Hey y'all! So I did a 48 hour challenge cause, why not? Anyways, I came up with this idea while I was swimming (where I always come up with my ideas) and then realized that Valentine's Day is actually in two days! So this book is perfect! Additionally, I'd like to thank Grace_Everdeen for introducing me to the challenge. I really enjoyed writing this one shot. Now you've probably heard enough of me blabbing, so enjoy!
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The dictionary definition of Valentine's Day: A day dedicated to expressing love and compassion towards your significant other.

Serena's definition of Valentine's Day: A day dedicated to sitting alone with bowls full of ice cream, wishing to be romantically involved with someone like your friends and screaming at a wall cause you're such a socially awkward idiot.

Who needs Valentine's Day? What a waste of a good day.

Due to the excitement this day always seems to bring, my friends are all out enjoying romantic meals and strolls while leaving me to my own devices. Dawn with Paul, May with Drew, Misty with Gary and Serena with the tub of ice cream she brought yesterday. That was how it went for the past four years. Where do I spend such a brilliant day you may ask?

At the public library.

The quiet corner in a labyrinth of books is the perfect place to pass my time. It allows me to forget about my pathetic love life. I curl up on a bean bag with a cheesy romance novel in my hand, cause, why not? My fingers flick through pages, letting the sequence of words take me to another world. Once I start reading, it's hard to stop me. The idea of living a different reality is very inviting.

"Serena dear, it's six o'clock and the library will be closing in a few minuets." I hear a small feminine voice, dragging me out of my imagination. I peer over the book and meet the eyes of the librarian, Maria. She's a petite woman with thin grey hair and a pair of red framed spectacles balanced on her nose. She's often clad in some sort of floral dress with a vintage shawl strung over her shoulders. I know Maria quite well, due to the fact that I spend a lot of time in the library.

My heart sinks at the news, it means I have to head home. I'll be alone and yet again reminded of my horrific love life. It doesn't matter how many boyfriends I go through, none seem to stay long enough to get the honor of being my valentine.

"Thank you Mrs Maria, I'll be leaving now." I assure her while slapping my novel shut. There is no point wasting money on such a cheesy and utterly useless story so I return it to the shelf and head for the exit.

As I leave, I wave a quick goodbye to Maria, the last person I assume I'll be seeing today.

Wow, spending Valentine's Day with the librarian. That's a new accomplishment.

Upon stepping outside, I immediately notice a chill in the air. It sends goose bumps up my arms and a single shiver down my back. The wind nips at my bare arms, causing my teeth frame to clatter a little. An ever lasting stretch of storm clouds pave the sky, casting an eeriness on everything below. As of yet, grey clouds are all there is but I sense a storm coming soon.

With a sigh, I continue to my car. It is nothing exciting, a small white Beatle with bashed up headlights and the occasional scratch. The car was second hand and I brought as an eighteenth birthday present to myself. Yes, it's rather old and but it still gets me from A to B, which is what matters most.

I slide into the drivers seat, plugging the key into the ignition and hearing the slow rumble of the engine follow. Soon I'm on the road, driving smoothly while humming a small tune to myself. This particular part of Kalos is mostly countryside. It is littered with thick forests and large nature reserves. Truthfully, I love living in the greener part of the region, the air is fresher and less people fill the streets. It means my quiet afternoons are actually quiet and my peaceful mornings are actually peaceful. I detest the disturbance cities often are.

I watched mindlessly as an array of greens pass my window. The single road through a forest heart is one of my favorites. It's desolate, but peaceful. Just the way I like it. Sometimes I drive down this road just to admire it's natural beauty and give myself a sense of bliss.

Then suddenly, my car starts jerking slightly. It slows down, the engine making sickly grumbles. My lips part in a mixture of shock and puzzlement as my car rolls its final meters. And then everything stops.

"You've got to be kidding me! A break down?! Can this day get any worse?!" I cry. Total silence is all I get in reply. A frustrated growl escapes my lips, sounding similar to that of a wolf. In my rage, I step out and slam the door behind me. The force causes the whole car body to shake.

The engine must have over heated, I assume. My feet trudge to the hood of the car. Normally, I'm not one to try inspect or fix the damage by myself. Reason being, I know next to nothing about how a car works. But desperate situations call for desperate measures, this being one of them. Considering the fact that I am totally alone in the middle of the forest, I'm willing to try anything possible.

Now, you're probably wondering why I don't just call someone on my cell phone?

There's a simple answer for that: me, being the stupid idiot I am, decided to leave my phone at home because I didn't want any reminders of how upsetting my love life is.

After a strong jerk, the cover lifts up and a cloud of smoke immediately erupts out. I stagger backwards, the thick smog causing me to splutter like a chocking idiot. My arms flail out in front of me in an attempt to clear the expanding smoke cloud.

And just as I think things can't get any worse, I feel those dreaded water droplets patter on my shoulders. Rain. Cold, wet rain. First it's lightly, then harder and soon it is pelting at me like hail. I grit my teeth, so damn fed up with this useless waste of 24 hours that's supposedly called a holiday.

"Why?! Why me?! Why now?!" I shout at the empty sky, not expecting an answer. The rain continues to splash onto my features, sending trembles coursing through my body. "Freaking Valentine's Day!" I scream, kicking the tire of my car. "Argh, damn that hurt."

So I just stand there, trying to ignore the slight throbbing in my foot. My face is twisted in what seems to be a permanent scowl and I continue to shiver like a beached fish. The rain seeps into my short honey blonde hair, drenching me head to toe. I feel droplets roll off my eyelashes and water floods my boots. My blood silently boils in anger. I keep all my screams trapped inside due to fear that if I let them out, my lungs will burst.

I'm not sure how much time passes but I never bother to return to the safety of my car. I am an absolute wreck anyways. Every inch of me is drowned in water droplets. As I stare out into the empty forest, a silver BMW pulls up in front me and jerks me out of my daydreaming. My pupils dilate in shock and I try to cover my tear stained face with wet hair, causing me to appear even more distraught. The driver of the spotless BMW rolls his window down.

"Do you need a ride?" He asks, not even bothering to poke his head out the window so his face still remains a mystery to me. I don't even hesitate, walking straight to the passenger side. Whoever this person is, he is a life savior.

When I enter the car, I'm immediately engulfed with warmth from the heater. I let out a sigh of pleasure and bask in the feeling. I quickly close the door shut and the car settles into silence. Water soaks his seat cushions, which I feel generally terrible about, but I'm much more relived to finally be out of that disastrous situation.

"Thank you." I say, at long last looking at my mystery savior. And when I do, my heart stops.

He's...gorgeous...

He has silky black hair that hangs over his auburn eyes and I have the sudden urge to run my fingers through it. Those eyes, they're captivating and trap me in a trance the second I meet them. His skin is tan, the sun's masterpiece. Sharp jaw line, nose perfected with precision and red lips that haven't yet been affected by the dry air.
A skin tight black t-shirt clings to his well sculpted torso and I feel my eyes accidentally wonder down his muscled arms. My cheeks flare up as I realize what I'm doing but somehow, I can't seem to tear my gaze away.

Can my luck get any worse today? I look like a drowned cat in front of one of the most breath taking guys I have ever laid eyes on. I swear, someone is dead set on making me suffer today.

"No problem, I'm Ash Ketchum by the way." He says, finally breaking me out of my thoughts. I blink and he's still there. Nope, not hallucinating. After I mentally scold myself, I'm able to look away in hopes he won't see how awful I look at the moment. But he's already seen everything.

"I-I'm Serena. S-Serena Yvonne." I stutter back.

"Anywhere you want me to take you?" He asks politely. Funny, he seems around my age but I've never seen him before. The town here is small and I'm familiar with pretty much everyone.

"Yes, my house is a few more miles down this road. Turn left down Rockdrift street." I direct and he nods, pressing down on the pedal.

"Aren't you meant to be out with a boyfriend or something? It's Valentine's Day after all." He asks, making me jump out of my skin. Maybe it's the fact that a stranger could so casually ask that sort of question or maybe it was just him in general.

"No. I...uhh...don't have a boyfriend to spend it with." I answer truthfully. Basically, Im telling this beautiful specimen that I am a pathetic excuse of a romantic.

"Oh sorry. I just assumed you were taken." He explains. I'm temporarily paralyzed by shock, could he really think that? Anyways, I'm not particularly comfortable with the topic of conversation so quickly attempt to change it.

"I haven't seen you around here at all. Are you new?" I ask.

"Yeah, I moved here a few days ago from my home region, Kanto. I wasn't liking university there so I moved here to finish my course." Ash turns to me, baring a smile. It causes my breath to hitch in my throat for a second.

"That means you'll be attending my Uni." I state, trying to wrap my head around the matter.

"I guess so." He replies.

"Then I'll be seeing you around a lot, the campus is not particularly big." I mutter, somewhat to myself 'cause I'm weird like that.

"I guess you will."

We're immersed into a small silence as a sudden idea pops into my head. Admittedly, it is a stupid and very un-Serena like idea. But hey, I an be flirtatious if I put my mind to it.

"Do you happen to have a pen?" I ask simultaneously, my eyes searching the interior of the car. Ash looks at me weird, obviously wondering why in the hell I would need a pen at this point in time.

"Uhh...yeah, it's in that compartment." He lifts a finger to direct me where to look. I open the compartment to find a standard black ball-pen. Recognizing the fact that I have no paper, I take the pen and lean over to Ash's arm. In the neatest handwriting possible, I write my number across his bicep. My cheeks heat up in the process, tinting red. As I do, Ash looks at me, his eyes wide and lips parted in shock. And he just stares.

"Look at the road or we're gonna crash. Chill, I'm only writing my number." I say, finishing the last digit. I lean back, feeling quite accomplished and admiring my work. Well, my work and his bicep. "Now you have your first acquaintance in this town, at least I presume so."

"T-thanks." It's now his turn to stutter and be speechless. He keeps his eyes concentrated on the road, deep in thought. His mind is somewhere els rather than where he is going.

"You'll probably need it. I've made your seat very wet and you'll have to get your car washed. I'd be happy to pay, seeing as you were kind enough to pick me up." I suggest. The water has now created a massive wet stain on his passenger seat.

"That's alright, no need. I can get it cleaned cheap. Is this the street you asked me to turn down?" Ash finally looks at me from the corner of his eye. Though, its only a quick glance.

"Yes, my house is at the end of the road." I answer, a little disappointed that our ride will soon come to a close. Even though I look dreadful, most defiantly not the condition to present myself in front of such a beautiful boy, I still want it to last forever. There was something utterly compelling about Ash. I just couldn't put my finger on it.

Seconds later, we pull up in front of my house. Its nothing fancy, a small old fashioned cottage brought on my waitress savings and a loan from my parents. The thing that draws me to the cottage is its garden that is always littered with a rainbow of flowers. Without another word I open the door and get out, water dripping from my dress.

Real attractive, Serena, real attractive.

"Serena?" I hear Ash's voice and my head immediately perks up.

"Yeah?" I ask as curiosity bubbles within me.

"W-would you like to go for coffee or something tomorrow?" He says and I swear I see the slightest blush touch his cheeks. My mouth forms an 'o' due to surprise but soon a large grin takes its place, brightening my entire face.

"Sure, I'd love too."

And from then on, I never spent another Valentine's Day alone.

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Alright, hope you like it. Happy Valentine's Day!!