My Amour

Transitionary Period

A bead of sweat ran down Ash's neck. The ambient heat was oppressive, and that was nothing compared to the heat that had gathered in his hands. He knew he should let go, to get rid of the burning heat that was emanating from what he held, but he was certain he'd regret it the second he did. No, if Ash Ketchum was half the man he thought he was, he'd see this task through to the end.

Ash looked up with a renewed vigor in his eyes. His amber irises met eyes of ocean blue, and a moment passed between the two trainers.

"Listen Ash, it's ok if we stop, I can-"

"I said I wanted to, didn't I?" Ash cut her off, gritting his teeth. He just had to gather the will. He tentatively tried to move, but before he could travel even an inch, the raven-haired trainer collapsed in a heap.

Serena giggled, and Ash swore he heard wind chimes in the air. "C'mon now Ash, you can do it. I know you're strong enough."

With a renewed spirit Ash braced himself and tried with all his might to just move , but no luck. "Why," he asked, taking a moment to stare hard into Serena's eyes,

"Why did you pack so much stuff?!?"

With his peace said, Ash collapsed on his back and finally released the four suitcases and three duffel bags that he was carrying. Pikachu, who had been watching the pair from a small distance behind on their walk back from the airport, gave his trainer a small pat on the head.

After meeting at the airport, Ash had tried to be kind, and offered to carry Serena's bags to Kukui's shack. That was before he saw just how many bags she had. It turns out, a top contest performer like Serena needed to have a lot of large, heavy outfits on hand at all times, and given the last minute nature of Ash's invitation, all of her costumes had also made the trip to Alola.

As Ash rested, Serena sighed and tugged at the collar of her turtleneck. "I'm going to have to buy a few new outfits, I really didn't expect to be coming to a region this hot."

Ash weakly raised his head to look over at her. "You don't have a single other outfit in one of these?" He said, motioning towards the bags.

Serena shook her head. "Hoenn's pretty cold this time of year, so I didn't really pack anything for the heat."

Ash's head lolled back and he stared up at the clear blue sky above them. "Yeah, never really a rainy day around here. There's a few good shops in town, if you want to take a look?"

Serena clapped her hands together and smiled at him. "That sounds nice. Can we go after we drop all this off?"

"Sorry, but I'm doing some training today," Ash said, not noticing Pikachu frantically making an "x" symbol with its arms and shaking its head. "I can show you where they are on the way though."

From his spot on the ground, Ash didn't notice the way Serena's face fell.

"Sure. What are you training for?" She asked mildly.

Ash had to bite back his automatic answer of " to be at your level". He groaned a little as he sat up.

"They actually started a League here in Alola, and this time I'm going to win it." He clenched his fist. "I have to."

Serena raised an eyebrow. "Have to?"

Oops. Had he let that slip out?

"Well yeah, it's been a long time coming. Besides, I think it's kind of the season for both of us. You almost won the master class last year then won in Hoenn this year. I almost won the Kalos league last year, and this year I'll win in Alola." He said, nervously chuckling.