Man in the Mirror

Chapter 34: Cornelia Street

The moonlight illuminated her ocean-blue eyes while she gazed at it. Under the moon, Serena looked as beautiful as ever, yet she hadn't done anything different to look so lovely. She wore the same outfit, she brushed her hair the same way, and she smiled the usual way. However, underneath that calm and friendly exterior, there was a girl who made an ultimatum. It was one of the toughest things she had ever done, but she saw it as the only way to move forward with her journey. Her decision was made. A new chapter was unfolding. The performer sighed.

"Hey, Serena," Ash announced his presence when he came out of the Pokémon Center. Like Serena, something about Ash presented him as more dashing on this fateful night, yet he appeared the same. His hair was fixed the same way, his outfit was still the same red and blue, and his dopey smile remained as big as ever.

Serena turned around to find him walking up to her. She didn't see Pikachu with him, so she knew he was alone as requested. They stood on a sea of grass just outside of the center. It was a brisk, quiet night. There was no sign of life but them. There was no sound to accompany the starry night. Not even the wind had come out to play. It was almost eerie or somber. The Kalos girl spoke, "Hey, Ash. Thanks for coming to meet me," Serena mustered a welcoming grin.

Ash put his hands behind his head. "Of course! So, what did you want to talk about?" the raven-haired teen tilted his head with a puzzled look.

Serena stared at him with a timid smile. She rehearsed so many times, but it all seemed in vain. The performer had felt so confident when she practiced it in the mirror. Regardless of whether she felt confident or not, it was too late to take it all back now. Ash was here. This was it. She had no choice. The performer lowered her head as she tried to summon her courage. Ash slightly lowered his head to see if something was wrong. He could tell she was trying to say something. "Serena?" Ash lifted an eyebrow.

His friend raised her head. Serena placed her hand over her heart. Her welcoming smile from earlier melted, replaced by sad eyes. She swallowed her hesitation and ripped the band-aid. "I'm leaving tomorrow before the sun rises, and we might not see each other for a long time," Serena nervously informed him.

Ash crossed his arms. He wondered if that was all Serena wanted to share, "Oh yeah! I figured since you're competing in Hoenn, I don't think we'll see each other any time soon, but why don't you wait till we wake up tomorrow so we can walk you to the port?"

Serena bit her lip. He clearly misunderstood what she was trying to communicate...again. The performer nodded her head sideways, "No, Ash. That's not what I mean. What I'm trying to say is that I don't think I can be your friend right now. I don't think I can be for a while. That's why we won't see each other for a long time. That's why I'm leaving before dawn."

The trainer froze. His eyes communicated his shock and confusion. "Oh," was the only thing Ash could initially say. Serena stared at him for a few seconds. She knew he needed a moment to process that reality. Then Ash's eyes became sad, "Why are you saying that, Serena?"

Serena shyly crossed her arms behind her back. "Because I depend on you too much for my happiness. I can't do that anymore. It's too painful for me," the performer admitted. She fought back the lump forming in her throat.

"You depend on me too much to be happy? I don't understand. We aren't even traveling together anymore," Ash said with a confused tone.

"That's true, but I still find happiness and comfort when I think about you even though we're far apart. It's nice to know you're in my heart, but I can't rely on that feeling anymore. It hurts too much to make you the reason why I smile. It's not fair to you, and it's not fair to myself," the performer explained.

Ash's eyes wobbled as he listened to her. "Did I hurt you in some way? If I did, I'm sorry," the auburn-eyed trainer tried to comprehend her by apologizing.