It's now December 23, and Christmas is the day after tomorrow. Perhaps it's because I'm looking forward to a trip to the tropics that I'll be leaving on right afterwards, but I barely realize that we're that close to what was once my favorite holiday.

I hope you guys all enjoy this chapter!

Music: Fly Away by Lenny Kravitz

It took a few seconds for it to sink in, but, when it had, Ash realized just how happy he had become in that short period of time.

We won!, he thought excitedly. They'd won their first gym battle!

Fantina sighed audibly before walking over to the side of the gym that Ash, Serena, and Lucas were on. It was clear that she didn't like to lose.

"Well, congratulations, you three. You beat me fair and square, so let me go get your Relic Badges. They will serve as tokens of your accomplishment, proof that you defeated my team".

Ash couldn't help but feel rather jubilant at that thought. As Fantina went into the lobby to grab three Relic Badges, one for each of them, he felt as though he was one step closer to his dream.

Which, of course, I am. One badge down, quite a few more to go.

Indeed, he couldn't count his chickens before they were hatched; that much was clear. However, he still felt very optimistic about the future. He now knew that he was capable of beating a gym leader.

Fantina returned and handed each of the three of them a badge. Said badge consisted of four interlocking circles in a very light blue color, with one in the middle and three on the outside in a triangular pattern. It didn't look like anything too spectacular to Ash, except for the fact that it was his first badge. Perhaps that made it feel more special.

"Thanks, Fantina" said Lucas. He looked at Jabeni, who was looking up at the gym leader with a smile on his face.

"Don't thank me" the gym leader replied. "Thank yourselves, for training enough to beat me. In any case, you should probably head out and celebrate; my Pokemon need to be healed before their next battle".

Ash wondered what it must have been like to be one of the gym leader's Pokemon. Chances were that you wouldn't get very much rest at all during the day, because you'd have to take part in so many battles. That said, Coyopa seemed to love battling; the Pikachu had never looked as though he felt more alive than he had as he'd been duking it out with Fantina's Duskull.

They didn't stick around in the gym once Fantina had gone into the back room, where Ash assumed that the healing machines were. He and the others left the building and began looking around for something to do.

"Do you want to go out to lunch to celebrate?" Serena asked him.

Ash didn't see why not. After all, all three of them were pretty hungry; the gym battle, while exciting, had also been somewhat draining even for the trainers. Ash could only imagine how Jabeni, Kalokalo, Galang, and Coyopa were feeling.

Poor Levu never even got to battle, Ash thought, feeling slightly guilty about that. He should have asked the Leafeon if he'd wanted to battle, but he'd just been more confident with Coyopa.

But the Duskull hadn't even been that hard, and Levu might not have been any weaker than Coyopa.

Oh, well, Ash thought. They say that hindsight is 20/20; there's really no way to tell what could have been.

All he knew was that he wanted to celebrate what had happened, so he and Lucas followed Serena down the street to an old-fashioned diner that was next to a subway stop.

"Does this one look good?" the girl asked the boy and the Lucario. Both of them nodded; they were just eager to have something to eat and celebrate their victory.

They headed inside, and Ash was surprised at the restaurant's atmosphere. For such a modern-looking city as Hearthome was, the diner looked like it was something that might have been around sixty years ago. That was, of course, the way it had been designed, to have an old-school charm to it that would be undeniable.

"Yeah, this looks like a good one, Serena" Ash said.

Lucas looked at Ash, smiling, as if to say My thoughts exactly! It was clear that he was pretty happy with it as well.

The waitress came over and showed the three of them to their table, and they discussed the battle that had just happened.

"I'm surprised that Jabeni was so good, Lucas" Serena told the Lucario. "Do you have any secrets of how to train a Zorua that we don't know? Could you tell us?"
Lucas chuckled. "I would if I could, but I promise you I can't. I really don't know how Jabeni got to be so awesome at battling, but he really made quick work of that Mismagius".

Part of Ash didn't really care about the battle that had just happened. They'd won, and that was all that really mattered to him. Perhaps they could go over it, discuss what they may have done right, and use that knowledge to help them in the future.

I suppose, he said to himself, that that may be why.

They continued to chat for a while, until the waitress came back and they ordered their food. After they returned their menus, the conversation resumed.

"How much longer do you want to stay in Hearthome City, Ash?" Serena asked him. "I think that you should get to decide".

"I'm the boss?" he asked.

"I mean, I don't see why not" Lucas said. "Serena and I have been discussing this, and it makes sense that you'd be the boss. After all, this journey was your idea in the first place".

Ash felt slightly betrayed that the two of them had been having conversations without, and about, him, but he decided not to bring that up. Even so, he felt his face turn slightly red.

"Well", he said, "I think probably just one more night. It's too late to check out of the Hotel Yorba, otherwise we could have left right after this lunch".

"Why?" asked Serena. "Why would you want to leave as soon as possible? Why wouldn't you want to, to put it one way, stop and smell the roses?"

"Because", Ash replied, "it's just...I want to get all the badges as fast as we can". He probably sounded like a rather bratty little kid saying that, but he didn't really care. He just really wanted to move on to the next gym.

"That's fair" Lucas chimed in. He clutched his Pokeball in his left hand, in which Jabeni was resting. After the battle, all five of the Pokemon in the party had been placed back in their Pokeballs, but Kalokalo was going to need a healing machine at a Pokemon center, having been hurt rather badly by Fantina's Haunter.

Eventually, their food came, and Ash was spared from having to speak any more, instead digging into his burger and watching the other two do the same. It was really quite a relief, just getting to relax for a change.

Perhaps Serena was right; maybe taking your time was okay. In terms of battling, he'd certainly had his fill for one day. Having defeated Fantina was incredibly satisfying, and not a feeling he would forget any time soon.

He knew that, eventually, he would have to come back down to Earth, having been on this high after winning the first gym battle. But right now, he couldn't help but be immensely proud of himself, Lucas, and Serena.

Speaking of Serena, as she sipped hot chocolate out of a cup with her right pinkie finger sticking out, Ash thought that it looked rather formal for her to do that. It was something that would have been done at a tea party with adults, not something that a teenager who was on a journey would be likely to aim for. In particular, Ash had never known Serena to be one who aimed for formality all, or even much, of the time.

Why am I noticing all of these things about Serena right now?, he wondered.

Really, it was a question that wouldn't have an easy answer. It felt as though an answer were pounding at the inside of his skull, causing a headache. Indeed, he was getting a headache from trying to puzzle it out.

I can't be...you know, he thought. We're just friends, we're just hanging out. That's the way it is.

Ash had always been close with Serena, since they'd known each other for so long. However, over the last week, he'd only gotten to know her even better, and they'd become closer to each other.

How much longer until you admit it?, the voice inside his head asked him. How long until you own up to the fact that you have a crush on her?

He was determined that he wouldn't do so in front of Lucas. He might not have known the white-furred Lucario for very long, but he was pretty confident that he didn't need him knowing about his crush on Serena.

There I go, Ash thought. I just admitted it to myself, didn't I?

It was one thing, he realized, to admit something to yourself. It was quite another to say it out loud. While Ash had already done the former, he was a hundred miles away from doing the latter.

For the rest of the day, that question would linger in the back of his mind. He might have had a crush on Serena, but would he ever be able to admit it to her? What would he have to lose by telling her? What would he have to gain by not telling her? Those questions, he was convinced, had two different answers.

That night, in the hotel room he shared with Lucas, Ash feigned sleep for as long as possible. This wasn't an easy task, as he was feeling quite restless.

By this time, the initial joy he'd had at defeating Fantina had worn off, to be replaced by an uneasy sense of foreboding. No matter what he said, no matter what he tried, he was convinced that it was no use: Serena would never accept him if he told her about his crush.

She'd probably leave, unless I told her when she was in a really good mood. Probably after another gym battle that we win...what's next, again? Oreburgh City?

He was so internally conflicted that he couldn't even remember the geography of Sinnoh, something that should have been easy for him with all the time his trio had spent poring over maps the last few days.

By midnight or so, Ash was convinced that Lucas had gotten to sleep. The Lucario had tossed and turned for a while, but eventually he'd stopped moving. Ash took this as his chance.

He stole out of the room very quietly so as not to wake Lucas, and then entered the hallway. Since the hotel, in the interest of being child-friendly, had no stairs, he took the elevator to the lobby.

Someone had set out a basket of apples on a table, so Ash took one and bit into it. The sweet taste of the apple's flesh helped to distract him from his emotional turmoil.

But does unrequited love count as emotional turmoil?

He decided that it did; otherwise, he'd feel more guilty than he already was. As he looked outside at the night sky, in which no stars were visible thanks to the light pollution, he felt tears forming.

(Insert a horizontal line here)

"What's wrong, Ash?" Serena asked him over breakfast the next morning. "You look tired".

Ash could only shrug. He would not, could not reveal to her what had really been happening during that time that he was supposed to be sleeping. That was, as far as he was concerned, something for him and only him to be aware of.

You'll have to tell her eventually, he thought. Why not now?

He shook his head so slightly that he was pretty sure Serena wouldn't be able to notice. Now just wasn't the right time for it. Perhaps there would be some time in the future when he could tell her, but clearly not now.

"I guess I didn't sleep much last night" he said, trying to be as honest as possible. That was, at least, the truth, but perhaps not the whole truth.

"It happens" Lucas said casually. "Sometimes I haven't been able to sleep as much as I would like. It means nothing".

I really wish it meant nothing, Ash thought.

As he took a bite out of a scone, he couldn't help but ponder how Serena had always seemed special to him.

Back at school, he'd never considered dating too seriously. It wasn't just that he hadn't been too interested in it, although that was certainly part of it.

It seemed to him as though many of the girls at school were shallow, only caring about good looks, and wouldn't even bother to give a chance to anyone who didn't look attractive. That was practically the definition of shallow, and Ash certainly didn't want anything to do with a girl like that.

Serena Courtland, on the other hand, was very different. Yes, she looked good, but she never appeared to be trying too hard in order to do so. She just...did, even without any makeup that he could detect.

It wasn't just that, though. Her personality just seemed so genuine to him, and always had. It was as though Serena were a flower in a field of weeds.

I'll probably be searching for a time to ask until my hands bleed, Ash thought bitterly. Does she want to hear it?

Eventually, they finished breakfast and checked out of the hotel. When that process was over, they decided that they were going to stay in Hearthome City until after lunch.

Even though Ash was kind of the unofficial head of this journey, he'd acquiesced to Serena's desire to, as she put it, "stop and smell the roses". They were going to go to a local park in order to practice with their Pokemon, and then they'd go out to lunch at a restaurant nearby. Once that was over, they would leave.

Ash had taken some time in the early hours of the morning to study the map once more. He saw that Route 208, and then Route 207, led to Oreburgh City, their next destination on this trip.

Our next destination.

He'd only been away from home for a week now (in fact, even though he was having a hard time keeping track of the days, he was pretty confident that it had been exactly a week), but it felt as though it had been much longer. So much had happened.

Ash was pleasantly surprised by the breeze that was blowing its way throughout Hearthome City as they stepped outside. It wasn't very fast, but it was nice and cool, something that helped to alleviate the heat a great deal. It made things somewhat bearable even for Kalokalo, who had been let out of his Pokeball so that he could get some fresh air, having been healed yesterday afternoon from the battle with Fantina's Pokemon.

Indeed, all of their Pokemon had been released from their Pokeballs so that they could enjoy the beautiful morning. Since none of the buildings in Hearthome City were very tall, it was possible to see a lot more than one would be able to in, say, Jubilife City.

...and yet again Ash was hit with the charm of this city. Perhaps he could only appreciate it so much now that they were about to leave it, but even so, it had never felt so special to him.

They arrived at a park that was roughly a mile from the Hotel Yorba. It wasn't a huge park, but it had a battling court that was currently in use by a boy. He was battling with a Machop against someone else's Pikachu.

"What are the odds?" Ash exclaimed. "This kid's got a Pikachu as well!"

"Yeah, well…" Serena replied, trailing off. She eventually continued with, "Pikachu aren't all that rare even up here. You wouldn't think they'd be common, but they are".

Ash nodded as he watched the Machop battle the Pikachu. Eventually, it was clear to see that the Machop had won, because he was able to, with a punch, send the Pikachu reeling. The latter Pokemon fell to the ground and did not get up again.

"There we go!" the boy with the Machop exclaimed. He went over to his rival and shook his hand.

Nice sportsmanship, kid, Ash thought.

The boy turned to face our trio, and Ash was able to see more details with regards to what said boy looked like.

He appeared to be a couple of years younger than Ash and Serena. He had skin that was roughly halfway between light and dark, but it was still much darker than Ash and Serena, who were both fair-skinned. His hair was dark and curly, and he stood at roughly 5 feet, 4 inches tall.

"Morning" the boy said. "You wish to battle me?"

The thought had barely crossed Ash's mind. However, he was very quick to smile and nod. After all, his mother had always taught him to be as polite as possible to others; times like this were no exception.

"Sure" Ash replied. "Let's do it".

The younger boy went over to the other side of the court, and Ash stayed on the side he was currently on. "My name's Ethan, by the way" the boy said.

"Thanks, Ethan" Ash said. "My name's Ash".

"Nice" Ethan replied. "I see that you have two Pokeballs with you".

"Yeah. I've got a Pikachu and a Leafeon. Which one would you rather battle?"

Ethan scratched his chin slightly, clearly trying to think of what to say. Eventually, he said, "Well, I was just battling another Pikachu. Can I battle the Leafeon?"

"Sure" Ash replied, releasing Levu from his Pokeball.

Almost immediately, Ash noticed just how much Levu was shaking as he looked at him, staring at Ash with an expression of suspicion on his face.

He noticed the peculiar look on Ethan's face and couldn't help but ask him, "What's wrong?", even though he thought he already knew.

Ethan shrugged. "He just looks nervous for some reason. He looks like he doesn't like you".

Levu nodded. "I don't like you, Ash" he said, words that shocked the trainer he had just named; Levu rarely spoke a single word, after all.

"Wh-why not?" Ash asked the Leafeon.

"I just don't" Levu replied, looking at Ash with an expression of utmost loathing.

"Don't push it, Ash" Serena told him. "Just battle Ethan".

The battle that ensued could hardly have been described as fun. Indeed, Ash wasn't enjoying it too much, because, unlike Coyopa, Levu seemed very hesitant to follow his instructions, as though Ash were asking him to drink poison.

What did I do wrong?

Ash felt as though he'd done something to offend Levu, perhaps when he had first met him.

What could it possibly have been?

He didn't know, but he suspected that he wouldn't like the answer.

Ash: Coyopa (male Pikachu), Levu (male Leafeon)

Serena: Kalokalo (male Piplup), Galang (male Ivysaur)

Lucas: Jabeni (male Zorua)