Amour in Galar form

24. Something old.. and something very new

Ash sat on one of the long stone steps that were a lot in Stow-on-Side. He had come there to gather his thoughts and feelings for a little bit of everyone and everything. And there was a lot to gather.

He spun Greninja's Pokeball in his hand and felt its smooth and cool metal surface against his palm. Spinning the ball eased his frustration and made his thoughts focus on only one thing at a time. Well, at least somehow.

For the metal surface of the ball also brought to his mind another metallic thing. Namely, the silver rose quartz necklace that still reminded of its existence in Ash's pocket with its weight. He was frustratingly aware of the jewelry and almost wished he hadn't even gotten the whole thing out of that old woman from that stall. For jewelry made him think of things that were completely new to him.

The new things also had a name and they were: emotions and Serena. Or there was nothing new in them themselves, but in their combination there was. Thinking of Serena caused him feelings that he had not known before existed, and they frightened and confused him. They made his thoughts wander, as he had just recently noticed in a match against Allister, and he didn't really like it.

Ash stopped the Pokeball suddenly and stared at the ground in front of him. Somehow he didn't get the idea out of his mind that he had lost because he himself had acted foolishly. He had not been fully involved in the match and had shouted at Lucario again. He had let Allister strike in stupid places and given him easy places. But most of all, he had not given the instruction to Greninja.

Ash squeezed the ball in his fist and wondered why this loss made him wallow in this way in self-pity. He had lost matches before, it wasn't up to it. Heck, his defeat in the Kalos League was even more frustrating than this match. And what about all those other losses in the Leagues around the regions? He had also lost Gym battles before, so why did this get him in such a mood now?

No, there was something else here now. Something more than just a loss from a Gym battle. And Ash knew what it was. It was a sense of failure. The feeling that he had failed, and in front of everyone. And especially Serena.

Ash grimaced. He squeezed Greninja's Pokeball in his fist and stared at the rocky ground in front of him. He got up, and made his mind scream in frustration, but instead just content to kick the stone in front of him. However, it didn't help in any way, as among other things, he now had a throbbing pain in his toe.

Ash slumped back to sit down and straped Greninja's Pokeball back to his belt. "Weak loser," he muttered and buried his face in his hands.

"Everything else," suddenly there was a familiar voice in front of him and he raised his face to see who had spoken.

He saw Serena in front of him, standing in her hands in a gust and her face completely expressionless. She looked at Ash without saying anything and Ash felt like she was trying to see what was moving in his brain.

Ash turned his gaze away and muttered, "Go away, I want to be alone." However, Serena didn't go anywhere, but said, "You know Ash, sometimes you're incredibly stupid."

Ash raised his head in surprise. He had not expected such a thing. He looked at Serena's expressionless face with his mouth slightly open and Serena continued, "And do you know why? Because you think that if you don't succeed, you're a weak or failed loser."

"But I am a loser! The weak, failed and pathetic loser who.." Ash protested, but Serena cut it slapping him on his cheek.

"Wake up already!" she shouted as Ash rubbed his cheek in great amazement. Serena's expressionless face now looked very irritable and red had risen on her face, but it wasn't due to embarrassment or confusion, but anger. "Wake up already! Don't you still realize!? Wasn't Snowbelle City enough?!"