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Ash's POV

Serena and I spent most of the night on the couch together. Serena was lying down with her head peacefully rested on my lap while I would gently stroke her long, gorgeous honey-blonde hair with my hand which I could tell she enjoyed.

We mostly just both stayed silent as words were not needed. I simply knew that Serena was just enjoying my company. I guess that makes sense considering that she has never had a friend before and her only parent worked really late. That meant that she was always in this empty house alone with nothing but her thoughts to keep her entertained. And from what I could tell by how she reacted when I left to get the pizza, her thoughts haven't been treating her well.

When we weren't just enjoying the moment together we walked, which I could tell was new to her, but I made do. We talked about my old school and how no Pokémon were allowed. We than began to tell Serena the story behind how I got Pikachu as my starter, and I learnt that she is still yet to get a Pokémon of her own. Which confuses me because she could of had a friend from the age of 10 to play with her, to stick up for her but she just said that because of Calem, who would occasionally would use his Pokémon to help with Serena's suffering. She explained that because of that she never really felt comfortable around Pokémon which had caused her to tear up again.

I then began to explain that having a Pokémon is amazing, as I began to tell her stories of me and Pikachu and our journey together and all the friends we meet through our travels. I told Serena about my adventure through Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, Sinnoh and through the Unova region. She seemed very shocked and even impressed at how much I have travelled.

After a long bit of silence, Serena than began to tell me about her childhood. She told me about how her mother was a famous Rhyhorn Racers, and how she use to be forced by her mother to do long and hard hours of Rhyhord practise so that she could follow in her foot steps. She also told me about how many different ways she tried to escape training and how none of which worked. She told me how school and all the bullying lead her to have depression, which she found difficulty admitting and did result in her crying again into my chest.

After comforting her she began to explain how she this is her third school she had been to and no matter where she goes she can never seem to escape those horrible people who make fun of her while mercilessly beating her day in day out.

Soon Serena fell asleep on my lap at around 8:30pm. I however was still awake and just watched her sleep while running my hand through her hair. I didn't want to put her to bed because I didn't want to risk waking her while trying to get up so I just continued to wonder how people could be so mean to her and just let time do its job.

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Pikachu was peacefully sleeping on the other couch until I noticed his ears begin to twitch as he opened his eyes and looked at me in concern.

I knew that when ever Pikachu's ears twitch that something is always up and from the way he looked at me I came the conclusion that he sensed something... or someone.

I looked at Pikachu trying to figure out what he was sensing until I heard the front door begin to open. This immediately caused Pikachu to jump off the couch he was on and reposition himself on the arm of the couch I was in protection.

Not long after I heard the door open I see a human like figure walk in turning on the lights to the kitchen without noticing me on the couch directly opposite the kitchen in the living room. Pikachu had sparks coming for his cheeks telling me that he is ready to attack while I noticed that the figure was a female.

The female figure soon turned around and finally noticed me and Pikachu, but I don't think she noticed Serena on my lap.

"W-W-What are you doing in my house!?" She yelled sounding angry but also scared. Which is understandable if you came home and saw a boy on your couch and a Pikachu on the arm of the couch ready to attack.

"SSSHHH!" I silently yelled with one finger over my mouth. "She is asleep." I loudly whisper so that she can hear while I put my other hand on Pikachu's head telling him to stand down.

I guess at that moment she must have sawn Serena sleeping on my lap because for some reason she started to get even more worried.

"WHAT DID YOU DO TO MY DAUGHTER!" She yelled obviously not listening to what I just said about that whole she's asleep thing. She said daughter... OH this must be Serena's mother! That makes sense now.' I think to myself while putting the pieces of the puzzle together

"SSSHHHH!" I say again trying to get her to calm down. "I'm sorry for the misunderstanding Ms Yvonne, but you must trust me that I didn't do anything to Serena, she is juts asleep." I respond in a neutral tone trying not to make this situation worst.

"W-who are you? And how do you know who I am?" She asked. 'I guess she still doesn't trust me. I guess I gotta tell her.'

"I'm Ash, Ash Ketchum, this is my best buddy, Pikachu." I say while calmly pointing to Pikachu who was still on edge. "And I meet your daughter Serena today at school. She was being bullied so I helped her. But she was badly hurt and the nurse said that she needed to be taken home. Serena told me that you were to busy at work and she was to weak to get up so I carried her home." I explained to Serena's mother hoping that she will believe me.

"Ok then Ash, but why are you still here then?" She asked sounding very sceptical of the situation.

"Well I was going to leave, but Serena didn't want me to leave so I stayed. She says she gets these very negative thoughts when I'm not around, so as her friend I couldn't leave." I told her. But now that I think about it Serena really does rely on me as protection.

"How do I know you arn't lying and just using me daughter for you own selfish desires?" She asked. This question filled me with rage at the thought at taking advantage of her in this state.

"I WOULD NEVER DO ANYTHING TO HURT SERENA!" I yelled at her causing her to step back in surprise at my actions, I to was surpised at my sudden out burst.

"A-ash?" I hear a soft and weak voice coming from Serena. "Oh... Serena I'm sorry for waking you. Your m-" I apologise, relising that my sudden realese of anger must have woken Serena.

"Serena, darling are you ok?" Her mother inturups me still sounding a bit stressed.

"Hi Mum." Serena says after rasing her head off my lap and turning it to face where her mother was.

"Serena, who is this?" She says pointing to me. 'I can tell she still doesn't trust me, but she will once Serena tell her everything.' I think to myself knowing this whole misunderstanding will be over soon.

"Uuummm... this is A-Ash... m-my friend." She says nurvously while turning her head to face me as she introduces me as her friend while give me a small smile which I hope her mother saw so she could tell that I'm telling the truth.

"OH MY ARCUSE SERENA!" She yells, but this time there is a hit of joy and thankfulness in her voice as she runs up to us and embraces us in a tight hug.

After a couple of seconds of hugging I soon found it a bit hard to breath as the hug tightened.

"Ms Yvonne... can't breath... oxygen..." I managed to say while the last of the air in my lungs was used. Luckly she let go before I passed out and just gave us a joyful smile. 'How did Serena not struggle to breath through that!?' I thought to myself before realising that she had doged the hug at was giggling on my lap as her mother only huged ME!

"Oh, I'm so happy for you Serena! You finally mad a friend. And a handsome one too." She said while examining my body which made my cheeks begin to heat up.

"MUM!" Serena yelled in response, causing her mother to laugh at her response.

"Only teasing sweetie. SO... tell me how you guys meet. How did my daughter get to become friends with such a handsome young man? COME ON SERENA I NEED DETAILS!" Serena's mother said while showing her inner fan girl.

"MOM!" Serena responded again with a hint of pink in her cheeks.

"Um, well Ms Yvonne it was your daughter who helped me identify the school and help me get the the principles office." I explained to her while drubbing the back of my head to hide my embarrassment.

"Please dear, none of this Ms Yvonne bisness. Please call me Grace." She said with a smile. 'Wow talk about a sudden mood change.' I think to myself.

"Um ok, well then... it's just like what i told you earlier. Calem was bullying Serena, I stoped him and took Serena to see the nurse and took her home and now here we are." I contiuned explaining again to Grace how I ended up in her house.

"Aawww, so sweet of you to do that for my daughter. Thank you." Grace responded with a smile on her face.

"It was nothing really. I'm just glade Serena is ok." I say while giving Serena a warm smile which made a tint of pink reappear on her cheeks which I don't know what it means... but it is kind of cute.

"Well your welcome here anytime here Ash." Grace politely says giving me a wink.

"Anyway Serena it's 9:00pm! You need to go to bed and get some rest for school tommorrow." Grace adds while looking down at Serena who was back to lying on my lap.

"M-Mum... A-Ash is s-sleeping o-over." Serena says shyly in a soft tone.

"Oh really." Grace says while turning her head to face me and gives me an evil looking smirk and grin.

"Well then. Off you two go. You guys look really tired so you guys sould head off to bed now." Grace says while getting up and pointing to the stare case instruting us to go to Serena's room. Serena was still a bit weak to stand on her own. So I carryed her up to her room as Grace had instructed.

"I will let you change." I tell Serena while putting her on her bed and beginning to walk back to the door before she garbs my arm stopping me from going anywhere.

"P-please don't l-leave me." She says shoftly, clearly scared of what happened last time I left.

'I guess I don't have much of a choice do I?' I tell myself while turning my head to Pikachu on my shoulders who just have me the same evil grin that Grace gave me.

"Uuummm... ok. I'll just turn around while you change then." I say turning around to give her some privicy. Serena then let go of my arm and I could hear her begin to undress herself. I just closed my eyes to resist the earge to take a quick peek.

'NO Ash NO! Stop thinking like this!' I tell myself until I hear Serena speak.

"I'm d-done." She said. I felt all the tension soon begin to be released as she said that. I opened my eyes and turned around to see Serena in her pajamas. I then take my backpack off and search for my bed wear but as soon as I open my backpack I immediatley remember how Pikachu threw everything on the floo down stares and that I never cleaned that up.

"Uuummm... Serena I'm sorry I left my pajamas down stairs where Pikachu threw all my stuff on the ground. I'll quickly go and get it ok?" I explain to her. She did seem very uncomfortable with me leaving as a frown formed on her face.

"P-please be q-quick." She said allowing me to leave her room.

"Don't worry Pikachu will stay with you. Right buddy?" I say putting Pikachu on the bed next to Serena who seemed less uncomfortable if Pikachu stayed with her.

"Pikachu!" Pikachu said while putting both of his arms in the air and simply noded in agreement.

I thanked Pikachu and dashed out of Serena's room with my backpack in hand and headed down the stairs. Once I got down the stairs I saw Grace over by all my stuff examining it.

"Um, sorry Grace but that mine." I told Grace as she turned her head to see me.

"Oh. I was wondering who's this was because it didn't seem like my daughters."

"Haha nope, it's mine. Pikachu kind of emptyed my bag and tosed everything on the floor while looking for my phone and I guess I forgot to clean it up." I explained while scrathing the back of my head in embarrassment.

I quickly cleaned up all my stuff, putting it all back into my green and white backpack while leaving my bead wear in my arms as I began to go back up the stairs when I heard Grace's voice.

"Oh and Ash. Don't do anything to my daughter ok she's only 16." She said while giving me a wink.

I felt my cheeks begin to heat up at what she said and quickly rush back up the stairs without responding to what Grace had said.

I reached Serena's room and was about to in when I decided to just get changed out here so it wasn't awkward between the two again. After getting changed I entred her room and walked over to Serena who was still sitting up right in the position that she was in when I left.

"ASH!" She said jumping onto me then began to hug me tightly. "Please d-don't leave." She said. I just returned the hug and looked over at Pikachu who just lifted his shoulders in confusion.

"I'm sorry Serena, but you do know that I can't be holding you for every second of every day right?" I ask her knowing that she wouldn't like the reality of it all.

"I-I know... b-but I w-want you to." She responded breaking the hug and looking down in disappointment.

My mind was filled with at least a million different thoughts but the one thing they all had in common not matter how silly or how crazy they where was Serena.

"Serena. I promised that I would never leave you. And I never break my promises. So I am going to try my very best to make sure that I keep that promise." I tell her placing on hand on her chin and lift it up so that our eyes meet and give her a small smile.

"T-thank you..." Was all she managed to say before giving out a small yawn.

"Come on, time for you to get some sleep. I'll sleep on the floor you get some rest in your bed." I say while getting up.

"NO." She said louder than she normally speaks. "P-please stay." She added while patting the bed.

"OMA! (Oh my Arceus) What do I do? I can't sleep with Serena! We have only know each other for a day!" I say to myself inside my head.

"Why not? She wants you to!" My thoughts began to say.

"Because! What would her mother say if she found out?" I say, having an argument with myself.

"But, you promised her you wouldn't leave her!"

"Please..." Serena says snapping out of my argument with myself.

I just look at her and her beautiful ocean-blue eyes. 'Ah... what the hell, I promised her so if that is what she wants me to do then I'll do it.' I think to myself ending my agrument with myself.

"Ok then, only if you want me to." I answer wanting to make sure she wants me to.

"I-I w-want y-you to." She says while getting into her bed leaving enough room for me.

I look at Pikachu to see what his opinion on this is but I find him already asleep on one of Serena's beanbags.

"Ok then." I say while getting into the bed with her. Because her beg is up against the bedroom wall Serena had the wallside of the bed. This made her so that she was on her side facing me.

There was a small gap between us but as soon as I pulled the bed sheets over us, Serena had moved so that there wasn't any gap between us. I looked into Serena's eyes and saw happiness as I noticed a small sparkle in her eyes as she stared into mine and automatically knew what she wanted.

I wrapped my arms around her waist letting her know that she is welcome to cuddle with me knowing by the look in her eyes that, that is what she wanted. Serena didn't waste a second putting her head onto my shoulder and her arms around me. I turned my head to make sure she was comfortable and saw her rare and beautiful smile.

"Goodnight Serena." I say letting her rest where ever she felt comfortable.

"G-Goodnight... Ash." She reponded while moving her head up and down my shoulder to get comfortable.

'You know what? I just realised! I am probably the first ever person to have and argument with myself and loose!' I think to myself before closing my eyes. 'But besides that, today has been amazing! Amazing that I meet her. Amazing that I have her as a friend.' I think to myself reflecting on todays events before following Serena's lead and fell asleep.

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I just wanted to give a special thanks to @JasonEgler (Sorry tag isn't working for some weird reason) for all the support he has shown my first story.
Anyway guys again I hoped you enjoyed this long chapter and I will see you in the next one 😊