SatoSere - Where the Sakura Blooms

Interlude - See You Again

Interlude
See you Again

Ages:
Brock - 20
Ash & Serena - 15
May - 12
Max - 5

•~•~•

July 23, 2005
Hoenn Region
Sootopolis City

Ash was on his final Gym badge for the Hoenn League, the third league he has entered. He placed 16th in Kanto and 12th in Jonto and he had hoped in Hoenn he would place higher! This time he was traveling with the Maple Siblings and his long time travel companion Brock Hitachi. He had fairly grown up over the last few months, he had matured over the past year. He was in the Pokemon center seated on one of beches waiting for his Pokemon to be healed, someone sat beside him and he turned to see May Maple.

"Hey May. What's up?" He greets the brunet.

She returned his smile, "I'm alright. Are you ready for your next Gym?"

"I sure am! I can't wait to beat Flannery." He responds.

May saw him reach for something inside his jacket Pocket. She had seen him doing this often, over their journey throughout Hoenn May had grown to see Ash as a goofy older brother, she could tell that he already had someone in his mind. She smiles to herself, most people would think he was a dense kid but she knew better. Ash pretended to be dense to put off most of the Female attention coming his way, she knew it was because of the girl he shared this ribbon with.

"Want to tell me about her? I have noticed you taking out that ribbon since we stopped Team Aqua back at the Weather Institute. She must have been important to you..." May inquires curiously looking at her friend.

Ash smiled as slight nostalgia took over him, "Her name is Serena Yvonne. I met it her in one of Professor Oak's annual Summer Camps, she had been picked on by Gary when I met her and got injured for her troubles. She had been a new friend our other friend Leaf Green had made a few days prior and wanted to introduce to me. I helped her out of the forest we were in as she couldn't really walk out herself due to her injury, she scraped knee."

"What happened then? I would have expected you to be traveling with them." Responds May in slight confusion.

Ash shakes his head, "Well Leaf had another path to take in her Journey. As for Serena well... she had to leave for Kalos after three months of staying in Kanto. That was a sad day for the three of us, but we still keep in touch every now and then. Last I spoke to Serena, she began her journey while I was in the Orange Islands. According to the news, she's been going into Pokemon Performances in Kalos."

May knew the name was familiar! While Pokemon Performances were not yet that popular outside of Kalos the short videos going through the Internet were slowly influencing the Contest Circuit and the Pokemon Contests Board at the Pokemon League Association. May had read a magazine earlier with an exclusive interview from the Kalos Princess. The brunet gasped as she realized why the name was so familiar.

"You know the Pink Maiden of Kalos! She's like the most favored girl in the Pokemon Performance Circuit." Says the girl is still in shock.

Ash chuckled patting her head, "She still gets flustered when I say her title. I tell her that she'd have to get used to it sometime soon. I'm glad she found her passion and that  aunt Grace followed Mom's advice about letting her go her own way. It was great to see her on stage for the first time, her first experience didn't work out, she lost the first Performance."

"I know how that feels. I mean we all go through lows in our first journeys. I mean you told me about your pitfalls in Kanto when you started." May point out smiling as she saw the sparkle in the older boy's eyes.

You can call her a hopeless romantic, but she loved to see others being in love and she could see Ash was clearly in love with his childhood friend. Both separated for nearly a decade, traveling the world to achieve in their aspirations, and most of all find their way to each other. Almost like a plotline from a Romance novel. She only hoped that she could experience her own kind of romance one day.

Ash grinned, "Yeah. I am happy we still keep in touch despite the time differences. We send letters more than do phone calls, it is easier to keep track of letters then to track each other in Pokemon centers. She's doing Performances in Unova right now, she seems to be doing well from what I've seen."

"I've always wanted to meet her! I wonder if I can one day."  Says the brown haired Hoenn native.

The Kanto boy smiled, "Maybe you might one day who knows."

May laughs, "When you become champion Ash, that's when I will meet her. Or maybe that's just my wistful thinking."

"Well... who knows maybe she'll come here one day. Or you'll meet her in your journey. After all she also has a long way until she achieves her own dream." Ash points out grinning.

May nods still laughing, "Yeah. You're right, but first let us get past this Gym battle and then we can talk more about your childhood friend."

"Sure, sure. Time to get that badge!" He responds pumping his fists smiling as he helps her stand.

They dusted their pants and walked towards the Gym.

Meanwhile in the region far west of Hoenn a girl with honey blond hair was smiling to herself as she read the latest letter sent to her by her best friend....