The forest looked just like it would on an average morning. The path was slightly squelchy yet it didn't dampen the mood of all the pokemon scurrying around everywhere. But it did dampen mine.
Clemont shook me awake this morning and told me that Serena was missing. Her nightwear was thrown around on the bed and her bag's contents were strewn about; one poke-ball was missing too.
Scared out of my wits, I got dressed quickly, made a hasty decision to split up and ran into the forest, while Clemont and Bonnie took the road leading out of the pokemon center we were in.
I thought I had a plan, but now that thirty minutes had gone by and the search absolutely in vain, i realized I didn't have a plan. I was just running around, shouting out her name and looking around hopelessly.Just thinking that something happened to her is scaring me beyond normal levels.
Sometimes I think I take things I have for granted. And yesterday's dream kinda made me realize that. The fact that it was about Serena leaving and then waking up to reality and seeing that she was actually missing is very scary.
Really scary.
The skies which were already dark and misty and the warnings it had been giving since I woke up, like the cold breeze and the smell of the earth, all of it came thundering down.
Within a few seconds it started raining heavily and faint thunder could be heard some where in the distance.
Serena.
I quickened my pace and sprinted into the trees, as if my life depended on it. Pikachu hopped off my shoulders, reducing considerable weight and I yelled out to her in my loudest voice.
It got answered this time.
"Serena!" I yelled again, trying desperately to figure out where she was. I heard small squelching noises and I turned around in response to the unmistakable sound of footsteps.
Even with the heavy rain, I could see a figure somewhere in the distance. The person stopped when I turned around. Red hat, pink dress; it had to be Serena.
Sighing in relief and trying my best not to slip in the mud, I ran towards her with Pikachu following behind me. But the closer I got, her face became more clear; her red eyes indicated that she had been crying.
"Serena..." was the only thing I could manage to say, but before I could even stop to think, she grabbed my hand and dragged me into the trees.
"What happened?" I yelled.
"I'll show you" she sobbed.
Did something happen to her pokemon? Did something happen to her? Why was she crying?
Though these questions were bothering me, I kept mum. Something told me Serena knew what she was doing and listening to that something I silently ran behind her.
"Look" she pointed.
She stopped pulling me and dropped my hand when we reached a cliff. Pancham was standing there looking very scared.
I copied her actions and dropped to my knees to get a better view of what she pointing at. A Vulpix was standing on a very narrow ledge many feet below and it was a very deep drop into a river flowing under the valley.
"I woke up early today morning" Serena said, stopping to sniff "and I saw this little guy playing around the battle field. I ran up to get Pancham, you know, as a playmate, but when I came back he was missing"
"When I came into the forest, I saw that he had fallen" she sobbed "But I couldn't come back to call you guys because I was lost"
"Can you do something, Ash?" she turned to me. The tears she had been holding in, for so long, came flowing down in torrents.
Something in my chest hurt. It always hurts when I see Serena cry and it did this time too. I gave her a reassuring smile and getting up, I took out Noivern's poke-ball and flung it off the cliff.
Noivern came out roaring and looked at me with those same loyal eyes. It quickly turned to worry when he saw Serena.
"Noivern!" I said, trying to shift its attention "There's a Vulpix down there and it needs your help. Can you please bring it back up?"
Only taking a few seconds to figure out its location, the pokemon scooped down and spread out its wing for the little fire-type to cross onto its back.
Within moments, the two of them were safely back on the ground. Noivern shook the water out of its fur and Vulpix ran straight into Serena's open arms.
The throbbing pain in my chest quickly left and got replaced with a feeling, I couldn't recognize.
"I'm so glad you're okay" she said, her voice slightly wheezy. "Thank you so much Noivern"
