c157: The Famous Scene of Ash and Serena!!
"Serena, you've got to be more careful next time. Let me take care of that ankle for now."
After gently wiping the tears from Serena's face with a soft handkerchief light blue with a small Poké Ball stitched in the corner Ash handed it to her with a reassuring smile. Then, kneeling down in front of her, he gently reached for her ankle, cradling it with careful fingers.
"Fortunately, it's just a mild sprain," he murmured, inspecting the swollen joint. "You didn't fracture any bones. If the injury had been more serious, it could have had a huge impact on your future as a Pokémon Performer. Injuries like that make dancing, stage movement, and even simple showcases much harder."
His words were firm but sincere typical of Ash, who always balanced seriousness with encouragement when it came to a friend's dreams.
"Serena, when you return to Kalos, I really think you should sit down with your mom and talk honestly about your ideals."
Ash's voice dropped slightly, serious now.
"You once told me how your mom, Grace, a famous Rhyhorn racer, had her own dreams for you to follow in her footsteps. But training for sports like that, especially high-impact riding, is so different from the grace and expression needed to be a top-class Performer. The physical toll of sports can easily lead to injuries like this."
He glanced up, his eyes locking with Serena's.
"If you got seriously hurt and it cost you the chance to pursue your real dream on stage wouldn't that be something you'd regret for the rest of your life?"
"Healing Technique!" Without waiting for her reply, Ash focused inward. Drawing on the flow of aura that he'd honed during the two weeks of summer camp particularly from their joint aura training with Pikachu and Professor Oak he activated the healing energy unique to his latent connection with Pokémon energy fields.
When he first arrived at Professor Oak's summer camp, Ash's aura described as a developing "Viking Power" by Professor Rowan was only about the strength of a small eye-dropper's worth. But now, after constant challenge battles, teamwork drills, and synchronization exercises with Froakie, that strength had multiplied. The aura within him had grown to the volume of a small bucket an exponential increase in both quantity and quality.
With a warm glow, Ash directed the soothing energy to Serena's injured ankle. Within seconds, the swelling began to subside, and her pain eased.
"Alright, Serena, it should be healed now," he said softly, pulling back his hands and standing up again.
"Ah… my ankle still aches a little. I—I don't think I can stand yet," Serena murmured, pressing her palms to the ground and trying to push herself up. But the attempt failed, and she sat back with a soft thud, cheeks flushing in frustration.
Ash kneeled again and looked at her.
"Hey, remember what you told me before? That your mom, Grace, always said: 'No matter what you choose, finish what you start'?"
He gave her a small, encouraging grin.
"I really think that's true. Whether it's training for a showcase or becoming a Champion, if we give up before the end, we'll never know what we're capable of."
He extended a hand toward her.
"Come on. Take my hand, and stand up. Not just with your body stand up with your will."
Though Serena had changed significantly since the camp began her confidence blooming, her voice clearer, her movements more expressive Ash could still see the remnants of the shy, hesitant girl she'd been at the start. She was no longer "little Stephanie," as Professor Sycamore affectionately called her during the camp's opening, but she hadn't yet become the dazzling Performer who could steal the spotlight with a confident smile.
She was still somewhere in between.
But bravery was already in her blood.
Serena had been born to a strong mother Grace, the fearless Rhyhorn jockey of Kalos. The courage that came with racing at full speed through muddy tracks, in front of roaring crowds, flowed through her veins. It was just waiting to be awakened.
And that's what Ash was trying to do now remind her of the strength that had always been inside her.
"Hm—" Serena bit her lip, and after a moment's hesitation, she slowly reached out and took Ash's hand.
Warm. Steady.
The hand of the boy she admired.
The hand of someone she could trust.
"I'll count 13~, Serena, and when I do, just try to stand up from the ground, okay?" Ash looked at Serena with that same warm, sunlit smile he had worn the day she fell from the Rhyhorn back during training. The memory gave her a strange comfort.
"Okay—" Serena nodded seriously. In front of the boy she admired more than anyone, she was determined to show her inner courage. Though young, the spark of determination in her heart was real. She didn't want to disappoint Ash—never that. And more than anything, she didn't want to seem weak or helpless in his eyes.
Even if it was just something as small as standing up.
Seeing the resolve building in Serena's eyes, Ash nodded quietly to himself, pleased. He had always been a firm believer in inner strength, and that strength was what he respected most in others. Whether it was how Misty stood her ground or how May pushed herself to improve, Ash had never liked those who gave up. And though Serena had been shy at first crying when she got lost or hesitating on the performance stage he saw something strong beginning to grow inside her.
What he liked about Serena had nothing to do with her role in the original story or how she had boldly kissed him in the Lumiose Airport ending of the anime. No, it wasn't about romance. It was about character. Serena was cheerful, kind, and gradually becoming confident a girl with dreams and ideals of her own. That's what made her so special.
Of course, she wasn't there yet. She was still only six years old still at the beginning of her journey.
"Alright, here we go: 13~!" Ash counted cheerfully, holding tightly to Serena's small hand.
"Mm—!" As Ash reached three, Serena, sitting with her legs tucked underneath her, pushed with all her strength. Her ankle throbbed painfully, but she didn't let it stop her. Fueled by determination and Ash's support, she rose shakily to her feet.
The pain nearly knocked her back down again, but she steadied herself just barely.
She had stood.
"See?" Ash said with a grin, still holding her hand. "You did it. That's standing!"
But the effort left Serena off balance, and she ended up tumbling forward into Ash's chest. Ash caught her instinctively, and the warm, familiar scent of the forest clung to him. His sunny smile didn't waver.
"Hm—" Serena blushed deeply and nodded. Her voice was barely audible so soft it could have been mistaken for the rustling of leaves.
"Let's head back to the forest camp now," Ash said gently, helping her balance before starting to walk.
Earlier that morning, Ash had trekked all the way to the far end of Tommy Valley to copy skills from the last group of Pokémon with Froakie. That alone had taken nearly half an hour. Afterward, he had spent more time learning about special aura signatures—and had even made an unexpected aura-bond contract with Mew, something only hinted at in previous manga chapters.
But Serena's detour, injury, and their emotional moment had pushed their return even further. By the time they made it back to the main valley camp, the sun had already shifted overhead—it was officially noon.
The final challenge in the dam arena had concluded.
Though the summer camp wasn't officially over until the closing ceremony, the scores from the final group challenge had been tallied, and the official ranking of the "Student Achievement Scoreboard: Overall List" had just been released.
Student Achievement Scoreboard · Overall Ranking
1st Place: Ash Ketchum (100 points)
2nd Place: Serena, Shauna, Blue (Xiaolan) – Tied (98.5 points)
3rd Place: Gary, Tierno, Trevor – Tied (97 points)
4th Place: Hinako (94.5 points)
5th Place: [Redacted Student] (87.5 points)
6th Place: [Redacted Student] (83.5 points)
Thanks to the joint effort of Ash and his close circle of campmates, everyone in "Group E" (Pichu Dorm) had climbed into the top three positions—except for Bonnie and Lily, who had dropped out mid-camp due to an incident with Goh involving a lost Rotom.
Hinako, who had often teamed up with Tierno during the camp, had placed just behind them at fourth. The score difference between Ash's group and the others had widened considerably by the end.
Seeing that all his friends had ranked near the top and that Serena, Shauna, and Blue had tied for second Ash felt deeply satisfied. All their efforts during these two weeks had paid off.
As for the rest of the campers… Ash didn't dwell on them. He had always cared more about his companions than comparisons.
When they arrived back at camp, Serena's limp hadn't gone unnoticed. Shauna, Blue, and Hinako were immediately concerned about her ankle, but since it was lunchtime, the group decided to eat first and bring her food afterward.
By 1:00 PM, the summer camp's closing ceremony and awards presentation for outstanding campers were held in the main camp hall, with Professor Oak, Sycamore, and Erika present onstage.
The air was buzzing with excitement endings, beginnings, and the faint spark of dreams that had just begun to awaken.
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