Pokemon before she took down Braixen and Pancham just like that."

"But you have gotten so much stronger since then," Dawn points out. "You defeated Solidad just like May did last time."

"Yeah, barely," Serena says. "I didn't take out either of her Pokemon."

"And she didn't take down any of yours either," Dawn counters. "And besides, the goal isn't necessarily to take down your opponent's Pokemon, you can still win by having more points than May or get her to lose all of her points. If you can do that to Solidad of all coordinators, then you can do it to May. Got it?"

Serena takes a deep breath, and her hands stop shaking slightly.

"You're right, Dawn. I can do this," Serena says, feeling a little confident. "I'm going to win that trophy, and I'm not going to let May stop me."

"That's my girl," Dawn says with a smirk.

"Hey!" May barks, walking over to Dawn and Serena. "Why are you rooting for her and not both of us?!"

"Because I'm closer to her than you," Dawn says matter-of-factly. "Besides, you already got a nice, big, shiny trophy, so someone else should get one. And if that someone can't be me, then I want it to be Serena."

May pouts childishly before she smirks and turns to Serena.

"Well, I beat you last time, so I don't see this turning out any differently," she boasts.

Serena smirks and opens her mouth to counter until Dawn speaks again.

"I wouldn't be too sure of that," the blunette girl claims. "The way I see it, if she can kiss Ash on the lips, then she can do anything."

Serena's eyes widen, and her cheeks turn pink.

"D-D-Dawn!" she stutters, embarrassed.

"You really think she's going to win because she kissed Ash?" May rebukes with her hands on her hips.

"Why not? It makes her braver than you are with Drew," Dawn says with a smug look.

May's face turns red, and she screams, "Knock it off with that already!"

The two of them start bickering like little children while Serena shakes her head at her two friends. She then looks down to look at her ribbon and smiles fondly. She starts to caress the blue fabric and think about the last time she saw the boy of her dreams. She closes her eyes and giggles slightly as she replays the moment she kissed him and told him how she feels. Ever since then, she has been feeling more cheerful during her journey through the Johto region. Even when she lost a contest, she didn't let it bother as long as she entertained the audience, and remembers that special moment with Ash.

And yet, in her heart, she misses him. Despite knowing she had to part ways with him, she wishes she can travel with him again. On occasion, she would video call Brock and Holly to see how they are doing, and she would smile to see how happy they are together. When she discovered from Brock that Ash is staying in Alola and is enjoying himself there, she was glad to hear it, but at the same time, she wishes she was there to explore the region with him. She wonders what kind of Pokemon he has befriended out there and maybe captured while going to school to learn more about the region. Above all else, however, she wonders if Ash ever thinks about her or the moment when she kissed him. She closes her eyes with her fingers still on her ribbon and tries to imagine seeing him again and hearing him say that he miraculously understands her feelings and feels the same way about her.

"Serena!"

Serena's eyes open at the sound of a raspy voice. She turns to May and Dawn, who have instantly stopped arguing and turns to her just as confused.

"Serena!"

"Pikachu!"

The three girls turn to the direction of where the voice is coming from, and their eyes widen, and their mouths hang open. Running down the hall that leads to the waiting room is none other than Ash with Pikachu on his shoulder. May and Dawn spring out their seats, dumbstruck that Ash is racing toward them.

"Ash?!" Dawn shouts in a high-pitched voice.

May and Dawn start walking towards the raven-haired boy heading their way while Serena sits still, unable to believe that he's there. When Ash and Pikachu are close enough to May and Dawn, the two girls open their mouths to ask what he's doing here only for Ash to run past them without even noticing them. Serena's pupils shrink as Ash stops running when he's only a couple feet away from her and gets down on his knees, panting. Pikachu hops off Ash's shoulder as Ash breaths heavily before he stands up to face Serena.

"Ash?" Serena finally manages to say while standing up. "What are you doing here? I thought you were in Alola."

"I was," Ash says frantically. "I went to school there, I met new Pokemon, I faced a bunch of Ultra Beasts, I learned about Z-crystals and Z-rings..."

Serena looks at Ash confused and raises her hands, saying, "Ash, slow down. I have no idea what you're saying."

Ash takes a few breaths and calms down before he speaks again.

"Sorry," he says. "Anyway, long story short, I've been doing a bunch of things in Alola. I even competed in their new Pokemon league and became their first champion."

Serena's face brightens and says, "Really? That's great! You must be thrilled!"

"Yes, I am, but more than anything, I wish you were there to see it," Ash says bluntly.

Serena's eyes widen in shock. Dawn and May look at each other, unsure of what they just heard.

"W-w-what did you say?" Serena stutters.

"I wish you were there to see it more than anything," Ash says. "I wish you were there for all the things I experience in Alola. All the dangers, all the adventures, all the Pokemon trainers, all the fun I had, and I wish you were there so I could see you smile when I won the Alola League. What I'm trying to say is all the great things that happened when I was in Alola were not as special as they could have been without you there. In fact, now that I look back on my life, nothing I've experienced both good and bad before I went to Kalos was as special as they could have been if you weren't there with me."

May and Dawn stare at Ash even more flabbergasted than before. Even Pikachu is a little taken aback by the way Ash speaks about his feelings so passionately and freely. But out of all of them, Serena is the most surprised.

"A-a-Ash, w-what are you trying to say?" She asks.

Ash looks away and scratches the back of his head. He mutters incoherent sentences as he struggles to think of the best way to answer the honey blonde girl's question. Everyone else's shock begins to fade as they are unsure of what Ash is going to do. Finally, Ash turns to Serena, puts his hands on both of her shoulders, and looks at her dead in the eyes.

"Here, let me try it like this," he says.

Ash takes a deep breath before he slowly leans his head toward Serena. The honey blonde girl's cheeks heat up as she slowly realizes Ash is doing. Pikachu tilts its head in confusion until it hits the mouse Pokemon and its ears spring up. May and Dawn are huddled together, their eyes fixed on their two friends.

When Ash is close enough to Serena, he closes his eyes and slowly presses his lips against hers.

At this moment, Serena's cheeks are beet red. A soft whimper in her voice is muffled by Ash's mouth. Dawn covers her mouth while May stands still like a statue with her mouth wide open. At this point, Pikachu's ears are perked up until they are pointing directly at the ceiling. Ash, however, holds on to the kiss, trying to make it last as long as it has to express his feelings to Serena. Eventually, he pulls back and opens his eyes to see Serena completely stunned. It takes a few seconds before she blinks and starts breathing again while Ash smiles warmly.

"What I'm trying to say is you're someone special to me," he says. "I want to be by your side where we can cheer for each other always. I guess what I'm ultimately trying to say is...I love you, Serena."

The waiting room is completely silent. Everyone stands and place like statues as if time has stopped the moment Ash finished speaking. The last four words Ash said echo in Serena's ears as if he shouted them out loud proudly in front of her.

"You...you what?" She finally asks.

"I love you, Serena," Ash repeats. "I want to keep traveling with you always. I want us to keep pursuing our dreams together. I don't know where I'll go for my next journey, but it would mean a lot to me if you go with me. So, what do you say?"

Serena keeps staring at Ash speechless. Her heart is leaping with excitement, but her mind can't process how Ash suddenly told her everything she hoped he would say. Ash frowns slightly, growing worried that she might say no. May and Dawn are silently waving their arms and mouthing out, "Say, yes!" to their friend.

Finally, Serena opens her mouth to answer when an attendant comes in and clears her throat.

"May, Serena, we're about to get the final battle underway," he says. "Please start getting into positions."

Serena and Ash's hearts sink. Everyone in the room wishes the attendant didn't step on the moment just as Serena was about to reply. The honey blonde girl turns to the raven-haired boy and gives him an apologetic look.

"I'm sorry," she says.

Ash frowns in disappointment before he forces a toothy grin and says, "No worries. You go out there and give it your all. We can talk afterward, okay?"

"Okay," Serena says quietly while not meaning it.

Serena turns to the attendant, who gestures her and May to the hall leading to the stage. The two remaining contestants look at each other before they reluctantly follow him down the hall. Dawn walks over to Ash side and opens her mouth to wish them luck, but she decides against it, because it's not what she really wants to say. Ash lets go of his forced grin and lowers his head sadly. Pikachu walks to his side and looks at him sadly, sharing his fear of being rejected.

Meanwhile, Serena looks down at the floor, ashamed of where she left things off with Ash. Her insides are screaming to call out to him while another part of her thinks she has to wait a little longer. She shuts her eyes as she walks, fighting the two thoughts in her mind until one side overcomes the other, and she knows in her heart what she has to do.

"WAIT!"

Ash's eyes open, and he lifts his head, feeling a hint of hope in his heart. Everyone turns to Serena, who stays still for a moment before she turns around to face Ash with the most heartfelt smile he has ever seen. She runs as fast as her legs can carry her, and Dawn and Pikachu back away from Ash, before Serena stops right in front of him, puts her hands on his z-marked cheeks, and gives him a firm kiss. Ash's eyes widen as the girl he wants to be with lets out a soft moan and caresses his cheeks while she kisses him. Eventually, he gives in to the moment and wraps his arms around Serena and kisses her back. The two of them eventually part and Serena looks at Ash with her face red again.

"I love you too, Ash," She says with her hands still on Ash's cheeks. "I've always loved you."

Ash looks at her, surprised, and asks, "Really? Always?"

Serena nods happily before she says, "And I want nothing more than to keep traveling with you always."

By this point, Dawn is smiling with her mouth wide open, Pikachu is completely surprised again, the attendant is acting impatient, and May covers her mouth with both hands in shock. Ash stares at Serena in awe, taken aback that she has always had the feelings he has just realized for himself. Once his mind has fully processed the information, he beams at Serena.

"That's great," he says.

Serena giggles at Ash's joy with her mouth closed before the moment is interrupted by the attendant clearing his throat.

"Yeah, that's great and all, but we really need to get going," he says.

Serena turns her head to the attendant and says, "Okay," with a nod before turning back to Ash. The honey blonde girl pulls the boy she loves onto a tight hug, and he doesn't hesitate to hug her tightly back,

"Give it everything you've got," Ash whispers.

"I will," Serena whispers back. "Meet me back here when it's over. Okay?"

"You got it," Ash says.

The two of them break their hug, and Serena goes in for a quick kiss before she cheerfully walks over to May and the attendant.

"Good luck, Serena!" Dawn calls out.

May frowns and says, "Seriously? No support for me?"

Dawn rolls her eyes and says, "Fine. Give it your all, May!"

"Pikachu!" Pikachu shouts.

"Looks like Pikachu is cheering for both of you," Ash chuckles.

May smirks before she asks, "What about you, Ash? Do I get any support this time?"

"Nope. I'm going to be supporting Serena all the time from now on," Ash announced without hesitation.

May pouts childishly before she smiles and nods as she follows the attendant. Serena turns to the boy of her dreams with a sweet look as she walks and calls out, "Thank you, Ash. I love you!"

Ash gives her a goofy grin and waves his hand as he shouts back, "I love you too!"

Serena's heart leaps at the sound of Ash, saying he loves her again. She happily follows May in the attendant down the hall until they reach an entrance to the stage. The attendant turns to Serena and hand gestures her to the entrance.

"Serena, you'll be coming in on this side," he says. "May, follow me to the other side."

"Right," May says with a nod before turning to Serena. "See you out there, Serena."

"See you there, May," Serena says.

May then gives her honey blonde friend a competitive smirk.

"Don't forget now; you may have won Ash, but you're not taking my second ribbon trophy away from me," she warns.

Serena smirks back and says, "We'll see about that. I aim to win this time no matter what you throw at me."

May lets out an amused, "humph," before she follows the attendant to the other side of the stage. Once both of them are gone, Serena turns to face the entrance to the stage, still smiling. After fifteen seconds of silence, she closes her eyes, turns her hands into fists, and her mouth shakes, trying to contain what she's feeling. Then, she lifts her hands up in the air and lets an ear-piercing scream of joy.

"HE LOVES ME!" Serena squeals in a high-pitched voice as she starts twirling and jumping around the hall like an excited child. "HE LOVES ME! HELOVESMEHELOVESMEHELOVESMEHELOVESMEHELOVESMEHELOVESMEHELOVESMEHELOVESMEHELOVESMEHELOVESMEHELOVESMEHELOVESME! ASH LOVES ME!!!!"

Serena let's out another joyous scream before shaking her fists in the air and laughing out loud. After a moment, she calms down and puts her hand on her heart to feel it racing rapidly. Serena's hand then moves to her ribbon, and she giggles with her mouth closed. She puts her other hand on her lips, and her cheeks heat up, thinking of Ash kissing her. Finally, she takes a deep breath and forces herself to focus on the Grand Festival again with a determined look on her face.

The honey blonde girl enters the battlefield where already the audience is cheering to express their anticipation for the final battle of the tournament. Serena waves at the crowd as she walks to her side of the field with a smile. She tops halfway to see Ash sitting on one of the front rows with Pikachu, Dawn, and Max. The raven-haired boy is cheering his heart out for the girl he loves, and Serena smiles back and spontaneously decides to blow a kiss at him. She instantly feels butterflies in her stomach for displaying affection to the boy of her dreams that way for the first time, and Ash responds with a cheerful, toothy grin. Serena giggles with her mouth closed before she turns her head to face the field to find May standing on her side while Lilian stands in the middle with a microphone in her hand.

"Ladies and gentlemen, the moment we've all been waiting for has arrived!" She announces. "Many contestants have given it their all, and now it's time for the final showdown with May and Serena! Will May win her second Ribbon Cup in a row, or will Serena, the underdog triumph? Let's find out as both contestants take out their Pokemon!"

May and Serena nod before the former takes two Pokeballs and tosses them into the air, shouting, "Blaziken, Beautifly, come on out!

Her first two Pokemon come out ready to fight. Serena smirks and glances at Ash one more time before she takes out two Pokeballs and stares at them with a warm smile.

"You have been with me from the very beginning, and we've accomplished so much since then," she says to the Pokeball on her left hand before turning to the once on the right. "And you have always been there to cheer me up and remind me to hold on my feelings for Ash. I think it should be the two of you to battle alongside me on the final battle."

She throws the two balls into the air, and they open to reveal Braixen and Poliwag. Lilian smiles, knowing that both girls are ready.

"Let the final battle begin!" She shouts as the timer on the clock starts counting down.

"Alright, Braixen and Poliwag, let's waste no time!" Serena shouts confidently. "Use Flamethrower on Beautifly and Water Gun on Blaziken."

May lightly chuckles with her mouth closed and commands, "Beautifly, Blaziken, counter with Psychic and Fire Spin!"

Beautify fires a blue beam that collides with Flamethrower, and they explode into blue and yellow sparkles. Blaziken and Poliwag fire their respective attacks, and Poliwag's Water Gun is instantly overpowered by the powerful Fire Spin. The tadpole Pokemon jumps away before the fire attack could hit it, and the judges take away some of Serena's points.

"Alright then, use Ice Beam on Beautifly and Hidden Power on Blaziken!" Serena commands.

"Blaziken, dodge Hidden Power, then stand in front of Beautifly and use Fire Spin again!" May shouts.

Blaziken jumps away from Braixen's line of fire with ease and stands in front of its teammate just in time to get hit by Poliwag's Ice Beam. The blaze Pokemon unleashes another Fire Spin that burns through Poliwag's attack as if it was made of nothing, and Serena loses more points.

"Now use Blaze Kick and Ariel Ace!" May commands confidently.

Serena smirks, as Blaziken runs toward her Pokemon with the edge of its left leg on fire and Beautifly flies up in the air, getting ready to use its attack.

"Poliwag, use Ice Beam on the floor and Braixen, use Fire Blast!" She shouts.

Poliwag jumps into the air and turns the floor in Blaziken's direction into ice while Braixen shoots Fire Blast at Beautifly from the tip of its stick. Blaziken slips on the ice and panics as it struggles to stay in balance before it ultimately falls down on it's back. Beautify does a flip and zooms toward its opponents only to run right into the Fire Blast and plummet to the ground with its body burned.

"Now use Water Gun and Flamethrower!" Serena shouts.

"Dodge it!" May cries out worriedly.

Serena's Pokemon fire their respective attacks and hit their opponents effortlessly. Beautifly squeaks in pain upon impact of the fire attack, but the simple water attack only does some damage to the strong Blaziken. Despite the mixed results, Serena's spirits rise as the judges take points away from May.

"Alright, now use Bubble and Fire Blast!" Serena shouts.

May frowns and shouts, "Blaziken dodge by rolling over and Beautifly, fly up quick and use Morning Sun!"

Blaziken opens its eyes and rolls over to miss Poliwag's Bubble attack and roll its way off of the ice. Beautifly manages to fly up just in time to avoid Fire Blast and get high enough to collect solar energy.

"Oh, no, you don't," Serena says determinedly. "Braixen, Poliwag, use Flamethrower and Ice Beam on Beautifly!"

"Blaziken, jump up and protect Beautifly with Fire Spin!" May shouts.

Blaziken gets up and jumps high into the air until it is right in front of its teammate in midair. It unleashes another powerful Fire Spin that easily overpowers Flamethrower and Ice Beam before it hits Braixen and Poliwag, knocking them off their feet. Serena's confidence fades a little as she loses points, and Beautifly finishes healing with the burns in its body gone.

"Now, time our Fire Spin and Psychic combo!" May commands.

Serena frowns and shouts, "Braixen, Poliwag, use a Fire Blast and Ice Beam combo!"

Braixen and Poliwag get up, and Braixen shoots Fire Blast while Poliwag shoots a light blue beam that flies behind Braixen's attack. The two combos collide, but the power and speed of the Fire Spin and Psychic combo is stronger and so overpowers the Fire Spin and Ice Beam combo before having to its target.

"Braixen, Poliwag, move away!" Serena cries out.

But before Braixen and Poliwag can try to dodge, the combo hits them hard and knocks them off their feet. Serena looks at the scratches and burns surrounding her Pokemon's bodies while the judges take away more points.

"What another great Fire Spin and Psychic combo from Blaziken and Beautifly!" Lilian comments. "This battle might be over soon unless Serena thinks of something."

Serena grows worried, unsure of what she can do. Braixen and Poliwag are still trying to get up while the timer on the screen passes the 3-minute mark. But then she subconsciously places her right hand on her ribbon, and looks down to look at it. She then turns to where Ash is in the stands beside Pikachu, Max, Dawn, and Piplup. He's cheering his heart out just like during the Indigo Grand Festival, and Serena's heart melts, realizing he's supporting her out of love instead of as a friend this time. She smiles and sighs blissfully before she faces the battlefield with a determined look.

"I can do this. I can do this," Serena says to herself. "I've gotten much stronger since the last Grand Festival, and now I have Ash by my side always. That's all I need to keep moving on with a smile, knowing that Ash loves me and is there for me to remind me not to give up until the end. Ash is expecting me to give it my all, and I won't let him down."

Unknown to the honey blonde girl, Braixen and Poliwag overhear what Serena is saying to herself. Poliwag, in particular, is moved by its trainer's perseverance and joy that her feelings have for Ash have been returned. Uplifted by Serena's attitude, Poliwag's face turns focused, and its entire body starts glowing white. Everyone turns to the bright light, surprised as Serena's Pokemon grows a foot, and two arms appear on its sides. Serena stares at the bright light on awe until it fades away to reveal a Poliwhirl lying on the floor on its back.

"What a surprise!" Lilian shouts. "Serena's Poliwag evolved into Poliwhirl in the middle of the battle!"

It takes a moment before Serena processes what happened before she smiles brightly and shouts, "Poliwhirl, that's wonderful!"

"Poliwhirl!" Poliwhirl shouts proudly as it gets up and offers its hand to Braixen.

The fox Pokemon smirks and takes Poliwhirl's hand before the tadpole Pokemon helps it up, and they turn to face their opponents again. May and Beautifly smile while Blaziken sneers, unimpressed.

"Congratulations, Serena, but I'm still going to win this!" May claims before turning to her Pokemon. "Beautifly, use Silver Wind and Blaziken, use Sky Uppercut!"

Serena smirks and says, "Braixen, Poliwhirl, dodge Silver Wind and use Flamethrower on Beautifly and Ice Beam on Blaziken's legs."

Blaziken's fists glow blue and charges while Beautifly flaps its wings and when filled with silver crescents blow toward Braixen and Poliwhirl. Serena's Pokemon jump away before they unleash their attacks. Braixen's Flamethrower hits Beautifly hard, and the butterfly Pokemon struggles to stay airborne with its body covered in burns again. Poliwhirl's Ice Beam comes out bigger and stronger than it did before, and it successfully hits both of Blaziken's legs, holding them down on the ground. Blaziken's fists stop glowing, and it starts moving back and forth again with its arms flailing before it manages to stay in balance.

"Excellent. Now use Fire Blast on Beautifly and Water Gun on Blaziken!" Serena shouts.

Braixen points its stick at Beautifly again and hits it with Fire Blast again. But instead of using Water Gun, Poliwhirl spontaneously raises its hands, and a large wave of water emerges from the ground in front of it. Serena looks at the wave coming at May's Pokemon in shock before she smiles excitedly.

"Poliwhirl, you learned Surf!" She shouts. "Way to go!"

"Poliwhirl!" Poliwhirl says cheerfully.

The brown-haired coordinator looks at the wave and the Fire Blast in horror before she calls out to her Pokemon.

"Beautifly, dodge! Blaziken, stop that Surf with Overheat!" She shouts.

Beautifly flies up to the left to avoid the Fire Blast while Blaziken takes a deep breath with its body glowing faint red and unleashes a white fire with red-orange flame spiraling around it. The mighty fire attack hits the wave of water, destroying it just in time, but some of the water still hits the blaze Pokemon, and it grunts in pain. As the judges remove points from May, Serena gets an idea.

"Poliwhirl, use Double Slap on Blaziken! Braixen, use Fire Blast followed by Hidden Power on Beautifly!" She commands.

Poliwhirl runs over to Blaziken and starts slapping it back and forth while it's distracted from getting partially hit by the water attack. Braixen uses Fire Blast again, and Beautifly dodges without May needing to tell it, but then the fox Pokemon fires Hidden Power right where Beautify is heading, and the attack hits it. May grows worries as she loses more points until she gets an idea.

"Blaziken, fight back with Sky Uppercut and then free your legs with Blaze Kick!" She shows before turning to Beautifly. "Beautifly, use Psychic, followed by Aerial Ace on Braixen!"

Blaziken catches one of Poliwhirl's hands and, with its other hand glowing blue, punches its opponent. Its feet then catches on fire, melting away the ice away before it kicks Poliwhirl hard, knocking it back all the way to the front of Serena's feet. Braixen, meanwhile, gets hit by Psychic and takes several feet back before Beautifly does a flip and slams the fox Pokemon into the ground.

May grins as her opponent loses points and shouts, "Now use Morning Sun, Beautifly!"

Beautifly rises up, and its wings glow white again. Serena frowns before she gets an idea.

"Poliwhirl, Braixen, use Bubble and Flamethrower on Beautifly!"

"Ha! I knew you'd try that again!" May call out. "Blaziken, protect Beautifly with Overheat!"

Once again, Blaziken jumps up high until it's in front of Beautifly in midair. The blaze Pokemon uses a weaker but still powerful Overheat that overpowers Bubble and Flamethrower, but Serena just smirks at what is happening.

"And I knew you'd that!" She calls out to May matter-of-factly. "Braixen, use Flamethrower on Beautifly again, and Poliwhirl, use Surf!"

May's eyes widen, realizing she's been duped. Poliwhirl summons another wave of water just as Blaziken is landing back on the ground, and it crashes on top of May's partner. At the same time, Braixen uses Flamethrower again, and it hits Beautifly while it's still healing, causing it to stop using Morning Sun and shut its eyes while struggling to stay airborne again.

"Now, Poliwhirl, use Ice Beam on Beautifly, full blast!" Serena commands.

"Beautifly, dodge it!" May cries out desperately.

But Beautifly is too distracted from the pain to hear May before Poliwhirl uses Ice Beam, and it hits its target. The butterfly Pokemon squeals before it is completely frozen in a block of ice. May's heart sinks as the block of ice trapping her Pokemon hits the ground hard, and the judges remove a large number of her points. The brown-haired coordinator considers telling Blaziken to free its teammate but decides against it, figuring Serena might use the attempt to attack her partner while it's not focused on them.

"Blaziken, can you continue?" She asks.

Blaziken groans and slowly gets up despite being in pain from the water-type attack. May smiles with a little bit of hope in her heart before she becomes determined again.

"Okay, Braixen, Poliwhirl, use Hidden Power and Ice Beam!" Serena commands.

"Blaziken, dodge them both, and then use Overheat!" May orders.

Serena's Pokemon fire their respective attacks, but Blaziken jumps away to avoid them before using Overheat. The fire-type move is weaker than before, but it effective enough for Braixen and Poliwhirl to take some damage.

"Now use Blaze Kick and then Sky Uppercut while they're disoriented!" May shouts.

"Braixen, Poliwhirl, watch out!" Serena shouts.

Blaziken grins and runs toward its distracted opponents. When it's close enough, it kicks Poliwhirl with fire at the edge of its leg and punches Braixen in the face with its fist glowing blue. Both Pokemon fall down, and the judges take away some of Serena's points.

"Now use Fire Spin on Poliwhirl and then Sky Uppercut again on Braixen!" May instructs.

"Poliwhirl, rollover to dodge and Braixen, use Hidden Power followed by Scratch!"

Poliwhirl rolls toward Serena, dodging the Fire Spin. Braixen gets up on its legs and fires a light blue ball that hits Blaziken from behind before it runs toward it and scratches Blaziken's back, making the blaze Pokemon groan in pain.

"Poliwhirl, use Surf!" Serena shouts.

May gasps and shouts, "Blaziken, move away, quick!"

But the blaze Pokemon is too close for it to dodge anything. Poliwhirl raises its hands up, summoning another wave of water, and Blaziken can do nothing but watch in horror as the wave rises up before crashing on top of it. May's heart sinks as she hears a cry from her partner before the water disappears with Blaziken lying on the floor and the judges pressing their buzzards.

"Blaziken is down for the count, and Beautifly is still trapped in the block of ice!" Lilian announces. "With both of May's Pokemon incapacitated or unconscious and just half a minute left on the clock, the winner of the battle and of the Johto Grand Festival is none other than Serena!"

The crowd screams in thunderous applause, and Serena stays still blankly before she fully processed what happened and smiles brightly.

"We won!" She exclaims before running to her Pokemon and hugging them tightly. "Braixen, Poliwhirl, we did it! We finally did it!"

"Braixen!" Braixen screams joyfully.

"Poliwhirl!" Poliwhirl shouts.

May frowns sadly before returning Blaziken and Beautifly back into their Pokeballs. She then walks over to Serena, who is still celebrating with her Pokemon. May clears her throat to grab Serena's attention, and the honey blonde girl and her Pokemon stop celebrating and turn to the brown-haired coordinator.

"Congratulations, Serena," May says, extending her hand. "You have finally beaten me at my own game."

Serena smiles at her friends and shakes May's hand, saying, "Thank you, May."

Lilian walks over to the two girls and Braixen and Poliwhirl, carrying a golden trophy. Serena turns to the announcer with a bright smile on her face.

"Congratulations, Serena," Lilian says, handing the trophy to Serena. "You are this year's Johto Top Coordinator."

Serena's smile grows as she looks at the trophy before turning she looks up to face Lilian again and saying, "Thank you so much."

Serena turns to the audience and holds her trophy high into the air. The audience applauds loudly again, warming Serena's heart at the sight of so many of people happy for her. She then turns to the front stands to see Ash and Dawn cheering with Pikachu and Piplup bouncing up and down while Max frowns sadly. Her eyes are on Ash, however, as she watches him cheering his heart out, jumping and shaking his fists in the air like a maniac. She one again giggles with her mouth closed at Ash's demeanor before looking at him with indescribable bliss, knowing that all of his support comes out of heartfelt love.

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

Eventually, Lilian says a few words before she announces that the festival has been concluded. Serena returns Braixen and Poliwhirl to their Pokeballs before she and May exit the battlefield and walk back to the waiting room. It isn't long after they enter the room before Serena's heart skips a beat at the sound of a raspy voice.

"Serena!"

Serena and May turn around to find Ash, Pikachu, Dawn, Piplup, and Max racing toward them with Ash leading and Max running from behind. Serena smiles happily and hands her trophy to May before running into Ash's arms. The two of them hug each other with Serena giving Ash a tight squeeze before they move their heads back to face each other.

"Fantastic job, Serena!" Ash exclaims. "I knew you can do it!"

Serena giggles and says, "Lower your voice, Ash."

Ash chuckles and says, "Sorry. I'm just so thrilled. You won the Grand Festival."

Serena smiles sweetly before she leans in for a kiss. Ash chuckles with his mouth covered by Serena's lips before he pulls her in to deepen the kiss. Pikachu, May, Max, and Piplup stare at the display dumbfounded while Dawn puts her hands together and watches Ash and Serena kiss with a giddy smile.

"Boy, it's going to be a long time before I get used to seeing them like that," May says.

"Tell me about it," Max says. "First, Brock with Holly, and now Ash is actually in love with someone."

"Pika," Pikachu says with a nod.

"Piplup," Piplup chirps in agreement.

"Well, I think it's wonderful," Dawn squeals. "My two besties together at last!"

Ash and Serena part from their kiss and Serena looks at the boy she loves blissfully before she pulls him in for another tight hug.

"Oh, Ash, I love you," she proclaims, resting her head on his shoulder. "I love you so much. You don't know how happy I am to finally say it."

Ash grins and hugs Serena back with his eyes closed and says, "I love you too, and I'm happy that you're happy."

Serena's smile grows, and she rests her head against Ash's head with her cheeks warming up. The two of them pull their heads back again and stare into other's eyes before Ash speaks.

"So, here's what I'm thinking," he begins. "The two of us and Pikachu go back home and then find a new region to explore and see all sorts of new Pokemon together. We'll make new friends, catch more Pokemon - maybe there's a Pokemon league and maybe Pokemon contests or showcases or something like that, but either way, we'll both grow stronger together. How does that sound?"

Serena smiles and blissfully says, "That sounds perfect."

"Great. Then let's have your new trophy mailed to your mom, and then we can head out," Ash suggests.

"Great," Serena says.

With that, everyone goes to the Indigo Plateau's Pokemon Center so that Serena and have Braixen and Poliwhirl healed up. Serena and Ash call Grace to announce that she won and that the two of them are together. Grace is thrilled that her daughter one, but was dumbfounded for a moment when she learned about their relationship before saying she's happy for both of them. After the video call, Serena heads to the post office with, May, Dawn and Piplup while Ash calls Delia with Pikachu and Max's help. While having Serena's trophy set to be delivered to Vaniville Town, the three girls take a moment to scream and laugh in excitement over Ash confessing his love. Once everything is done, the group meets at the front of the Pokemon Center, with Ash running to Serena with Pikachu on his shoulder. He hands Braixen and Poliwhirl's Pokeballs to Serena from the Pokemon Center, and she takes them with an appreciative smile.

"You called your mom?" Serena asks.

"Sure did," Ash says. "She's looking forward to seeing us tonight."

"Tonight?" May asks with her, Dawn, and Serena looking at Ash shocked. "But how are you guys and Pikachu are going to get there?"

Ash gives his friend from Hoenn a toothy grin and takes out a Pokeball saying, "The same way I made it here from the airport before Serena and May's battle."

The raven-haired boy tosses the Pokeball into the air, and it open to reveal Pidgeot. Serena smiles brightly and hugs the large Pokemon.

"Oh, Pidgeot, it's so good to see you!" She exclaims.

"Pidgeot!" Pidgeot says with a smile.

"I thought you'd like to see Pidgeot again, Serena," Ash says with a smirk.

Serena turns to Ash and gives him another sweet look. Ash grins back to the girl he loves before turning to the rest of the group.

"Well, we better get going," he says. "The sooner we get to Pallet Town the better."

Everyone nods understanding before Max walks over to Ash and Pikachu, and Serena hugs May and Dawn.

"Take care, you guys," Serena says.

"You too, Serena," Dawn says with a happy smile. "I hope you have the best time together with Ash."

"Me too," May says before giving her honey blonde friend a competitive look. "But if we face each other in a Grand Festival again, I'm going to beat you a second time. That's a promise."

"Same here," Dawn says with a wink

"And I'm making a similar promise to beat you in another Pokemon league, Ash," Max adds.

Ash and Serena give each other amused looks before turning back to their rivals.

"We will see,wou two," Serena says.

"I look forward to seeing you try, Max," Ash says.

May and Max smirk and nod in approval. Ash and Serena turn around, and Pikachu hops off Ash's shoulder and climbs on top of Pidgeot's head before Ash climbs up the bird Pokemon's back and helps Serena climb up and sit behind him. The honey blonde girl wraps her arms around the boy she loves, and Ash turns to her with a warm smile.

"Are you ready?" He asks.

Serena smiles back and kisses Ash's cheek.

"Ready," she replies.

Ash gives Serena a toothy grin and turns his head before saying, "Okay, Pidgeot, let's go!"

"Pidgeot!" Pidgeot replies

The large bird Pokemon starts flapping its wings and lifts itself from the ground. May, Max, Dawn, and Piplup wave their friends goodbye as Pidgeot rises up in the air before it turns around and flies toward Pallet Town. Pikachu holds on to Pidgeot's head while it enjoys watching the view, but for the two teenagers, the only thing that's on their minds is the joy they feel to be together at last.

Author's Note: Don't go away guys! There's still two more chapters to go!!!