United Destiny: The Hero and The Hybrid

Chapter 22

Ash slowly stirred from his sleep as the sun shone through the window. Part of him refused to do so as he hid his face in the thing he had wrapped in his arms. His mind stopped as his eyes shot open. He was greeted with a mess of honey-colored hair. It was then that he could feel Serena cuddling up to him as she continued to sleep in his arms, feeling hers wrapped around him.

His mind raced as he just looked realizing the position they were in. After several minutes his mind finally started to settle itself from his panic. His face blushed as he realized he still had his arms wrapped around her as she slept. 'I think I'm liking this more than I should.'

He looked at her smiling face for a few moments before she finally woke up. Serena looked at him as the two stared at each other's eyes an awkward silence befalling between them. A blush formed on each of their faces as neither of them spoke. Finally, after what felt like eternity, Serena stuttered as she broke the silence. "W-we sh-should g-get ready."

"S-sure." The two of them broke their embrace with Ash leaving for the bathroom to change.

Serena stayed in the bed as she couldn't believe what they had done. Her mind creating another fantasy of them cuddling together in a sleeping bag under the stars. Serena mentally slapped herself for this, she wanted to cuddle with Ash again and was having another fantasy involving them. 'I am so hopeless.' She hung her head down ashamed.

    ~~~~~~~~~~~    

A few minutes later the two of them joined their pokemon in the lobby as Serena returned their key to the smiling Nurse Joy. The honey hair girl could have sworn she gave her a wink when she did. With a faint blush on her face, the two of them left the Pokemon Center. "Well, I guess next time we're asking for a room with more than one bed."

"That's a plan." Ash tried to put it behind him and instead focus on his upcoming gym battle. It worked rather well as his excitement rose as did his anticipation. "Say what time did they say the gym opened up?"

Serena turned somewhat surprised that he would forget or not pay attention to that. "They said around noon and it's currently..." Serena pulled out her Pokedex to look at the time. "Nine thirty." A small groan escaped Ash as he realized how long this was going to take. Serena pulled out her device and looked for something for them to do until then. "Oh, this is nice Cyllage City mall is having a sale!" Serena's excitement on this fact caused Ash to feel uneasy.

"What's a Mall? Is that like a store?" Mawile questioned Pikachu who gave her a conformational nod.

"More like a whole bunch of stores within one place." Pikachu's explanation peaked Mawile's curiosity. The steel and fairy type wanted to see it and maybe get something.

Braixen looked at the numerous shops as Serena swiped over the images. "You know I don't think you packed an outfit for the Showcases." That was true she didn't have any with her. Her contest outfits had been shipped to her mother and in hindsight, she probably should have brought them with her.

Then again she didn't know she was going to be doing something like it on her trip with Ash through Kalos a second time. "No, no I do not." She pulled out on her fashion kit as she frowned. "I don't even have the outfits for any of you either."

That just meant that this sale was there best chance to get something she could work with. 'Maybe I should get a new outfit to wear I think this one getting a bit tight.' She blushed as she thought of the reason for that. Taking Ash's hand she mostly dragged him along with her as the raven-haired teen wondered if there was something, anything that they could do instead.

For the most part, Ash was surprised by this. Firstly Serena mostly focused on getting cloth ribbons and other things for the Showcases that she was going to do. He wasn't carrying all the bags like he had pictured in his mind. Braixen, Zoroark, even Absol and Sylveon had helped taken to helping with this. Audino had come with a bag of supplies for them mostly in food but also in the form of pokemon medicine. "You can't be too careful you know." Was her explanation and right now he realized he had forgotten to get the potions on there first few stops.