Welcome to my stories for Amourshipping Week 2017! We're getting started right off the bat here in 2017, and there will be a different short story each day this week! I hope you look forward to these fun little vignettes! The first theme is Fireworks!

"There."

Serena sat down her hairbrush, satisfied that her brushing had brought out one-hundred percent of her cuteness. She gently placed her red fedora on her head and stood up from in front of the mirror in Bonnie's room. All she needed to do was to put on her jacket and she would be ready.

It had been a few weeks since Serena and her friends encountered Team Flare, the dangerous criminal syndicate that threatened to destroy not only the Kalos Region, but the world itself. Through the efforts of the Legendary Pokémon Zygarde, they had saved everyone. But it wasn't without cost. While the world was saved, Bonnie still had to say goodbye to her sweet little Squishy, and there was massive damage on a scale that went into the hundreds of millions. And no place was hit harder than Lumiose City.

But humans and Pokémon both are resilient, and by working together (as well as a government probe that ended up taking all of the terrorist Lysandre's money for the recovery effort), Lumiose City was finally well upon the road to recovery. To celebrate, a festival was being held around the first time Prism Tower, the most well-known symbol of Kalos, would be lit since the attacks.

It wasn't this festival that weighed on Serena's mind, however. It was a certain young man from Pallet Town. "I'm thinking of going back to Kanto. Back to Pallet Town, to start over. I mean completely, like start from the ground up." In the back of her mind, Serena always knew that Ash would one day talk about leaving Kalos and going back home, but she didn't think it would be quite so soon… and she still hadn't told him how she really felt about him, either.

She looked back at the mirror and straightened the blue ribbon she wore, a gift from Ash himself. Well, this festival would change all of that. It would be tonight that Serena would finally confess her love to Ash. In doing so, maybe she could find some path to follow for herself, since she was currently at a loss as to where she would be going from here. And so, she nodded at her reflection, mentally telling herself to 'go for broke' and closed the door as she left the room.

"Ah, man! I'm so excited for this festival, guys!" Ash said as the quartet walked down the streets of Lumiose. "There's gonna be so much food to eat, and so many games to play! It'll be just like the festivals back home!"

"Pikachu!" chimed in the yellow Pokémon who served as Ash's constant companion.

Serena found herself giggling. "You're always looking for your next meal, aren't you Ash?"

He winked at her and gave her a thumbs up. "You know it! I'm always happy to eat anything, especially if it's delicious!"

Clemont, the blonde inventor, chuckled. "Well, don't eat too much… it'd be a shame if you got sick on a ride…"

Ash turned and gave him a thumbs up, too. "Got it! We'll be careful, won't we, Pikachu?"

"Pikapika!"

Bonnie, Clemont's younger sister, walked from behind Serena to next to her, holding her hands behind her back. "Well, Serena?" she asked. "What're you looking forward to tonight?"

The Pokémon Performer swallowed. "W-Well, I think it'll be great to spend time with my very best friends! After all, we've all been so busy helping with the recovery effort, I kinda feel like we haven't spent much time together…!"

Bonnie smirked. "Riiiight, of course, Serena…" She grabbed the older girl's hand and pulled her down. "I know you want a little time to yourself with Ash, you know. You don't gotta hide it."

Serena's face lit up brightly. "W-what?" She could only stammer as Bonnie tightened the screws.

"C'mon! Ash is going back to Kanto soon! Don't you wanna tell him how you really feel?"

Serena swallowed her fear once more. There was no use denying it when she was already fully aware that Bonnie knew the truth of her feelings. "W-Well… how can we get Ash alone…?" she asked.

Bonnie nodded. "You just leave that to me!"

Clemont finally paused his walking and turned to the girls. "What're you two whispering about over there?" he asked.

Bonnie let Serena go and ran out in front of the group. "Oh, it's no big deal, Clemont! I was just telling Serena that I see so many girls here who can be great Keepers for you!"

Clemont froze, a single bead of sweat slipping down his cheek. "B-Bonnie…! Wait, you don't-!"

But his plea was too late, and the young girl was already racing ahead and going down on a knee to propose to a woman walking down the street. "You're a Keeper! Won't you please take care of my nerdy brother?"

"BONNIE!"

Ash and Serena could only chuckle to themselves at it happened, once again, and the blonde siblings disappeared into the crowd. "You think they'll be alright?" Ash asked.

Serena shrugged. "I think so. I mean, this isn't the first time, right?"

Ash laughed. "Yeah, I guess not."

Serena clapped her hands together. She was alone with Ash. This was an opportunity she couldn't let pass her by. "So, since they seem the tiniest bit busy, why don't we enjoy the festival by ourselves?"

Ash nodded and pumped his fist. "Right! That's a great idea, Serena! Let's have some fun!" He reached out and grabbed her hand, pulling her along with him as he ran through the crowd, the blushing Serena holding her fedora to her head so she wouldn't lose it.

'I can't let this chance slip by. I have to confess to Ash tonight.'

After turning down a few streets, Ash brought Serena and himself to a group of stalls, each playing games. They were all the typical games you'd see at festivals like this: lot drawing, bean bag tossing, a board that you dropped a chip down, among others. "Oh man, look at this!" Ash said, pointing out a booth with a huge tank of water in front.

Serena watched with interest as another person played the game. They took what looked like a paddle made out of paper and skimmed it through the water, trying to pick up the Goldeen that were swimming around. This person got a Goldeen, but the paddle broke, and Goldeen slipped right on through it.

"Sorry, next player!" the barker shouted as the young man dropped the paddle and walked back into the crowd. But before Serena could even comment, Ash was already up at the tank, looking at the Goldeen.

"Ah, man! They had this game at just about every festival I went to in Kanto, right buddy?" he said, turning to his partner.

"Pikachu!"

"Can I play next?" he asked.

The man shrugged. "Sure, I don't see why not. Just make sure not to break the paddle, or you lose."

Ash took the paddle from the man. "Got it! I'm not gonna back down from this challenge!" And he immediately went to work, kneeling before the tank and trying to scoop up a Goldeen with it."

Serena sighed. 'Well… maybe while he's distracted with this game, I can psych myself up!' She looked at Ash, who was having a good time, despite struggling. 'He always gives his best, even at something silly like this… it's no wonder I like him so much. There's no one in the world like Ash….'

Just as she thought that, Ash brought the paddle up, and the Goldeen he was scooping broke through the paper and fell through. "Aw, man."

She sighed. 'Yeah, there's no one in the world like Ash…' Taking a step forward, she kneeled down next to him. "How about I try next, Ash? I think it needs just the tiniest bit of a gentle touch."

Ash looked at her, puzzled for a moment. "Yeah, I think so too. And you're the gentlest person I know." He smiled at her. "Alright, show me how it's done!"

Serena nodded and scooted closer, taking the paddle from the barker. She took a deep breath and focused on her movement, wanting to move swiftly but gracefully, with a touch of elegance. She deftly slipped the scoop through the water, catching a Goldeen under it, lifting it out of the water very carefully. She tilted the scoop into the barker's lap, and the Goldeen slid down onto him. He looked at her. "Wow, miss! You're good at this game!"

She giggled. "Thank you very much!" she said with a bow.

The man reached into his pocket. "Here, the prize for winning is a ticket to a ride somewhere else at the festival." He looked at the tickets he tore out. "Looks like it's two for the Ferris Wheel. You and your boyfriend can have a great time!"

Serena's face once more resembled a tomato, and steam escaped from her ears. "Buh-Buh-Buh Boyfriend? D-Don't you think that's…?"

"Hey, Serena!" said Ash, already standing and not paying the conversation any mind. "Do you smell that? It smells like corn dogs! C'mon, we gotta go get some right now!"

Serena stood up. "But, Ash-!"

"C'mon, it's this way!" he said, waving to her as he began rushing ahead. Serena sighed and began chasing after him to the next part of the festival where Ash would stop.

It wasn't very far, but Ash was following his nose, so Serena didn't think he would go very far. There was a huge food truck stopped in the road, with a crowd of people all standing around, eating the various treats the truck provided.

Ash's grin couldn't have grown wider as he perused the menu. Funnel cakes, hamburgers, cotton candy, and of course, his beloved corn dogs. "I'm gonna get two!"

"Pika!"

"You're right! Let's get three!"

"Pikachu!"

Serena sighed as she followed behind the glutton and the Pokémon who also seemed to only think with his stomach. 'It's like I'm getting a front-row seat to Ash at his least behaved and least charming…' she thought. But she looked at the grin on his face as he ordered his three corndogs (one for Pikachu, of course), and she felt her irritation melting. Even when Ash was being childish, he was still Ash, and that zeal for life was yet another reason she found herself falling for him more and more as they traveled around Kalos together.

"Hey, Serena!"

Ash's words broke her trance. "Uh, yeah? What's up, Ash?"

He pushed a fluffy pink confection her way. "I know you like sweets, so I got you some cotton candy. D'ya want it?"

His somewhat blunt thoughtfulness made her heart melt. "Y-yes, thank you Ash," she said, gratefully taking the candy away from him. She took a small bite, and it tasted sweeter than any cotton candy she'd ever tasted had the right to. Probably because it came from Ash, himself. "Hey, Ash?" she looked at him as he was finishing chomping down on his corn dogs. "The prize from the game I won back there was two tickets to the Ferris Wheel. Did you want to go?"

"Do I?!" Ash almost jumped. "We could probably see the whole city from the top! I bet it'd look totally awesome! Yeah, let's go!"

Serena smiled. Finally, things were going according to plan tonight. She'd confess her feelings for Ash yet!

The two of them (plus Pikachu) approached the Ferris Wheel's operator and handed him the tickets Serena won, and he gestured them into the next gondola. Serena and Ash both climbed inside, and the door was shut behind them, and the wheel started to turn.

"Oh, man. This is so cool, isn't it?"

"Pika~!"

Serena was more than excited to be in such close quarters with the boy she had a crush on, but a tinge of nerves were also affecting her. 'I can't just say it… I have to build up to it. This is going to be a moment I remember for the rest of my life, after all…' But for all her thoughts of bravery, she couldn't manage to say anything to interrupt Ash and Pikachu's commentary as the wheel turned until it stopped with the two of them at the top. Serena shook her head. 'I'm letting it slip away! I have to say something!' "Hey, Ash?"

Ash turned from the window to the girl. "What's up, Serena?"

She suddenly felt shy, and she knew her cheeks were bright pink. "Ash, I just… wanted to say that I've really enjoyed being on this journey with you. Even if it's just about to end, it's been an incredible experience for me. And I wanted to say thank you for that…"

Ash smiled gently and nodded. "I should thank you, too. We grew a lot during our time in Kalos," he said, scratching Pikachu behind the head. "I mean, who'd have guessed I'd run into so many amazing people and Pokémon? Who'd have guessed that I'd get wrapped up in the Bond Phenomenon with Greninja? It was a great time, for sure!"

Serena felt the conversation slipping away. "T-There's more I wanted to say, though," she stuttered. "I… I wanted to say-"

There was suddenly a smash, and pieces of glass fell out as a robot arm broke in and grabbed Pikachu off of Ash's shoulder.

"Pikapi!"

"Wait, what?! Pikachu?!" Ash tried to reach through the hole. "Pikachu! Who are you? And why are you grabbing Pikachu?!"

"If you have to ask, you should prepare for trouble!"

"Our answers will come on the double!"

"To protect the world from devastation!"

"To unite all peoples within our nation!"

"To denounce the evils of truth and love!"

"To extend our reach to the stars above!"

"Jessie!"

"James!"

"Team Rocket blasts off at the speed of light!"

"Surrender now or prepare to fight!"

"Meowth, dat's right!"

Serena could hardly believe it. Her romantic moment with Ash was being ruined by Team Rocket. She almost cried.

"Give Pikachu back right now!" Ash shouted.

Jessie laughed. "Please, you're a pickled little twerp stuck in a jar."

"With our extendable arm, we'll go far!" James added.

"We're raisin' da Pikachu stealin' bar!"

"You better just give Pikachu back and leave right now!" Serena said, standing up from her seat herself. "I was about to say something!"

Jessie and James looked at the upstart twerpette, blinking. "Wait a second, there is a distinct lack of twerps here," the woman said.

James nodded. "I'd say we're down to about half."

Meowth cocked an eyebrow. "So it's just da twerp and twerpette, huh…?"

The three rockets looked at each other, smug grins growing. Serena felt her face heating up, and she knew she had to nip this in the bud. She pulled out her Poké Ball and opened it up towards the hole, sending out her Pokémon, Braixen to the top of another gondola. The Fire-Type brandished her stick quickly. "Braixen, use Flamethrower!"

"Brai-xen!" Jumping upwards, the Fox Pokémon swung her stick forward like a wand, and unleashed a stream of flame from it towards the balloon. The flames engulfed Team Rocket for a moment before passing, covering the people and Meowth in a fine ashy char.

"Greninja, Water Shuriken!" Ash shouted, releasing Greninja through the hole in the gondola as well. The Ninja Pokémon appeared next to Braixen, and after giving her a familiar nod, reached towards his legs, where he drew his Water Shuriken from before tossing them at Team Rocket's balloon. The Shuriken shot through quickly, puncturing the balloon and sending Team Rocket wizzing away as their balloon lost all of its hot air. The convulsion of the balloon caused Meowth to drop the sphere containing Pikachu, which began falling to earth.

"We're blasting off again!" the trio shouted, flying away.

"Pikapi!"

"Greninja, grab Pikachu!" Ash shouted.

The Water-and-Dark-Type complied, leaping down and diving quickly to catch the sphere in his arms before he landed safely, Pikachu in his arms. "Ja!"

"Awesome! Great work, Greninja!" Ash cheered as the wheel shuddered back to life after the attack, and Ash and Serena's gondola started to descend.

Serena recalled Braixen, but she could only look on at Ash in admiration. He could go from a childish boy, oohing and ahhing at every little twinkling light all the way to a strong, determined young man who would do whatever he could to protect those he cared about, and it all changed like flipping a switch. Ash was always himself, and he was always amazing, no matter what.

She felt her heart racing as she looked at him, a smile growing on her shy lips. Was there any wonder she loved him so?

"Serena? Are you feeling okay?" Ash asked, staring at her from across the gondola.

She shook her head. "I'm fine. Thank you, Ash." She punctuated her sentence with a giggle.

Ash himself leaned back, and smiled. "Good. I wouldn't want this to ruin all the fun we've had tonight. Thanks for such a great time, Serena."

She blushed even harder. "You're welcome Ash! Any time!"

There was one more matter to attend to. It was time for the actual lighting of the Prism Tower, the event the festival was held to celebrate to begin with. Crowds of people gathered all around the tower, and Meyer (Clemont's father), with the help from the newly reborn Clembot as well as Clemont himself, was preparing to light the tower up for all of Lumiose to see.

Ash and Serena stood next to each other when the switch was finally flipped, and the tower lit up for all of Kalos – all of the world – to see. And then, the sky lit up, too. Filled up with fireworks of a dazzling array of colors.

Serena looked at Ash, and saw the fireworks reflecting off his eyes. This was it. This was the moment she was waiting for all night. She had to take the risk. She had to go for broke.

She leaned in and whispered to him.

"I love you."

She leaned back and tried to gauge Ash's reaction.

He looked back at her and smiled. And then he leaned in close to her.

"I know," he said. "I love fireworks, too."

Serena felt her face turn entirely pink. She looked at him, to see the honest joy emanating from his eyes. She laughed at herself internally. He must have misheard her. But looking at him, even so… Serena couldn't be mad. This was just Ash being Ash.

And she loved Ash. With all her heart.