"Serena, you really need to be more careful next time. For now, let me treat your injury."
After wiping the tears from her face and handing her his handkerchief, Ash knelt down and gently held her injured ankle.
"Luckily, it's just a simple sprain. No bones are hurt. If it had been a fracture, it could've seriously affected your dream of becoming a Pokémon Performer… performing on stage requires a lot of movement. An injury like that could ruin everything."
"Serena, when you return to Kalos—when you're back home—talk to your mom about your dream. Seriously. Training for Rhyhorn racing and preparing for a performer's path are polar opposites. Sports training can lead to injuries. If you get hurt and lose your chance to pursue your dream… that's something you'd regret for the rest of your life."
"[Healing Grace!]"
Ash didn't wait to see if Serena truly absorbed his advice. After giving his heartfelt words, he activated the Viridian Blessing within him.
Two weeks ago, when the summer camp began, the amount of Viridian Power inside Ash was barely enough to fill an eyedrop bottle. But through constant refinement and practice over the past fourteen days, that energy had now grown to the size of a small bucket.
The growth was astonishing—a hundredfold, at least.
With his current mastery, activating Healing Grace caused a soft green glow to envelop Serena's swollen ankle.
Within moments, the inflammation from the sprain faded away.
"Alright, Serena. Your ankle should be fine now."
Ash let go of her foot and stood up.
"Ah! It still hurts a little… I can't stand up," Serena said as she tried to push herself up, only to fall back down again.
Ash looked at her and smiled.
"Didn't you once tell me that your mom, the famous Rhyhorn racer, always says, 'Whatever you do, never give up halfway'?"
"I think that's a great saying. No matter what you're trying to do, don't hold back. Give it your all. Never give up until the very end."
"So here—take my hand. Give it everything you've got and stand up."
He extended a hand to her.
Although Serena had changed a lot since arriving at camp—no longer the timid, shy girl she once was—compared to the dazzling, elegant Serena from the original timeline, she still had a ways to go.
She wasn't quite that radiant, confident girl yet.
But… with a mother who was a Rhyhorn jockey, bravery ran in her blood.
Ash was just helping to awaken that dormant courage.
"Mm…" The girl gave a soft nod and placed her hand in his.
"I'll count to three. When I say 'three,' you push yourself up with everything you've got, okay?" Ash said with a sunny smile that could warm even the coldest heart.
"Okay…" Serena whispered shyly.
Even though this was a small thing, in front of the boy she admired, she wanted to be brave.
She didn't want to disappoint Ash.
She didn't want him to look down on her.
Even if it was just standing up.
Seeing the determination beginning to show in her eyes, Ash nodded with satisfaction.
He admired strong, driven girls—ones with confidence, charm, and their own sense of purpose.
He didn't care if she was "Serena" from the original story or not.
What mattered was the kind of person she chose to be.
Of course, she was still only six. There was time.
"Alright—1… 2… 3!"
With a firm pull from Ash and all the strength Serena could muster, she stood up.
Her ankle still ached slightly from the effort, but she grit her teeth and rose.
She did it.
Of course, it helped that Ash had given her a little tug.
"See? You stood up!"
Serena stumbled forward from the momentum—and fell right into Ash's arms.
Ash caught her effortlessly. His sunny, carefree smile remained unchanged.
"Mmm…" Serena's cheeks burned red, her answer barely louder than a mosquito's buzz.
"Come on, let's head back to the camp."
…
Ash had spent over half an hour walking to the far edge of the valley to copy moves from a few remaining Pokémon.
Then he'd run into Mew and signed a Devine contract with it—another unexpected delay. That alone took nearly an hour.
And now, after running into Serena and helping her with her ankle, even more time had passed.
By the time the two of them returned to camp, it was already noon.
The final challenge of the Summer Camp had just ended.
Though the official end time hadn't passed, most campers had already completed their challenges.
Which meant… the final rankings were in.
[Camper Performance Leaderboard – Final Rankings]
1st Place: Ash (100 points)
2nd Place (tie): Serena, Shauna, Green (98.5 points)
3rd Place (tie): Gary, Tierno, Trevor (97 points)
4th Place: Jeanette (94.5 points)
5th Place: Puff (87.5 points)
6th Place: Shohei (83.5 points)
Thanks to Ash and his friends' hard work, nearly everyone close to him had ranked in the top group—
Except for Chloe, who withdrew from the camp halfway due to Goh.
Still, Green, Shauna, and even their dormmates made it into the upper tier.
Jeanette, who had partnered with Tierno during challenges, placed fourth. Her score wasn't far behind the top three either.
The rest of the campers?
Well… the score gap was massive.
Seeing so many of his friends succeed made Ash truly happy.
As for the other campers, he didn't care much.
Back at the forest camp, the moment they saw Serena limping slightly, Green, Shauna, and Jeanette all swarmed her with concern.
But it was lunchtime, so everyone soon headed to the dining hall.
…
At exactly 1 PM, the Pokémon Summer Camp Closing Ceremony and Outstanding Camper Awards were held in the main hall.
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T/N:
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