Author's Note: Phew! This is a pretty long oneshot that I managed to finish after about a month. Heh heh . . . at least it's finally done! This is a pretty rare shipping, and I made up most of the relationship since Hilda is confined to the games while Ash is an anime-centric character! I don't think I've ever written about such a zany couple before, but nonetheless, I had a lot of fun writing this! I hope you like it!

Happenstance.

Their meeting was mere coincidence.

Cradling a few pokeballs under her arm, Hilda marched through the tall grass of Route One. The sun's rays were sweltering, but she didn't care. Wiping some sweat from her brow, she continued to trudge around, careful not to trip among the tangled webs of grass.

"There's gotta be a lillipup somewhere around here." Hilda glanced around at her surroundings. There was greenery as far as the eye could see, and there was a small lake where she could see a few basculins bobbing in the water. She could even see some pedestrians casually strolling along the dirt road as well. But she couldn't spot any dog-like pokemon.

Hilda sighed to herself. She had already lost track of how much time she had spent searching through the long grass. She didn't want to give in, though. She was going to find a lillipup and that was final!

"Tepig!" Hilda gasped at the sudden squeal of her companion, who was perched on her shoulder.

"What is it, Tepig? Did you see something?" She eagerly craned her head towards her tepig.

"Tepig! Tepig!"

"Where? Where?!" Hilda, still a newbie trainer, didn't have a clue what her tepig was actually trying to communicate to her. But she optimistically assumed that her tepig was trying to telling her that there was a lillipup nearby. She observed the field of grass that she stood in hastily.

Then Hilda heard a bush rustle behind her, and she nearly shrieked in excitement.

"Te. Pig. Tepig! TEPIG!" Her tepig started to wave its forelegs wildly as if he was trying to hail a taxi. Hilda tried to creep towards the shaking patch of grass slowly, but the pure adrenaline coursing through her body caused her to rush forward.

"GOTCHA!" Hilda screamed while diving headfirst into the bush. Her tepig released a strangled cry as the momentum of Hilda's dive sent him flying through the air. He landed on the ground with a thud.

"Tepig!" The squeal of the small pokemon was audible to Hilda's ears, but the only thing she could focus on was her scramble through the brush. Her vision was obscured by the thick blades of grass and the wide bunches of leaves. She heard a startled yelp and the frantic pattering of footsteps becoming softer and softer, a sign that her target was moving farther and farther away. It was obvious that she had already lost the lillipup she had tried to catch, but she really didn't care about that as she struggled and groped among the leaves.

Maybe she should've thought twice about the consequences before acting . . .

Somehow, Hilda managed to pull herself out of the bush. She had to take a few moments to quell the dizziness that she felt. She felt Tepig jump into her lap and snuggle against her affectionately, while she was vaguely aware of the quiet chatter of passing pedestrians. As soon as they that she was alright, they continued on their merry way. But Hilda didn't realize that one person was still standing behind her as she kneeled on the ground.

"I was so close, Tepig!" Hilda complained as her tepig frowned. Her eyes widened as she spotted the bruise on the back of Tepig's head."Oh, did you get hurt little guy? Shoot . . . If only I had a potion!"

"I have one." Hilda perked up as the masculine voice met her ears. She turned around and she saw that the owner of the voice was standing right behind her. How did he get there without her noticing his presence?

"Wait, what?" She was caught off-guard for a second as the boy held out a purple spray-bottle in front of her face. But she quickly recovered and graciously accepted the potion. "Oh, I mean, thanks a bunch!"

"Don't mention it," the stranger replied. His warm brown eyes watched Hilda as she carefully sprayed the medicine onto Tepig's injury. The redness started to fade, yet the bruise was still visible. It was an improvement, at least. As Hilda glanced once more at the boy, she caught a glimpse of a pikachu on the boy's head, clutching onto his faded red and white cap.

Judging from the electric mouse pokemon, this boy probably wasn't from Nuvema Town. Hilda could deduce this much, since pikachus were a rare sight in Unova.

But you know what they say when you assume things. It makes an "ass" out of "u" and "me"!

"Hey, are you from around here?" Hilda blurted out.

The boy blinked, slightly startled by the sudden question. "Uh, no. Why do you ask?"

"I was just curious, that's all!" She shrugged. "I don't think I know you."

"Oh, I see. That makes sense!" He chuckled. "I'm from Kanto, so I don't think I know you either. But it's nice to see that you care for your pokemon." He made a hand gesture towards Tepig, who Hilda gently held against her chest.

"Of course I care for lil' Tepig here!" Hilda spoke cheerfully. "I got him from Professor Juniper only a week ago, but he already feels like family."

"You just got him from Professor Juniper?" The boy raised an eyebrow. "Hey, that must mean that you're a pokemon trainer!"

"You bet I am!" Hilda cried as she stood up. "I'm gonna be one of the world's greatest pokemon masters, and I'm going to accomplish that with Tepig!" As she held Tepig up proudly, she saw the boy grin in response.

"That's awesome! I'm going to be a pokemon master with my pikachu! That's why we traveled to Unova to take the Pokemon League challenge together, right, buddy?"

"Pika!" His pikachu smiled, and Hilda couldn't help but admire how happy the electric mouse pokemon looked.

"Tepig and I still have a long way to go, but our journey's just getting started!" Hilda glanced up at the sky, which was painted with a reddish-orange hue. "I wish I could've at least caught another companion today. The more the merrier, you know?"

"Is that why you were diving into the tall grass?"

"You saw that?" Hilda laughed nervously. "I guess it must've looked strange."

"Well, you're enthusiastic, at least! That's pretty admirable," he noted.

"Really?" Hilda cocked her head to one side. "I think it's admirable that you came all the way from Kanto. You must have traveled pretty far from your home!"

"I'm a few regions away from my hometown, but I love traveling. I'll never get sick of it!"

"Yeah. I can't wait to travel all over Unova! Adventures are exciting!" Hilda smiled, and the boy did the same.

"They sure are! I'm on my way to Striaton City, actually. I want to get my first Unova badge soon."

"Same here! I'm making a rest stop in Accumula Town though." Hilda glanced at the sun, which was setting slowly on the horizon. "I should probably call it a day! Those lillipups won't get away from me tomorrow!" Hilda started to walk away with Tepig firmly clutched in her arms, but she felt a warm hand on her shoulder.

"Oh! Wait a second!" She turned her head to face the boy with a startled expression on her face.

"What is it?" Hilda asked.

"You have a cut on your arm," he said. "I just noticed."

"Ah! You're right!" Hilda raised her right arm, so that she could observe the red scrape up close. It was a small cut, and it wasn't painful. Hilda probably wouldn't have realized that she got a cut if the boy hadn't pointed it out.

"Are you okay?" He looked worried, and Hilda was a bit surprised that a boy she hardly knew would be concerned about such a small injury.

"Don't worry about it. If Tepig's okay, then so am I!" Hilda pointed at Tepig's bruise, which had faded from an angry red to a pale pink. She flashed a thumbs-up sign at the boy, who tried to crack a nervous smile.

"But, you're bleeding!"

"Naw, it's no big deal! It's only bleeding a little bit." The boy didn't look entirely convinced, and he began to rummage through his blue jacket.

"Hang on, I think I have a band-aid somewhere . . ."

"You don't have to do that! Really!" Hilda insisted. "Besides, it's getting late, so I should probably hurry to Accumula-"

"I found it!" he exclaimed, waving the flimsy bandage in the air. "Show me your cut. I'll put the band-aid on for you."

Hilda bit her lip before relenting. "Okay, okay. I got it!" She revealed the cut on her forearm and watched as the boy unwrapped the pichu-patterned bandage. She would've preferred a cooler design like a garchomp or a tyranitar, but a bandage was a bandage, she supposed.

The boy's warm fingers brushed against her forearm as he covered her cut with the band-aid. Hilda could feel the adhesive glue of the band-aid press against her skin, and the boy pulled his hands away slowly.

"Sorry if it's a little tight. It's better than letting it get infected, at least."

"It's fine! Thanks!" Hilda furrowed her eyebrows. "Hey, now that I think about it, I didn't catch your name."

"You're welcome." The boy gave her a wide smile. "The name's Ash. Ash Ketchum from Pallet Town."

"I'm Hilda White, a proud resident of Nuvema Town. Nice to meet you, Ash Ketchup!" Hilda held out her hand, and Ash gave her a perplexed look.

"Nice to meet you, too. But my last name is Ketchum, not Ketchup!" Hilda giggled as he grasped her hand and gave her a handshake anyway.

"Whatever! I've got to get going. See you around, Ketchup!" Ash tried to protest, but Hilda quickly waved and dashed down the dirt road. After a few moments, she was completely out of sight.

The exchanges between the two had happened so fast, and Ash was sure that their conversation didn't last any longer than twenty minutes. An event like this should've seemed negligible, or mundane even. He had approached her simply because he was a friendly guy, and he liked to help people in need of aid. He offered to do favors for people all the time whether big or small. So it shouldn't have been any different with Hilda.

But for some reason, Ash stood in the middle of the grassy field, struck with awe.

It was probably because she ran off before he could correct her blatant and purposeful mispronunciation of his surname.

But he also noticed that Hilda was very energetic. Very vivacious.

"Come on, Pikachu." Ash grinned. "We've got to get going too!"

Pikachu nodded as Ash ran down the dirt road, eager to make it to Striaton City as soon as possible.

He's not going to let her leave him to eat her dust.

Intriguing.

Hilda was a unique girl. Ash couldn't pick out one exact trait that made her stand out from other people.

Maybe it was her loud voice? Her vivacious personality? The characteristic bounce in her strides whenever she walked?

She just stood out naturally, he guessed.

Ash found himself lost in thought as he strolled alongside Hilda in the main plaza of Castelia City. He just happened to run into her at the Castelia Gym a few hours earlier, and she had insisted that she wanted to walk around Castelia with him. Castelia was a busy city, full of bright lights and commotion. It radiated a stimulating and rowdy atmosphere that suited Hilda so well.

It was funny, though. Ash had only known Hilda for a few months thus far, but they had already developed some kind of mutual friendship. He had also become quickly accustomed to her energetic and rowdy nature. Perhaps they just naturally became friends since they were fellow trainers with similar ambitions. It wasn't as if they had some sort of romantic attraction.

"I totally FRIED Burgh's critters! His leavanny didn't stand a chance against us, right Tepig?" Hilda snuggled her tepig against her cheek, who beamed in response. "I bet Pikachu laid the smackdown on Burgh's leavanny, too!"

"Wait, what?" Ash mumbled, not fully conscious of how idiotic his statement sounded.

"How can you zone out a place like Castelia? It's almost as noisy as the Battle Subway, and that's hella loud!" Hilda playfully jabbed Ash in the shoulder, while pointing at the large fountain beside them. "Maybe I should shove you in there to wake you up!"

"Wait! I'm awake!" Ash cried, snapping out of his reverie completely. "Geez, you're just as lively as always, Hilda."

"There's nothing wrong with that!" Hilda stuck her tongue out playfully and Ash chuckled. He believed that her words were true, albeit how childishly they were said. There was nothing wrong with her liveliness. She was a quirky individual, and Ash knew that better than everyone. There was never a dull moment when he was with Hilda.

She was the kind of person who would fish for basculin with her bare hands, and dance in the pouring rain. And she would always stroll through busy and crowded streets with no purpose other than carefree satisfaction and pleasure. Most people would frown upon or question such meaningless usage of time, but Hilda really didn't care. She just kept marching to the beat of her own drum.

Even now, she was disregarding the glares of the businessmen milling about Castelia as she eagerly skipped towards a pastel blue sign. She waved her right hand wildly as a signal for Ash to follow her lead. She was shouting something excitedly at him, but the street was so noisy that all Ash's mind registered was the opening and closing of her lips.

Ash started to run towards her, trying to dart politely around the crowds of citizens that occupied almost every nook and cranny available on the street. He earned a few cold stares from people that he accidentally elbowed, but they weren't nearly as nasty as some of the stares that Hilda got. Somehow, with some forceful shoving and profuse apologies, Ash made it to Hilda's side.

"Hey, Hilda, did something happen-"

"Holy crap! Look! Look!" Ash's eyes widened as Hilda tugged on his sleeve frantically.

"Whoa! Seriously, what's happening?" Hilda rolled her eyes and nudged Ash jokingly.

"Do you even read?" She jabbed her index finger at the blue sign hanging above them. Ash squinted to read the curly white font. Then he glanced to his left, spotting the tiny shop that the sign was referring to.

"Castelia cones?"

"They're Castelia City's specialty! You can't get them anywhere else in Unova!" Hilda grabbed Ash's arm and proceeded to drag him toward the ice cream stand. "Come on, let's go get some!"

"That line is long, Hilda-"

"Who cares?" Hilda's grin was so goofy that Ash couldn't help but laugh a little bit. He got into line with her, casually ignoring the fact that she was still gripping his arm and dragging him as he did so.

Surprisingly, they didn't have to wait in line for too long. A little over ten minutes later, Hilda was reaching for their castelia cones like a child in a candy store. She was smiling so wide, Ash thought that her face would stick that way forever. Not that it would be an unpleasant sight, but still. Ash and Hilda thanked the vendor as they walked away with their cold treats.

"You look like you're really enjoying that," Ash commented, as Hilda licked her castelia cone.

"But it's good!"

"I didn't say that it wasn't."

"Then why aren't you eating yours?"

"I was watching you eat your ice cream as if there wasn't going to be a tomorrow."

"But it's soooooooooooo good! And the vanillite design of the ice cream is adorable!"

"Really?" Ash looked at his castelia cone. "It makes me feel a little uneasy. It's so realistic it feels like I'm eating an actual vanillite."

"Hmm . . . I've always wondered if vanillites were made of ice cream. Are they edible?"

" . . . Are you going to try and eat one to see for yourself?"

"Heck yeah!" Ash smirked at Hilda's response. She never ceased to amuse him.

"I want to see if cherubis are edible. You can be the taste-tester," Ash joked.

"Yeah! Someday, I'll grab some tickets and head on a journey to Sinnoh!" Hilda whipped her arm towards the north in an exaggerated motion. "I'd love to go with-"

Ash suddenly heard a loud chorus of squawks and could see a flock of pidoves flying away hurriedly through his peripheral vision. The passing pedestrians were unfazed since the squawking seemed negligible to them among the cacophony of noise that filled Castelia's traffic daily. However, Hilda was distracted and she shifted her attention to a white lump that sat on the ground a few feet away. As she noticed her now empty ice cream cone, the realization dawned on her.

"Good job, Hilda," Ash teased. "You scared them away with your castelia cone ammunition."

"Aww, that sucks!" Hilda pouted while folding her arms across her chest. "I wasted a perfectly good ice cream cone!"

Ash watched as Hilda shrugged as she tossed her empty cone into a nearby trash can carelessly. It was at this moment that Ash realized that he still hadn't touched his own ice cream. It was starting to drip onto his hands, leaving behind a sticky white residue on his fingers.

He laid a hand on Hilda's shoulder.

"Hilda-"

"Oh, well. It was just a stupid ice cream cone! I'll just go buy myself some cookies.

"Hey-"

"Come on, how long are you going to just stand there, Ash?"

"Here, take my cone," Ash blurted out. He held out his cone in front of Hilda's face.

"No way! It's yours."

"I don't really want it. You looked disappointed when you dropped your ice cream, so I want you to have it."

Hilda stared at Ash for a second before she slowly moved her hand towards the cone. Ash nodded as a sign for her to grasp the cone from his hand.

But she swiftly raised her hand, and Ash had to take a few moments to register what happened next.

"You dropped your ice cream, too!" Hilda burst into a fit of giggles while Ash gaped at the squashed cone at his feet. "You should see your face right now!"

Ash rolled his eyes, but he wasn't really upset at her. She had an odd and slightly immature sense of humor. She could be so silly at times.

A purrloin ran up to Ash's feet and began to lick the goop off of his sneakers. Ash widened his eyes in slight disgust, while Hilda only laughed harder. She whipped her Xtransceiver out of her pocket, and she thrust the lens in Ash's face.

"Hilda, what are you-"

Snap!

"Blackmail!" Hilda smirked as she observed the photo that she just took. "Just kidding! But your face is hilarious in this picture! I want to keep it!"

Ash sighed, but he didn't try to hide his smile. He watched as Hilda snapped a picture of the purrloin at his feet with her Xtranceiver.

"Heh heh! There's ice cream all over its face!"

Indeed, there was never a dull moment with Hilda.

Lackadaisical

It was obvious that Hilda was anything but.

They've known each other for a year already, but weirdly enough, her energy didn't annoy Ash to high heaven. Over time, he actually started to admire how she could always muster so much enthusiasm, even about ordinary things (ice cream being one of them, as evidenced by earlier experience).

It was a surprise to him that he didn't question her excitement when she tackled him inside of the Mistralton Pokemon Center, insisting that he had to go somewhere "amazing" with her. He decided to accompany her without hesitation.

Now, as he ran up the seemingly endless and spiraling staircase of Celestial Tower with Hilda bolting ahead of him, one question rang clearly in his mind.

Why had he agreed to come so easily?

It wasn't as if he was obligated to come. Hilda had begged him with sparkling eyes, but in the end, he came of his own free will. He came even though he had been planning to battle Skyla right after he healed his pokemon. Surely something major must have compelled him to accompany Hilda when he had other matters to attend to.

Maybe the girl running ahead of him simply knew how to make incredibly persuasive puppy-dog eyes.

"Last one to the top is a rotten exeggcute!" Hilda called to Ash as she continued to dash up the long staircase.

"Hilda, can't you slow down for a second-"

"Come on! I can't wait!"

"I'm running as fast as I can!"

"Ha ha!"

Ash felt so exhilarated from the chase that he barely registered that they had reached the top of the staircase until he bumped into Hilda's backside and landed on his rear. "Oof!"

"How majestic," Hilda commented with a hint of sarcasm. She smirked and offered her hand to Ash to help him onto his feet. He scratched the back of his head, feeling slightly embarassed.

"Wow, I guess I really got into the race." Hilda giggled at his remark.

"We could race down Skyarrow Bridge sometime! I heard it's beautiful there!"

"Maybe another time." Ash surveyed his surroundings, but he found the highest level of Celestial Tower disappointingly bare. It was simply a flat, gray platform. "But what did you want me to see?"

"Dude, can't you see past the fog? Over there!" Ash winced as Hilda squeezed his cheeks and forced his head to the right.

"Oow! What the heck, Hilda-" Ash's jaw dropped.

"You see it now, you goofball?" Ash could only nod in response, wondering to himself how he had missed such a crucial detail.

On a slightly elevated platform, a large bell hung from a brown pole. It looked dusty and ancient, as if it hadn't been touched by human hands for decades. It was so large, that Ash didn't doubt that it woould probably squash Pikachu flat if it was dropped on him. He winced at the thought.

"Yeah, I see it. Is that why you brought me here?"

"Yup!" Hilda skipped up to the bell, bouncing up the small set of steps. "The Mistralton Gym Leader Skyla told me about it. She said that this bell is special, and it's supposed to reflect the personality of the trainers that ring it."

"Really? That's cool." Ash sighed. "But now that you mention it, I still need to go challenge the Mistralton Gym."

"That can wait for a little bit, can't it? I want you to ring the bell with me!"

"Why me of all people?"

"Because we're both aspiring trainers, right? It can sort of be like a good luck charm!" Hilda held up a pokeball, the ball that Ash knew contained her emboar. "Emboar and Pikachu'd like that, wouldn't they?"

"I guess it couldn't hurt." Ash strolled up the platform so that he could stand beside Hilda, while his Pikachu eagerly leaned forward. Hilda released her emboar out of his ball, and he roared in delight upon exiting the ball.

"Alright!" she cheered. "On the count of three!"

The two trainers counted together, each holding on to the nearby mallet, which they raised up in unison. "One . . . Two . . . THREE!"

The sound that echoed in Ash's ears was extremely loud, but it wasn't an unpleasant sound. Rather, it was a surprisingly comforting chime, considering the size of the bell. He had expected a sound resembling a gong, but the sound was clear and somewhat high-pitched.

The sound certainly left an impression on Ash.

He pondered about the kind of personality reflected through the sound. It was a carefree sound that reverberated in the atmosphere even moments after it was rung. It reminded him of Hilda, the cheerful girl beside him who was always running about. She never stayed still and she optimistically chased her ambitions. The ring was a happy noise that reflected her perfectly.

Out of the corner of his eye, Ash could see Hilda smiling as she hugged her emboar and talked excitedly to herself. Her happiness was contagious, and he couldn't help but grin himself.

Hilda was surprisingly cute. The way she giggled and happily skipped around her emboar was quite adorable.

Huh. That was funny. Ash scratched the back of his head. Since when did he think of Hilda as "adorable"? He was pretty sure that casual friends didn't describe each other that way.

He watched as Hilda returned her emboar to his pokeball and he could feel his heart skip a beat when she turned to face him.

"That was actually pretty fun! Thanks for coming with me, Ash!" She smiled at him, and Ash grinned sheepishly back.

Why was his heart starting to beat faster?

" . . . Anytime, Hilda. Anytime." He managed to say.

Determined

It was a trait that was clearly evident in Hilda.

"Argh!" Ash flinched, but he relaxed immediately as he heard a familiar fit of giggles erupt behind him.

"Gotcha!" Hilda cried out as Ash turned around to face her.

The streets of Opelucid City weren't the least bit crowded, so Ash wasn't sure how Hilda had managed to sneak up on him, but somehow she did. As soon as he saw her face, though, he inhaled deeply. She had a cheeky grin on her face, and Ash's shoulders tensed in anticipation. He wasn't expecting something terrible, but he wasn't expecting a winning lottery ticket either.

"I know that look, Hilda," he remarked. "You want something, don't you?"

Hilda made no effort to feign an innocent smile, since she confidently placed her hands on her hips and jutted her chin upwards. "You bet! Are you free right now?"

"Right now?" Ash avoided eye-contact with Hilda as she stared at him expectantly. "I'm on my way to the Pokemon League, actually. I just beat Drayden-"

"Me too!" Hilda shrieked, starrtling a nearby street musician who blew a horribly out-of-tune note on his flute. This caused another musician to snap a string on his guitar, and a third musician dropped his tambourine while snickering loudly. They began to bicker, but Hilda was unaffected and she continued to stare at Ash intensely.

"So I guess you're going to take the Pokemon League challenge, too?"

"I sure am! But you didn't answer my question! Are you free right now?"

"Well, yeah, but I wanted to train a bit more."

"That's perfect!" Hilda dug through her bag until she found her emboar's pokeball. She held it up to Ash's face. "Why don't we have a battle? It'll be like training for the Pokemon League!"

"Right here? Right now?" Ash was a bit bewildered, but he had to admit, he was interested in the idea. It occurred to him right then that he and Hilda had never actually battled each other before. He was curious. Very curious indeed . . .

"Let's head over to Route Nine right now! It's not too far from here," Hilda spun around and started to skip towards the west while Ash followed right behind her. "And by the way, I'm assuming that's a yes, since you're following me?"

"Of course!" Ash replied. "I sort of want to see how strong your little tepig has become since I met you on Route One."

"No problem! Emboar's grown a lot since he was a wee little tepig!"

"I can't wait to see him in battle! But Pikachu and I aren't going to go easy on you, alright?"

"That's fine by me! Emboar's going to wipe the floor with Pikachu!" Hilda laughed at the grimace on Pikachu's face.

"It looks like Pikachu wants to prove you wrong!"

"It'll be a one-on-one battle then!" Hilda declared, as the green terrain of Route Nine came into view. "It looks like there's an open field to our left! Let's go!"

Ash and Hilda stood across from each other in the grassy clearing, with a fairly large distance between them. They both had a feeling that this battle was going to require a decent amount of space. Ash could feel his heart start to beat rapidly as he saw Hilda release her emboar onto the field. Emboar grunted upon landing on the ground, and Ash was impressed that it actually left behind a slight crater in the dirt.

"Emboar looks like a tough opponent!" Ash called to Hilda, who folded her arms across her chest with pride.

"Are you scared?"

"No way! You got this, Pikachu!"

The two pokemon faced each other, glaring at their opponent with fierce determination.

"You can go first!" Hilda told Ash.

"Okay! Pikachu, use quick attackl!

Pikachu nodded and he began to dash towards Emboar's torso at a blinding rate. Pikachu's body blurred and created the illusionary image of several pikachus, but Hilda didn't seem worried at all.

"So this is going to be a fight of speed, huh?" she exclaimed. "Fine, then! Flame charge, Emboar!"

Emboar cloaked himself in a fiery tomb before quickly charging at Pikachu's quick attack. In less than a nanosecond, Emboar had collided with Pikachu forcefully. As a result, both pokemon cried out and were sent flying in opposite directions.

"Pikachu, electro ball!" As soon as Ash gave the command, Pikachu summoned an orb of electricity from his tail, but he didn't have the chance to release it when Hilda yellled out her command.

"Arm thrust! Right now!" Before Ash could even blink, Emboar pounded Pikachu in the face. Pikachu flew through the air, but he managed to land on his feet beside Ash.

How in the world did her Emboar move that fast? For such a heavy pokemon, Ash would've that it would be extremely sluggish. He didn't think that a single flame charge attack would increase its agility so quickly.

He could feel his heart pounding in his chest. He could see it in the way her emboar fought. Hilda was a formiddable trainer. There was fury blazing in her emboar's eyes, not unlike the spark of determination in her own eyes.

"You gonna give up, Ash?" Hilda shouted. "I think Emboar's got this in the bag!"

But Ash wasn't going to give in. He wasn't going to yield. He knew that Hilda wouldn't ever give up, so neither will he.

"This is just getting started! Pikachu!" Ash nodded to his partner, who had quickly recovered from his previous injury. "Get an iron tail ready, but don't strike yet!"

"Huh? You've got something up your sleeve, don't you?" Hilda placed her hands on her hips. "That's fine, though! Emboar, dig!"

Ash grinned as he saw the bulky pokemon start to burrow into the ground. That was a better move than he had expected, and he was going to use it to his full advantage.

"Pikachu, hit the ground with all of your might!" Ash was breathing heavily at this point, overwhelmed by the pure adrenaline of the moment. He felt so pumped. He felt so alive.

Ash eagerly looked to see Hilda's reaction. Her eyes widened as she realized the mistake she had just made. Her emboar was vulnerable to earth tremors and other similar disturbances when he was underground. She prayed that Pikachu's iron tail would be weak, but the prayer was in vain.

For such a small pokemon, Pikachu was able to make a huge impact as his sturdy tail hit the ground. The ground shook and obtrusions of rock and earth rose out of the ground. Chunks of soil and clouds of dust flew everywhere, and Ash could made out a faint roar in the distance.

As the dust cleared away, Emboar was visible. He had clearly sustained a large amount of injury, but he was still standing on both of his feet. His intense gaze focused on Pikachu, despite the scratches that covered his entire body. Hilda's stare was just as intense as she smirked at Ash.

"You and Pikachu sure are something!" she complimented him. "But we're not done yet! Emboar, flare blitz! It's all or nothing!"

Ash wasn't sure why, but Hilda's drive to keep on fighting was actually quite moving. She didn't look upset at all; she actually looked ecstatic. Something about her extreme motivation was . . . captivating.

"Okay! We're not holding back either! Pikachu, counter with volt tackle!" Ash yelled.

Several bolts of electricity shot out of Pikachu's body as he raced forward, while Emboar charged directly at Pikachu like a massive meteor threatening to explode upon impact.

In fact, that's exactly what happened when the two forces met. A blinding and extremely bright flash caused Hilda and Ash to shield their eyes, and it lasted for several seconds before fading away gradually. When Ash felt that it was safe enough to open his eyes, he glanced around.

"Emboar!" He heard Hilda cry out as she ran towards the large crater that they had made in the middle of the field. Ash had to squint in order to see past the lingering clouds of dust, but he could make out a figure lying on the ground.

"Pikachu!" Ash called out, causing a small and plump shadow to reveal itself from behind the debris. "Come here, buddy!"

Pikachu happily jumped into Ash's arms as he approached the crater. As he got closer, he saw that Hilda was cradling her emboar in her arms. Emboar's eyes were half-lidded, but he still had a weak smile on his face.

"You did great, Emboar," Hilda reassured her pokemon. "Thank you so much."

Ash watched as Hilda returned her emboar to his ball. Her back was to him, so he couldn't see her face. She was breathing heavily, though. Was she upset? Ash couldn't tell from behind, but as she turned to look at him, he noticed something about her expression.

She definitely was not upset. In fact, the corners of her mouth were stretched into the widest smile that he had ever seen in the world. Quite frankly, it actually shocked him. Not in a bad way, though.

His heart rate was increasing again.

"Ash, that was freakin' awesome!" she squealed as she stood up and raised her right palm for a high-five. "The Elite Four won't know what hit them!"

"Thanks!" Ash gave her a high-five. "Is your emboar going to be okay?"

"He's seen worse! It's nothing to worry about!" Hilda held up her badge case, which pproudly displayed all eight of her shiny gym badges. "I'm proud of him. He helped me win all of these, after all!"

"You should be proud of him. Emboar put up a pretty good fight."

"Not as much as Pikachu though. He's pretty tough for such a tiny guy." As if on cue, Pikachu flexed his chubby arms and Ash laughed.

"Well, Pikachu's been fighting with me for as long as I can remember! He loves battles."

Hilda placed her hands on her hips and leaned closer to Ash so that she was face-to-face with his Pikachu. She poked Pikachu's cheek, and Pikachu grunted in displeasure. When she leaned back, she clapped her hands together.

"Okay, I've decided! Emboar and I are going to keep training and we're going to beat you and Pikachu in a battle someday! I won't be challenging the Pokemon League until I can defeat you." She playfully added an evil laugh. "Mwahahahaha! You better be prepared! I'll be training everyday at the Nimbasa Courts from now on!"

Ash blinked. Hilda's statement just now seemed to awaken some sort of epiphany within him. It was so sudden that he was shocked speechless for a few moments.

He had thought that he accepted the battle challenge because he thought it would be good training for the Pokemon League. He also thought that the thrill of the battle was what had made his heart beat faster.

But as he looked at Hilda, pumping her fists into the air and talking rapidly, he realized that there was another reason for his reactions around her.

He's attracted to her. Pure and simple.

She's bold and she doesn't let her failures hinder her. Instead of carrying losses as a burden, she uses them as reasons to keep herself moving. He's charmed by her charisma and her tenacity.

He really wasn't sure why it had taken so long for him to make this realization. Now that he's noticed his feelings, it seemed so blatantly obvious. They had been friends for almost two years now!

"Good luck at the Pokemon League, Ash!" Hilda interrupted his thoughts as he saw her start to walk away. "I'll be rooting for you, so you better not let me down the next time I challenge you!"

Ash beamed at her and he flashed a thumbs-up sign.

"I won't disappoint you, Hilda."

Azure.

The sea that would separate them soon enough was a brilliant shade of blue.

Ash sighed to himself as he sat on a bench in Virbank City. He stared out over the horizon as Pikachu snoozed beside him. The sun was still high in the sky, since it was noon. He still had five hours until his ferry arrived. But that didn't really change the fact that he wasn't very eager to leave.

Of course, it wasn't as if he hated his hometown; he loved the peaceful and nostalgic atmosphere of Pallet Town and naturally, he did miss his mother from time to time. A part of him did want to go back home.

Still, another part of him wanted to stay in Unova. It was odd, but he had grown to really like this region, even though it was so foreign to him a few years ago. He watched the lines of civilians stroll by him, and he couldn't help but note the contrast between Virbank City and Pallet Town. Virbank was a busy and industrialized city while Pallet Town was more rural and extremely less populated. Still, he liked both places despite how different they were.

Ash flipped open his cell phone. He wasn't sure why, but he felt like calling someone. Maybe that would help distract him from his pensiveness. It would help pass the time while he waited for the ferry to arrive.

Riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiing! Beep!

"Daisy! Did you decide to change your mind about that dinner date?!" Ash had to cover his mouth to hide his snicker when he heard Brock answer the phone.

"Brock, it's me, Ash."

" . . ." Ash tried not to laugh at his friend's obvious disappointment. "Oh."

"So what's up?"

"The sky," Brock responded, jokingly.

"Oh, ha ha. Very funny, man." Ash smiled.

"Well, it's true! No matter where you are, the sky's above you . . . Unless you're in outer space, but still."

"That's true."

"So, how's your adventure in Unova going?"

"It's been great. I'm leaving Unova today though . . . I already have a ferry ticket."

Brock remained silent for a few seconds before he replied in a serious tone. "Hey, are you alright? You sound kinda bummed out."

"Well . . . I thought I could talk to you for a little bit to help get my mind off of things, you know?"

"No problem, Ash. What's on your mind?"

Ash paused, giving his answer some careful consideration. He lost the Unova championship a few days ago, but he was already over it. And he had made sure to say farewell to Professor Juniper and he thanked her for lending him a Unova pokedex. So why did he still feel like something was bugging him?

Ash glanced back at the sea again.

For some reason, staring at the ocean reminded him of Hilda. The shade of the ocean was remniscient of her blue eyes. She had those sharp, cerulean eyes that were always bright and full of energy.

Oh, that's right. He hadn't seen Hilda since their battle on Route Nine a few weeks ago. Ash furrowed his brow. He wondered where she was now. She was probably at the Nimbasa Courts, training hard like she said she was going to.

What a shame. He never told her that he was leaving Unova today.

"Uh, Ash? Are you still there?"

"Wha?" Brock's voice snapped Ash backed to reality, and he thanked Arceus that Brock couldn't see him go slack-jawed in embarassment.

"You were quiet for a really long time. Is everything alright?" Brock sounded genuinely concerned, and Ash sighed into the phone. Should he really tell Brock, of all people, about Hilda? No offense to Brock or anything, but he wasn't exactly what Ash would call suave or "good with women".

Well, it's not like Brock was a bad guy. Ash figured that he could depend on Brock to listen to him vent a little bit.

"Things are fine, Brock. It's just . . . I was thinking about a friend of mine."

"A friend?" Ash was sure that he had piqued Brock's interest. "You never told me about any friends you made in Unova."

"Well, I couldn't always find the time to call you. You know how I get carried away sometimes with training and traveling to new places."

"Point taken. So, what's the deal with your friend?"

"Well, her name's Hilda."

"Oh? It's a female friend? Now I'm definitely interested!" Brock quickly followed up his statement with a laugh. "So, do you have your eye on her or something?"

"Sort of."

"I see. Is she a nice girl?"

Ash didn't even need to think about his answer. "She's a great girl. I think . . . I think I like her. A lot."

"And let me guess. You haven't confessed your feelings, yet."

"Well, seeing as I'm leaving Unova this afternoon, I don't think there's much point in trying to find her now."

"I don't really think that matters, Ash," Brock replied.

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"When does your ferry leave?"

"In three hours-"

"Then that's more than enough time! Why don't you go find her now?"

" . . . Brock, are you crazy?"

"There are just some things in life that you gotta do, and I'm telling you, I think you should just tell her how you feel before you go. Soon, you won't be seeing much of her."

"She's probably going to hurl me in the friend-zone, Brock!"

"So? Just get the burden off of your chest! Even if she rejects you, don't you at least want to see her before you leave?" Ash blinked. It wasn't exactly sage advice, but Brock could be surprisingly supportive at times.

"Yeah." Ash grinned. "You're right, Brock. I'm going to go find her right now."

"You got this, Ash. Best of luck to you!"

"Thanks, Brock. I'll see you soon."

Beep!

"Unfezant," he called to his pokemon, releasing her from her pokeball.

"UN-fezant!" the bird pokemon chirped, looking back towards her trainer in anticipation of his command.

Ash took a deep breath. He knew where Hilda would probably be right now.

"Let's go to Nimbasa City."

Ash was starting to panic.

Hilda wasn't at the football court. She wasn't at the baseball court either. She wasn't even at the basketball or the tennis court.

"Hey, did you happen to see a girl with a blue eyes and a dark brown ponytail come through here?" Ash quickly asked a nearby basketball player.

"Why? Are you stalking someone?" The man inquired in a deep baritone voice.

"What? No, I-"

"Hey, you're blocking my view! I just missed that shot!" Another man yelled at Ash.

"Please help me-" Ash knew he sounded desperate, but to be perfectly honest, he kinda was.

"It's not our problem, kid," a third basketball player addressed Ash coldly.

Ash sighed and decided not to seek any more help from the athletes.

Ash was sure that he had scrutinized every nook and cranny. He wandered around each court until some of the athletes glared at him or muttered amongst themselves about "obsessive fanboys".

He didn't care, though. He was going to find Hilda even if it was the last thing he did.

After an hour of looking, it was obvious to Ash that Hilda was nowhere to be found in the Nimbasa Courts. He exited the stadium and wearily observed his colorful surroundings. The sunlight was harsh and neon lights flashed on several buildings. Ash had to rub his eyes a few times before his vision readjusted to the gray street in front of him.

"Arceus, where could she be?" Ash wasn't sure how much time he had already spent looking for Hilda, but the sun was still high in the sky. He only hoped that he didn't waste too much time.

"Pika . . . ?" Pikachu cocked his head to one side, and Ash got the impression that his partner wasn't nearly as determined to find Hilda as he was.

"I can't think of anywhere else that she might be." Ash started to walk down the street, while he checked his cell phone. Pikachu frowned and folded his arms across his chest.

Two o'clock. He was running out of time. Would he even have enough time to fly all the way to Nuvema Town and then catch his ferry back to Pallet Town within a single hour?

Ash shook his head. He had come to Nimbasa City in vain. It would take about a half-hour to fly back to Virbank City, and he couldn't waste the ferry ticket that he had paid so much money for.

He couldn't hide his disappointment as he clenched his hands into tight fists.

What exactly was Hilda to him? She was more than just a friend. He wouldn't have hurried all the way over to Nimbasa if she was just an ordinary friend.

But that made his failure to say farewell that much more agonizing. How had he let it slip his mind before? He could be really dense sometimes!

It was his fault. It was his fault for not telling her before. He would just have to deal with the consequences.

"Come on, Pikachu, we only have a little bit of time left. Let's head back to Virbank-"

"Pika! Pikachu!" Pikachu squeaked, and Ash raised an eyebrow.

"Pikachu?"

"Pikachuuuuuuuu!" Pikachu waved his arms comically and he started to smack Ash's cheek.

"Oww! Hey! Geez, what's gotten into you?"

"PIKA!" Pikachu pointed to the east, and Ash followed Pikachu's short pointer finger.

There was a colorful arch, decorated with cardboard cutouts of a variety of small and cute pokemon. It highlighted the entrance of the Nimbasa amusement park, but otherwise, Ash didn't see anything significant.

"Pikachu, we're not here to play at the amusement park."

"PIKACHU!" Pikachu grew frustrated and hopped off of Ash's shoulder. He ran off towards the amusement park, and Ash blinked in astonishment.

"Wha?! Hey, what are you doing, Pikachu?" Ash quickly gave chase as Pikachu entered the amusement park. "Come back here!"

Ash didn't know why Pikachu was being so headstrong, but Pikachu refused to listen to his cries as Ash entered the amusement park himself. What the heck was Pikachu thinking?

"Why aren't you listening to me, Pika-" Ash stopped in his tracks when he spotted Pikachu. His pokemon had stopped in front of a vending machine, but it wasn't because he wanted a cold drink. It was because a certain someone was standing in front of him, casually drinking a can of lemonade.

Hilda. Pikachu had led him to Hilda.

It felt like a dream, seeing the very person he was looking for appear right in front of him. He prayed that this wasn't some sort of sick illusion. He prayed that it wasn't some stranger that he was mistaking for Hilda.

But when the girl by the vending machine spotted him slowly approaching, she beamed at him.

Pikachu smirked as if to say, "you better thank me later".

"Hilda?" Ash asked, still trying to confirm that he wasn't hallucinating, even though he was certain that this was real.

"Ash! What's up?" Hilda cheerfully greeted him and Ash breathed out a sigh of relief. It was her. It was really her.

"What are you doing here?"

"Oh, me?" Hilda pointed behind her at a flashy, dark-blue building. "I wanted to ride the roller coaster, but it looks like it's down for maintenance. It really sucks! But this lemonade tastes great at least!" She laughed.

"Oh, that's too bad." Now that Hilda was actually standing in front of him, Ash wasn't sure what to say. It seemed as if his mind had gone blank the moment he saw her.

"The ferris wheel is still running, but the stupid attendant says that you have to ride with someone else."

Wait. Ferris wheel? Ash looked up at the grand ferris wheel that moved lazily on this hot summer day. Nimbasa City was practically known for this ferris wheel. It was one of Unova's biggest and most popular tourist attractions.

Ash didn't have time to think and ponder the situation. He only had time to act.

"Then I'll ride with you," Ash said aloud.

"Really? You don't have to if you don't wanna!" Hilda exclaimed.

"It's okay, I want to. I have something that I need to tell you."

"Sure! Why not?"

Hilda looked slightly confused but she nodded and walked beside Ash as they made their way to the ferris wheel entrance. Pikachu hopped into Ash's arms and grinned up at him. Pikachu's expression clearly said, "go for it".

The ferris wheel wasn't busy at all, so a few minutes later, Ash and Hilda were seated beside each other inside of a metal carriage that resembled a pokeball.

Neither of them said anything as they felt the ferris wheel start to move leisurely. The only sound in the carriage was the slight creak of the ferris wheel as they slowly ascended towards the sky.

Ash took a deep breath. It was now or never.

"I'm sorry," he blurted out.

"What are you apologizing for?" Hilda looked bewildered. "You didn't do anything wrong!"

"It's not something that I did. It's something that I didn't do."

"I don't get it." The corners of her lips were pulled into a slight frown.

" . . . I'm going back to Kanto today. My ferry's leaving in about an hour."

"Huh?!" Hilda's eyes widened and Ash bit his lip.

"I didn't get a chance to tell you earlier. I'm really sorry." Ash pursed his lips. "I still wanted to say goodbye to you, though."

He couldn't look at Hilda directly in the face. Would she be upset? She certainly had every right to be, but Ash still felt uneasy. He didn't want to know that he was the cause of her displeasure.

Then he felt her hand brush his and he gasped in surprise.

"You can be such a dummy at times," she teased him. "But I'm glad that you at least came to say goodbye to me. It means a lot!"

"Of course I would!" Ash cried. " . . . You're my friend after all!"

Ash wanted to face-palm right then and there. Hilda wasn't just a friend to him, she was so much more.

He just couldn't muster up the courage to spit out the right words.

"Yup! We'll always be the best of friends, won't we, Ash?" Hilda smiled at him, and Ash could feel his face heat up. "We should enjoy this ride as much as possible."

Just spit it out!

Just tell her!

Curse my stupid mouth. Why aren't you opening?!

"Aww, I'm actually starting to feel a little sad," Hilda said. "I like hanging out with you. It can't be helped though. You've got friends and family waiting for you in Kanto. I do wish you could stay a bit longer though. . ."

There are just some things in life that you gotta do!

"I love you!" Ash choked out.

There, I said it.

Awkward silence filled the carriage and Ash felt a rising feeling of dread. She must think he's a creep or a weirdo for sure! Crap! He was starting to wish that he had kept his mouth shut.

" . . ." For once in her life, Hilda was shocked into silence. She had no idea what to say to Ash's confession that just burst out of the blue.

Ash was sure that they had only been on the ferris wheel for a few minutes, but it felt as if they sat in silence for centuries.

He was praying that she would break the silence. He wanted her to say something, anything, to break the uncomfortable silence.

But it wasn't a word that broke the tense atmosphere. Ash froze as he felt a small peck on his cheek.

Dear Arceus, I'm going to have a heart attack.

"Whoa." Ash would've tried to say something more intelligent, but he was so shocked that he couldn't form proper or coherent sentences.

"I like you too, silly," Hilda murmured. She began to giggle at Ash's perplexed facial expression. "If you make that face for much longer, I might be tempted to take another picture, you know!"

But Ash didn't mind. He didn't think anything could possibly ruin this moment right now. Seriously, he wouldn't have minded if someone dumped a bucket of cold water on him right now. He was so happy that he could barely focus on anything.

Hilda likes me. Hilda likes me!

"Hey, Ash?"

"Hmm? What is it?" Ash looked down at Hilda, who was leaning against his shoulder as she stared out of the window.

"Are you going to visit Unova again? Sometime in the future?" Ash gazed out the window and admired the urban landscape of Nimbasa City. He could see every building from the top of the ferris wheel. There was the musical theater, and the gym was directly below them. He could even see the Driftveil Bridge. With all of the activity in the city, he was sure that Nimbasa would look amazing at night.

"Why wouldn't I want to visit again? It's beautiful here!"

"Oh!" Hilda grinned. "That's true!"

"And I want to see you again, Hilda. I'm definitely going to visit!" She glanced up at Ash's face, so that her blue eyes met his brown irises.

"Promise me! Pinky promise me!" She stuck out her pinky and wiggled it so that Ash woould grasp it with his own pinky.

Ash laughed and raised his pinky. He curled it tightly around Hilda's before he leaned down and kissed her on the cheek.

He would never forget this moment for as long as he lived.

"I promise, Hilda."