Well, this has been long in coming, hasn't it? Happy Valentine's Day! Or…some other euphemism to make yourself feel better. Whatever. At the very least, this oneshot might help to cheer you up if you're down! I know, an Ancienverse oneshot? What is this madness? Well…those who followed my collaboration, or simply me, would know that this has been long in coming. So, without further ado, time for my newest oneshot!

Author: Epicocity

Rating: T for innuendo

Pairing: Amourshipping

DISCLAIMER: Still not owning it after almost a year!

Thirds, Thrills and Temperatures

An Ancienverse Pokémon Oneshot

"Ash, what do you and Serena plan to do for Valentine's Day?"

Ash dropped his spoon at his mother's question, the utensil falling into his cereal bowl and splashing milk onto Pikachu's fur. His electric buddy shook himself, the droplets of milk splattering onto the tablecloth. Looking around, the raven-haired trainer noticed that he was all alone with his mother. Clemont and Bonnie, who had been staying with him for a few months now, were on a business trip to the Kanto Power Plant (something about installing the Kanto branch of the Inter-Regional Communications System). Mimey was out back, sweeping the back porch off. Meanwhile, the girl in question was on a day trip to Cerulean City, courtesy of a call from Shauna, who was visiting Kanto for the week. Somehow, that bothered him.

Though it didn't bother him nearly as much as his mother's question. He grunted, trying to clear his throat and looked up to see his mother still at the stove, her back to him. He quietly moved the chair out. He had no idea what Valentine's Day was, but if his mother was mentioning it in her usual regard to him and Serena, he knew only too well how embarrassing it could be. Quietly, he began to stand.

"Sit down, Ash Ketchum," snapped his mother's voice. Like he had no will of his own, Ash sat right back down and his mother turned back around. "Now, take my question seriously."

"Um…" he vocalized, genuinely unsure of what to say. Only his mother could make brandishing a ladle look even remotely threatening. Gulping a little, Ash managed to squeak out, "What's Valentine's Day?"

His mother blinked, as though she couldn't believe he'd ask such a question. Then she sighed, as though the answer was all too obvious. Returning to the stove, she placed her ladle down and sat at the table, smiling across at her son. "It's a day for showing love."

"Oh…okay," Ash said, reaching up to rub the back of his head. He didn't think there needed to be a whole entire day for that, but if his mother said it existed then it had to have some merit to it. "How come I've never heard of it, then?"

"Because you've always been oblivious," she told him sweetly. Ash wanted to argue but quickly nodded his head, grabbing his spoon to eat once again. She had a point. Rewind only six months back and he would have never even imagined that he'd have a girlfriend. Thinking back, he wasn't even sure he knew what a girlfriend was before Serena came along. "So, what do you plan to do?"

"Uh, you just told me what it was, mom. I can't exactly put together something for something in five seconds," he told her.

"Chuuuu…" Pikachu agreed, nodding his own head wisely. Ash looked at him. His best buddy really had it easy. Not that he didn't like spending time with Serena or going on dates with her, because they were honestly some of the best times he'd ever had. Even the last few months, staying in Kanto, training with their Pokémon and near each other's side, he actually found it to be one of the most enjoyable stays he had. For the first time in a long time, he hadn't actually felt restless at home.

Regardless of all that, though, he felt that Pikachu had it easy when it came to his love life. Other than Dawn's Buneary stalking him from time to time (if that was the best word to use), Pikachu didn't have to worry about any bit of love life. Maybe he considered it a reprieve, or maybe he was just oblivious. Sometimes, Ash wished he could go back to being oblivious. But at the same time…

"Well, I can always help you, Ash," Delia said, leaning over the table to smile kindly at him. Ash finished his bowl of cereal and reached for a glass of orange juice. He wondered how long his mother had been thinking of asking him this. "This is the first time my son actually has a girlfriend! It's so exciting, and I want to make sure you don't let a girl like Serena get away."

Don't think that's happening…Ash thought to himself as he sipped on his orange juice. He loved Serena too much to just let her slip away, and he liked to think that she wouldn't want him to slip away either. He sighed a little, partially wishing that his mother had never found out about the two of them dating. It was bad enough with Bonnie mercilessly teasing them every chance she got. "I won't."

"Truth be told, I always thought you'd end up with Misty until you stopped traveling togeth-" He couldn't help it. He spat, his orange juice flying across the table. "Or not."

"Um…uh…so…Valentine's Day is a date thing, right? Wh-when is it?" Ash stammered out. He really didn't want to broach that topic. Misty was a fine friend, but that had always been what she was: a friend. That his mother seemed to think otherwise was unsettling.

"In two days." Ash turned his head, a look of horror dawning upon it at his mother's words. That surely was not possible. Two days? Sure, he'd had less time than that to plan dates in the past but those had always ended horribly, in his opinion, to the point that he wondered why Serena dated him at all.

"That's not enough time to plan anything!" Ash said, gripping at his hair. On the table, Pikachu was laughing heartily, clearly enjoying his panicked state. Ash whipped a glare to him, practically threatening roping him into this or calling up Dawn for a surprise visit. That shut him up right quick. "Wait…two days…isn't that that weird candy holiday where people give chocolates?"

"Something like that. Though it's typically girls, but other regions do it the way I'm suggesting," his mother giggled out lightly, shaking her head.

"I always thought that was National Candy Day," Ash commented folding his arms. Yet, even as he thought about this, the panic was setting in within his mind, taking ahold of him and not letting go for even a second. He had to plan another date, for a huge (supposedly) holiday…in just two days. This was something more suited for Serena, not him! "I…I can't do that!"

"Ash Ketchum, when have you ever been one to back down from a challenge?" his mother snapped at him, mouth forming into a thin line, as if in challenge. He flinched a little; challenging his mother on the matters of the heart or, more specifically, dating, was not a particularly wise thing to do. "You have a wonderfully lovely girlfriend that has been staying in the same house as you for months. The least you can do is put together a proper date for a holiday almost designed for it."

"Yeah, but…" Ash said, backing up as his mother stood. "Mom, I don't know if you've heard, but the last two dates I planned for me and Serena didn't exactly go well."

"Then you know the saying: third time's the charm," she insisted. Her gaze was piercing, and admittedly frightening. He swallowed and looked to Pikachu for some sense of comfort, but the electric mouse was slowly backing up off the table and over to his legs, quivering at his mother's commanding presence.

"O-okay, I'll plan a date! I'll even make it a surprise! That way, Serena will be super impressed," Ash insisted. He hoped it would placate his mother. For a moment, he feared that it wouldn't, the way she was glaring at him, but then she pulled back with a smile and a nod, like her work here was done. He breathed, Pikachu doing it right along with him. "So…uh…where should I start? I mean, there's not a lot to do in Pallet…"

A sudden thought hit his brain; one he really didn't want. He touched a hand to his chest, hoping for a moment that his mother wouldn't notice as he felt the locket given to him by his father. How he and his mother had met at a carnival of some sorts. It was certainly something to look for. His mother hadn't noticed, however, given that she had turned away and pulled out a stack of magazines, slamming them on the table.

"A list of popular date items and places and things," she said proudly.

"You've been planning this for a while, haven't you?" he asked. She just smiled at him sweetly, prompting Ash to sigh in response. Realizing it was pretty much futile to argue against his mother, he reached forward and grabbed the stack of magazines, deciding to take them over to Professor Oak's lab to look through them with all of his Pokémon. Grabbing his hat and jacket from the couch, he began making his way out the front door.

"Remember, you only have today to really plan it!" his mom called as he was leaving. "Serena will be back from Cerulean City by the evening!"

"Got it!" Ash said before slamming the door. Pikachu gamboled forward on the dirt walkway to the lab. Meanwhile, Ash heaved another sigh. Planning dates was never an easy thing, not when he wanted them to go so well, but they never did. "Oh well, maybe mom's right and the third time will be the charm…but you have to make sure you and the others don't say anything, okay, Pikachu?"

"Pi," Pikachu agreed. Then he started running, Ash going after him with the stack of magazines beneath his arms. At least at the lab, he wouldn't have his mother breathing down his neck about these things, and with Gary still off observing changes since the battle in Geosenge, he knew that was one less person to taunt him about what he had to do. Thankfully, the one who greeted him at the lab was pretty lax about it all.

"Hey, Ash, here for another day with your Pokémon," Tracey said from a computer in the Oak lab. Ash smiled the sight of his friend. The Pokémon Watcher hadn't battled those months back, but just seeing him here, still at Professor Oak's lab gave him some peace and joy. It was like a moment of normalcy. Reminded him that this date was like a moment of normalcy. "Professor Oak is out running errands on the town today. I see Clemont and Bonnie are still away, too, considering Rotom hasn't returned from going with them. It's gotten quite attached to Clemont."

"Yeah, and Serena's on a day trip in Cerulean," Ash pointed out. Pikachu had already left him, heading for the backyard. Ash paused a moment. "Hey, Tracey, have you ever had a date on Valentine's Day?"

"Can't…can't say I have," the boy answered. Ash peered suspiciously. He looked a little red faced, but Ash decided to pass it off as embarrassment at hearing such a question.

"All right, thanks, anyway," he said. With another wave, Ash headed out to the garden. Before anything could happen, he placed the magazines down in a corner before walking forward, expecting a rather inevitable result. Sure enough, like they seemed to be doing daily now, his Tauros came rushing through, bowling over him. Once he'd counted all thirty, he stood, brushing himself off and grabbing the magazines. Then he strode forward and clapped his hands. "Hey, everyone, we've got a different kind of…training to do today."

"Baybay!" Bayleef was the first to respond, running forward to tackle Ash. The magazines fluttered to the ground, and by the time Ash was able to sit up, he noticed that almost all of his Pokémon were gathered around except for Hawlucha and Buizel, the former helping the latter up from the ground, and Infernape and Greninja, who were in the middle of a duel, keeping themselves sharp.

"Glad to see you, too, Bayleef," Ash said, patting her on the side of her head. When she got off of him, he stood. The first thing he did was pick up the magazines and then spread them about. "Okay, guys, this new training is really important, and we have to get it done before lunch."

"Osha?" Oshawott asked, eyes brimming with joy. He ran towards a magazine, and despite not having any idea what it was for, slammed his scalchop down on one of them. "Oshawott!"

"Okay, you can take that one Oshawott. Why don't Snivy, Scraggy, and Corphish help you out with that?" Oshawott looked beyond pleased, even though Ash was still sure he had no idea what he was getting himself into. He chose to remedy that quickly. "All right, I need all of you to get into groups for this important training. My mom tells me there's a thing coming up for me and Serena to celebrate, but since she's not here right now, I have to plan for us to go out."

"Baaay?" Bayleef whined out, sounding upset. She certainly hadn't liked to hear the idea of Serena and he dating. Though the Leaf Pokémon had warmed up to her, to the point that she had started spending some time with both Serena, Braixen and Sylveon, there were still moments of jealousy she had. This seemed to be one of them.

"Bayleef…I need your help most of all. It would make me really happy if you could," he said, putting his hands on his hips. Bayleef's demeanor shifted happily, and she bounded over to a magazine where Pikachu, Krookodile and Gliscor were.

One by one, with Bayleef's acceptance, all of his Pokémon seemed to get excited over looking at the magazines. The birds took one up into the air while Torterra used his back as a means for Bulbasaur to rest and read one comfortably. Even Charizard roared happily and decided to share one with Sceptile as some of the stragglers picked up their own copies, like Leavanny with Pignite, Boldore and Glalie. When the dust settled, only a single magazine remained for Ash to pick up. His face paled a little when he did and he quickly shoved it inside his jacket, planning to dispose of it as soon as possible.

"Geez, what was mom thinking…?" he said, taking a quick peek at the not so secretive wedding magazine that had been shoved in with the others. It might have been something planned as a joke, or that Serena would have liked to thumb through, but actually putting it in…Ash laughed it off and went to Pikachu's group.

Bit by bit, they all flicked through the magazines, trying to come up with all sorts of ideas, with each group ripping out pages to deliver in a stack. They were all…unique…

"Sky diving?" Ash asked of Staraptor and Talonflame. Both nodded, though Swellow puffed his chest out, seemingly proud of the suggestion. "It's…an idea."

"Swellow!" Swellow said happily before taking off for the sky. Ash grimaced. He didn't want to turn down a Pokémon's suggestion, but he had no idea where one would even go for skydiving around here.

That was the moment he knew that asking his Pokémon for help was much easier said than done. Most of the ideas became somewhat nonsensical, like going basket weaving (he found that boring), or to some kind of Pokémon race (definitely not the kind of thing that Serena would be into). It was only when Snivy Vine Whipped Oshawott's hand away and presented the idea of an amusement park being held in Celadon City to promote the department store there, that Ash felt he finally had a solid idea. Bayleef and Pikachu made it better by a showing a dinner in Viridian City.

"Thanks, you guys!" Ash said, pumping his fist. The ideas had been zany and out there, but at least two of his more level-headed Pokémon were able to come up with an appropriate strategy for his next attempt at a date. "Now, remember, don't tell Serena! This is supposed to be a surprise."

"Bulba?" Bulbasaur called out from his feet. Ash looked down and Bulbasaur used his vines to point to Charizard, who was watching him with surprisingly pleading eyes (the big guy hadn't liked his idea of a wrestling match being discounted). He chuckled and approached his Fire and Flying type.

"Charizard, you wanna help me and Serena get around to Celadon and Viridian?" he asked. Charizard roared happily, spouting flames into the air. No doubt he saw it as a chance to improve his flying regimen. Granted, Ash realized he could have just called Latias for even faster travel, but it would have felt so wrong for something so mundane. This way, at least, he was doing something for more than just Serena. Smiling happily, Ash finally departed from the lab to make the preparations, ignoring the continual request for a Contest that Oshawott was shoving in his face. There was no doubt Serena would enjoy a Contest…but she probably wanted to be a part of them, which wasn't very conducive to a date.

Returning home, Ash found his mother in the garden. After checking the time, he got to work, calling the restaurant in Viridian City. It felt beyond odd, actually planning in advance for these things, as he was usually one to play it by ear. With his mother's ever watchful gaze on him, though, he knew he had no choice. Luckily, by the time evening rolled around, he had set reservations and plotted an entire evening course through the amusement park for maximum surprise and enjoyment. Serena wouldn't know what hit her.

"I'm back!" her voice called in the early evening. "Sorry I was away all day, but Shauna kept me busy shopping. I guess she really wanted to see the sights in Cerulean City. How was your day?"

"Busy," Ash responded with a smile. Serena beamed back, leaning in for a brief peck on the lips, bags hanging from her arms. With that action completed, she started heading for the stairs.

"Training, no doubt. I'm going to take a quick shower. We can talk then," she called down cheerily. It always appeared to make Ash's heart swell at her voice. Once he heard the door close and the water running, Ash quickly made to return the wedding magazine still burning a hole in his jacket without his mother looking, and then running over his plan one more time.

Sitting on the couch and nodding to himself over a job well done, Ash placed the sheet containing his plan on the coffee table and looked to Pikachu with a grin. "You know, I think we might've planned the best date yet. This one's gonna be perfect."

Keeping the surprise date a secret proved harder than Ash imagined, if he was to be honest. Sure, there was only a short amount of time to keep it all that way, but his Pokémon were certainly not as inclined to keep a secret as most. Bayleef got extremely moody around Serena again, Oshawott kept trying to hand that infernal advertisement over (at least until Snivy lazily pulled him back), and in general they all seemed excited, particularly Charizard, who was practically glowing with pride at his role. Ash wasn't sure if Serena was suspicious or not, but since he had promised both his mother and himself to keep it a secret, he found himself exasperated. Apparently trying to be really romantic took a lot of work. He only hoped the actual date would go off without a hitch, assuming it didn't all derail before then.

The hardest part proved to be going into more of the town proper (well, the shops, at least) to go and grab some chocolates in the earliest part of the morning. To his displeasure, the entire shop was decked in pink and red hearts, making it look like someone had used a Disarming Voice attack on the place and then held them in stasis. Pikachu batted at one, but left it alone when it almost smacked him in the face.

"Buying chocolates for the girlfriend, Ash?" the store clerk said. Ash chuckled nervously and nodded. "Here, on the house. Best stock we have available."

"Are you sure? I don't want to put you out," he responded. The man shook his head.

"It's nonsense. You know you put Pallet Town on the map; least we can do is honor a regional hero," the cashier chuckled out. Ash didn't like getting special treatment from his receiving the Honor of Kalos, but still accepted the chocolates and returned home. Serena was out back when he'd gotten there, allowing him to stow the chocolates away and breathe. This holiday and present thing was unnerving. Breathing in, the raven-haired trainer joined his girlfriend in the backyard.

"Clemont called," she said to him, twirling around on the grass rapidly as Pancham flipped around her. She came out of the spin and managed to land in his arms, his skin touching hers. It was odd for just a moment, almost uncomfortably warm in the places where their skin was touching. He let go of her. "He won't be back until the day after tomorrow. Apparently, there was a mix-up with the part he needed or something. Looks like it'll just be us and your mom for a couple more days."

"You wanna do something different, then?" Ash asked, trying to keep things as even as possible so he wouldn't give anything away. He wasn't sure how successful that was, either, judging from the bead of sweat rolling down the back of his neck.

"Different? You have something in mind?"

"I might…" he said, now rubbing the back of his head, more as a way to rid himself of the sweat. "Why don't we meet up here around six, after training?"

"Uh…all right…" Serena expressed, but Ash didn't give her the time to ask any real questions, dashing off with Pikachu to the lab. While there, his Pokémon were even more rambunctious than ever, something that both Professor Oak and Tracey commented on.

"If they're this excited about a date, I can only imagine what they'd be like if you got married," the old professor laughed out. Ash felt his whole entire face heat up from that. For the second time in two days…he really needed to stop letting his mom and Professor Oak spend time together. Regardless, after some hardcore physical stamina training with Greninja (which the professor watched and noted with great interest) and some other activities with the rest of his crew, Ash finally returned home to take as surreptitious a shower as he could take. He wasn't sure if Serena noticed, but at the very least he could get dressed in peace for their date.

"Pikapi, kachu," Pikachu said to him positively. Ash nodded.

"Yeah, I'll do my best," he told his best friend. Still apprehensive about his third planned date, Ash went down the stairs to meet with Serena. He hoped that this went well.

"You look nice, Ash," Serena commented. Ash hoped so, considering he was wearing the clothes she had picked up for him during their encounter with Volcanion (minus the hat), the chocolates he'd gotten tucked away inside his jacket. He looked up at her and his eyes widened a little. She, too, had dressed up for the occasion. Does she know…? Nah…Ash shook his head and approached his girlfriend, unable to take his eyes off her in her light pink dress that appeared very floaty, but accented her curves and facial features all too well. He actually swallowed at that though. He'd been noticing too many things about Serena's body lately. Not that he always hadn't, it was just more pronounced.

"You, too. Well, more than nice…you look beautiful," Ash said, tongue almost twisting up the words. Serena giggled, but didn't press further. She just reached her hand out and took his, their fingers intertwining with a near scorching heat. He wondered why he hadn't noticed it before, but pulled her closer as they stepped outside.

"Rrawr!" Charizard roared, waiting right outside the Ketchum household.

"Good to see you, too, Charizard," Serena giggled out. The Flame Pokémon bent low, allowing Ash to help her onto his trusty Pokémon. He then swung over to sit behind her, pulling her close again. He really couldn't understand why his body temperature was fluctuating so, though he wanted to blame it on Charizard's own heat.

"Okay, Charizard, you know where to go," Ash said, patting his partner lightly. Charizard gave off a roar and exhaled smoke from his nostrils. Then he flapped upwards powerfully, causing the trees to bend and shake from the gale as they soared to the sky. Serena screamed a little from the thrill of the flight, but once they were stabilized and gliding their way towards Viridian City, she seemed all right, if still incredibly warm.

"So, Ash, where are we going and what exactly are we doing?" she asked loudly, to compensate the wind blowing past their ears. He leaned in to make sure she could hear him, making her jump a little from the closeness of his breath to her ear.

"It's a secret," he laughed out. She puffed her cheeks at that, but said no more until they touched down in Viridian City, right outside the restaurant, as planned. As soon as they disembarked, Charizard took to the air. Some kids that were still out (and indeed, some adults) stared after the majestic beast while Ash took Serena's hand and led her inside the restaurant.

"Welcome, Mr. Ketchum, we have your seat reserved for you," the maitre'd at the opening to the restaurant said, bowing at his presence. It all made Ash feel very self-conscious, but he laughed it off, following the man to their table in a dimly lit corner of the restaurant. Not what he expected, but considering the smile on Serena's face, he knew he'd take it. At least it wasn't as fancy as the disastrous double date at a restaurant in Lumiose City, though there were presently an awful lot of couples.

"This seems awfully romantic, Ash," Serena laughed out as they reached their table. Like usual, he held her chair out for her to sit in. "If I didn't know better, I'd say you were trying to seduce me."

"Se-seduce you?" Ash asked. She had made it sound so sordid…which wasn't like Serena at all. It was more like Miette had taken her words to put them in Serena's mouth. Serena reached over to place a hand on him.

"Relax, I was joking," she told him. That calmed him considerably. "Let's just enjoy the meal."

And hope it doesn't go as poorly as the last two meals planned…he couldn't help but savagely think. Their waiter approached soon after, asking for their orders while delivering glasses of water. Considering the relative dearth of items on the menu, it wasn't hard for Ash to order, nor Serena, and they were soon sitting alone.

"This is nice, just the two of us," Serena admitted. Ash nodded, looking to face her. Some part of him wished he hadn't, because as soon as he did, he was locked onto her eyes. Despite having dated for who knows how long, Ash was never more attracted to his girlfriend than he was now. Maybe that was why things felt they were changing. They were growing older, and closer…physically closer. In fact, Serena's lips were right on top of his before he knew it, kissing him. He kissed back, until eventually he heard a cough from above and they both jumped away, embarrassed and with flushing faces.

"Your meals," the waiter said, placing their dishes down. The two were so flustered by what had happened that they ate their meals in silence. As a result, it didn't take long for them, the couple soon pushing their plates away. That was when Ash remembered the chocolate inside his jacket.

"Oh, I got you this," Ash said, pulling out the chocolates with a smile. Serena looked at them and took them with a gracious smile. She leaned forward again, this time kissing him solely on the cheek.

"Thank you," she told him. That seemed to be the prompt for the two of them to stand, neither waiting for dessert. Instead, they made their way back outside, leaving some form of payment behind. The second they stepped outside, Charizard flew back down to allow them to mount him once more (and slip the chocolates into a little side pouch he was wearing). Yet again, that familiar heat where Ash touched her ignited, and he tried to ignore it, but that was growing more and more impossible the closer they got to Celadon City. "It's beautiful…"

"Yeah…" Ash noted absentmindedly, not really paying attention. Well, he was paying attention, just not to the thing that Serena was, because he was more focused on her. He shook his head though. What had gotten into him? He'd never been this way before…at least, not before Serena. Yet, as they descended into the red and pink lights of the amusement park around Celadon City, he didn't mind it at all. In fact, he tried to choose to just live in the moment.

"An amusement park? !" Serena exclaimed excitedly. She drew some looks from those around her, which happened to cause some whispers. Ash cringed a little, and she flinched. Drawing attention to themselves had become a very bad idea in recent months. "Sorry. Maybe we should go in…?"

"Great idea," Ash said. Both reached forward to take each other by the hand and head into the amusement park. Just like the restaurant, it appeared to be filled with couples…and one very odd couple at that. "Team Rocket? !"

"The twerp!" cried the voices of Jessie and James at the same time. James happened to drop a stick of cotton candy, something Ash didn't even know they would sell here. Not that the duo were dressed in their usual Team Rocket garb. In fact, had they been wearing sunglasses, different hairstyles and perhaps a hat, he wouldn't have even known it was them.

"What are you two doing here?" Jessie screeched with an accusatory finger. Ash held up his and Serena's joined hands.

"On a date," Ash shot back. "What about you?"

"Maybe they're on a date, too," Serena suggested. James looked bored with the suggestion, biting off a piece of his suddenly materialized second cotton candy while Jessie leaned forward.

"Say that again, twerpette! We're…out on reconnaissance!"

"Or on vacation…" James admitted lazily, taking another bite. "First time we've had one in years."

"Oh, shut up!" Jessie ordered, taking the cotton candy and shoving it mercilessly down her coworker's throat, as if to shut him up. "Look, we may be off-duty for now, but starting soon we'll be back to hunting Pikachu. And don't make any insinuations about what's happened here!"

"What are you talking about?" Ash genuinely asked. Jessie just hmphed and grabbed James before dragging him off. Midway, he appeared to have swallowed his snack.

"That wasn't very nice…"

"Oh, fine, I'll buy you some other snack," the magenta-haired woman snapped before they rounded a corner and disappeared. Ash watched them go and breathed in relief once they were gone. Not that it mattered: Pikachu was at the lab and very far from their reach. However, for all the relief and confidence he had felt at dinner going successfully for once, he was almost sure it was going to go away from that sole encounter.

"Ash, do you want to ride a coaster?" Serena asked, pointing up towards a relatively modest roller coaster. Ash grinned at the thought of something so exciting and quickly agreed. The couple ran forward to get in line…and they weren't the only couples there. There were a lot…way too many…and quite a few were kissing as they waited in line. It felt beyond awkward, even for them. Serena twirled her thumbs as they waited for the line to move up. "I'd have thought this for the Ferris Wheel line…not a roller coaster…"

"Do you think we should kiss, too?" Ash asked nonchalantly. Serena's face practically steamed from the comment. She instantly raised her hands and started waving them rapidly, face turning so red that it matched the color of the lights.

"N-n-n-n-n-no…I mean, we kissed in the restaurant, but it was totally by accident and I just couldn't help it because you were so handsome and I was drawn and all but this is really super public and…" Ash realized that his girlfriend was completely rambling at a fast pace by this point. In fact, he wasn't even sure that she'd be able to make it through the rest of the line considering how fast her heart was likely beating. Sighing at their date starting to go off the rails (as usual) he took her by the hand and led her away. "A-Ash."

"Sorry, but I couldn't leave you there like that," he admitted with a laugh. Immediately after, he started rubbing his nose. "Though, you were kinda cute."

"Th-thanks?" she squeaked out. Ash's mind wandered for a moment, back to their time in the restaurant. They really had gotten a little out of hand…at least for them. Yet he liked it.

"Maybe we should just go back…" Ash admitted aloud. Serena looked up at him, almost seeming upset, as though she thought she'd ruined it. He smiled at her, though, to assure her it wasn't the case. Looking around, he noticed people staring, at least those who hadn't locked lips. In fact, those who weren't there as couples, like a group of girls near a popcorn stand, were pointing, giggling and muttering. It made Ash feel very self-conscious. He knew he was popular, but not that popular. Made him want to go to a region where not many people knew him, but that would be hard to find.

"Ash…you don't have to…"

"Nah, it's fine," Ash admitted. "Truth be told, all these couples make me feel nervous. Like I'm not doing anything right. I prefer it when it's just the two of us, you know?"

"But Ash, I thought your plan was perfect," Serena said. Ash blinked. Serena squeaked. Ash turned to her to see her hands travel to her face. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I saw a piece of paper on the coffee table and I read it and…"

"Oh…" Ash said, deflating by the second. And here he thought he'd planned the perfect surprise date! "No wonder you looked so perfect!"

"You thought I looked perfect?" Serena asked, seemingly feeling a little better. Ash nodded and she ran forward to hug him. Ash melted into the embrace, preferring the feeling of just the two of them. The girls that had been giggling immediately looked disappointed and walked off. "You're right, this place is a little stuffy. Should we go home?"

"Home…?" Ash asked. He'd never thought about it, yet in some way, Serena had been at his house in Pallet Town for so long, that it was like her house as well. He grinned and nodded. "Yeah."

The two joined hands once more and quickly left the park, making their way for the exterior. Charizard caught sight of them and dove to get them. A sudden idea struck Ash's mind and he picked Serena up in his arms, much to her surprise, before jumping onto Charizard as he took off. She nearly screamed, her face beyond magenta at this point. They landed nimbly on the Flame Pokémon's back and were soon soaring off through the sky and back towards Pallet Town.

"I'm sorry for ruining your surprise," Serena stated, moving her body as they flew. Only, she didn't face her back to him, instead sitting comfortably in his lap. Ash was surprised, but took it in stride.

"It's all right…at least you had somewhat of a good time…I think?"

"Best date you've planned," she said, winking at him a little. He laughed at that, appreciating the flattering comment. His gaze traveled downward, along the curve of Serena's leg until he noticed a small hill on the outskirts of Pallet Town.

"Charizard, you mind landing there? Then you can go back to the others."

"Rawr!" his partner replied, flying them down to the hill and dropping them off. With another roar, he shot off into the sky and back over to the brightly lit lab in the distance. Ash walked a little forward, staring up at the stars. He wondered, in some way, if his father had looked at these stars the day he'd left. It was a simple, fleeting thought; one that lowered his smile for only a second before he turned back to Serena.

"It's a nice night," she said, hands behind her back as she did so. "Truth be told, once I found out you were planning such a nice date, I made you some chocolates like tradition in Kanto, but they're back home…"

"Home…" Ash repeated. He smiled and reached forward to pull her to him, finding himself kissing the top of her head. She melted into it, her hands pressing up against his chest. "I guess you're right. Because you're home. Just like mom must've been for him…"

Serena appeared to get his meaning, because she pushed up and smiled at him yet again. In the midst of the starlight, her eyes appeared to glitter and shimmer and Ash was overcome with the same urge he'd had in the restaurant. He reached forward, as did Serena, their lips locking once again. It felt so right. So complete in that moment. After every struggle and hardship they'd been through, to be standing here with her…nothing felt better. She was home. Something he wouldn't let go of.

Because she made his heart race, and his temperature rise…and she made him feel complete.

His hand moved to her waist, sliding up it slightly, and she returned the gesture. Ash found his shirt moving a moment, and then they fell backwards, rolling upon the hill. Their lips broke contact and they laughed, staring up at the beautiful night sky. Ash pulled her close, to the point she was practically on top of him. She didn't move from there, instead snuggling in closer. Then he repeated the words she'd once asked of him.

"Stay with me, please?" She shifted, her lips brushing against his cheek.

"Always, Ash."

And they remained staring at the stars, eventually falling asleep in each other's arms. Before his eyes closed, Ash smiled. In some way, maybe a little, he wasn't too bad at this spontaneous romantic stuff after all.

Fín

Author's Note: So, how was that? I'm sorry if it wasn't the greatest. I tried my best to have this humor there, but it really turned into a fic exploring Ash finding solace in Serena on this holiday of love following his father's death in Tribulations. Hopefully you got some chuckles and admittedly some of the most sultry things I'll ever write (what? That was sultry?). Regardless, I think it was good, considering how rusty I am writing oneshots. Hopefully you'll find it the same.

Now, the next oneshot drops next week, and that'll be a different one considering its time placement being well after the upcoming Alola Trilogy. But, until we meet then, please Review and, as always, now and forever,

Dare to Be Silly,

Epicocity