Chapter Text
When she was almost fifteen, Serena lifted off Kalos’ ground for new horizons, landing in the Hoenn region to hone her skills as a performer. The learning curve began as soon as she breathed in the new air. Contests focused far more on the usage of moves, so she and her partners found ways to combine the premise with the dancing from their showcase routines. She adapted to the vernacular, learning the feeling of Hoenn’s dialect on her tongue. She came to embrace the region’s culture, the folklore, and all aspects of life in Hoenn.
In the three years since that plane took off, she had briefly traveled to Sinnoh for more contests and stayed longer in Unova for the entertainment scene. Her partners grew closer, grew stronger and evolved. In particular, Joltik and Pancham took to Nimbasa City’s musicals exceptionally well. Glow casters illuminated a sea of spectators in pink hues.
Three years after the plane took off, she was finally returning to the Kalos region. Of course, she made brief visits to stay in touch with the showcase scene and see her family, but her journey had captivated her and swept her up in a whirlwind. She felt like she believed Ash must have when he first started his journey, only to never stop. She had become so different since she had left home, and she wondered how much had changed about it in turn.
The plane was full of slumbering passengers and almost silent, save for the wind barraging its metal shell and its screaming turbines. Pancham and Joltik, the smallest of her partners, both fit in the plane seat beside her, but they both crawled across the armrest to watch the clouds roll by the window from her lap. The small bug looked up at her, baffled, wondering why she wouldn’t wear her radiant smile when it was both beautiful and befitting of the occasion.
She was happy but equally nervous. She left during the recovery from the Kalos Crisis, and while she knew the region itself was better, safer, she worried it left her behind in their separate journeys. The lifestyle. The people.
She hadn’t seen Clemont and Bonnie for sometime. They watched a few performances together, whenever the opportunity arose. They had dinner with the professor and their friends after Serena came to Kalos for a weekend for her mom’s birthday. Clemont even came to see one of her shows in Nimbasa City when he got to visit for a study trip, and the pair made a date of it before his research kicked off the next morning. While they called sporadically and maintained conversation for hours, she worried that it would be difficult to return to the dynamic they shared while on their initial journey, scared that things would feel awkward, scared that Bonnie had outgrown her idolization and Serena was no longer so special.
Pancham slid back into his seat and placed a paw on the top of her hand, stilling her tapping fingers. She looked down to her friend, who gnawed on a bamboo leaf. He bleated pleasantly, its tough grin melting into comforting smileyness, reminding her of the truth. Serena smiled and straightened the pair of sunglasses on his head.
No, they were still special to her, and she was special to them. The showcases they watched together still mattered. The hours spent on the phone until Bonnie fell asleep still mattered. The day spent in Nimbasa, where Clemont brought flowers and followed her around until the late hours of the night, still mattered. Clemont wouldn’t have invited her back for Bonnie’s birthday, wouldn’t have offered to pay for the ticket, wouldn’t have been out and about far before the break of dawn to pick her up at the airport, if anything they once had faded with time.
Pancham and Joltik piled into their shared chair when the seatbelt light came on. The bear put a hand by the spider’s legs so he could hold onto it during the descent. The plane tipped sideways, and below, golden light from street lamps and windows bathed the streets of Lumiose City. Serena smiled. The whirlpool of winding cobblestone streets circled around a Prism Tower that she couldn’t quite see through the small plane window. She knew it was just beyond her sight, illuminating the night until daylight arrived.
The plane touched down on the runway, wheels screeching on the asphalt, and Serena’s stomach lurched all over again. She pulled her pink bag on her shoulders. Joltik seized the opportunity to clamber up her pack and hair before settling atop her hat. With Pancham climbing on her shoulder, she rose from her seat and was one of the first to depart the plane. As soon as she crossed through the gate’s threshold, she fished her phone out of her coat pocket and opened her messages.
“Just landed!” she tapped with her thumb, “Where are you?”
In an instant, Clemont replied, like he had their text chat open in wait. Serena appreciated the solidarity in their shared anxiety. Searching for his location on the nearest map on the wall, she set off through the labyrinth that was the Lumiose International Airport, dodging new arrivals, the departing, and the locals seeing off or receiving their loved ones. The airport was bustling in spite of the early hour. She waited at the baggage claim for her larger suitcase, where she saw a girl younger than her setting off on a trip while her family cried and doted on her.
As she neared her old friend, she recognized where she stood. She ascended on an escalator and watched as a group of friends descended via another in a hurry to reach their terminal. Internally, she wished them luck on their travels. She reached the top of the automated staircase and stepped into the lobby.
Once, it was lit by natural daylight pouring through the glass walls. Instead, the sky was still dark, and everything inside was illuminated by fluorescent lights. Clusters of black leather seats were arranged in neat rows, many of them filled with impatient travelers that arrived at the airport too early. Serena remembered her initial goodbyes, when every member of their little family teared up as their paths split for the foreseeable future. Now, some of their paths were converging again, and in the ocean of faces, she struggled to find a familiar one, until an exclamation sounded clear over every conversation.
A quilled green creature weaved through the ankles of bystanders, almost causing a couple to trip over it, darting toward her with a grin and open arms. She felt her own face split into a smile. Pancham perked up, calling back and leaping from his trainer to meet Chespin halfway. They took one another’s paws and danced in a circle before pulling into an enthusiastic embrace. Serena tightened her hold on the handle of her suitcase. Joltik stepped down from the top of her hat and made his way down her shoulder and arm to sit on the bag, looking up at her with inquisitive blue eyes.
“Serena!”
Then he appeared, trailing after his partner with manners far more refined, blurting “excuse me” multiple times and allowing others to pass before him. She saw his hair first, blonde and eye-catching, like a flash of lightning against the night sky. Then she saw his smile, bashful but nonetheless eager. Serena scolded herself for fearing the care they poured into one another would miraculously dissipate.
Serena released the handle of her suitcase, and Joltik squeaked in surprise as she bolted. The heels of her leather boots slammed against the tile floor, echoing throughout the room. All eyes turned to look at her in question, but she didn’t care. Clemont might have on any other day, but even his speed picked up so he could receive her even quicker. Serena passed Pancham and Chespin in her rush, their reunion pausing to watch their trainers’.
“Welcome home!”
Clemont lit up brighter than his gym with glee when Serena collided with him, hat flying from her head on impact. Her arms snapped around his torso and hoisted him up. He was lighter than she anticipated, having grown only a little taller since their quest’s end, unlike her. He tried to stretch his legs and place his feet on the ground, but when that failed, he resigned. It took a moment for Serena to stabilize them after the rough collision. A few slowed steps later, and they were still upright. She hit her forehead against her friend’s shoulder. She blinked away the wetness in her eyes, relieved that she applied very little makeup before boarding.
“You know,” Clemont began, and the familiarity of his voice and accent in her ear, in person, made her heart swell, “when you told Mademoiselle Palermo you would learn to give others your strength, I thought you meant it figuratively.”
Serena lowered her dear friend back onto the floor. They pulled away. His hands still rested on her shoulders. She raised her hands to cup his face in turn. She studied him, taking in every detail, old and new. His signature bag sat against his back. He was dressed nicely with a white button down and a tie that complimented his eyes and a lab coat thrown over the outfit haphazardly. The pocket of his jacket carried a pencil, a pen, and a case for his glasses. The rings under his eyes were darker than she had ever seen them, yet he seemed elated in spite of any exhaustion. He looked at her the same way he used to.
She looked just past his face, and her happy expression fell away, a subconscious act. His faltered in confusion. He stepped away. “Serena, is something wrong?”
“Your hair….”
Clemont blinked. Instinctively, he reached behind his ear and pinched his blonde hair between his fingers. When they met in Unova, the length permitted him to wear a ponytail, have it styled or experimented on. Serena loved it and took advantage of it when they found themselves with enough downtime. Now, it was short, especially in comparison. It only reached a few inches off of his scalp, and it barely peeked below his ears.
“What happened to your pretty hair?”
Startled by her heartbroken tone, Clemont stood up straighter. “I, uh…” Immediately, he leaned back slightly under her gaze. He tried to smile through his dishonesty. “I wanted a change?”
“I don’t believe you.”
He threw his hands up into the air, unable to keep a grin from his face upon seeing Serena’s return. “Oh, it’s not that unbelievable! I’ve never lied to you before!”
She teased, “There’s a first time for everything, clearly.” She reached forward and pulled her friend back into a hug. She held the back of his head. “I’m only kidding. It’s not a bad haircut, I promise. It looks great.” He sighed in relief, half laughing, and leaned into her tiredly. “Rough day?” Serena asked jokingly, picking up the extra weight with ease.
“Is it that obvious?” he said with another exhale. They snickered.
Chespin and Pancham both hurried to them and hugged the legs of their old friends. “I’m so happy to see you, too,” the inventor said fondly as he helped the little dancer onto his shoulder. His hands traveled to the straps of his backpack, since upgraded to include more buttons. He clicked the central controls with his index fingers, and his thumbs shifted the joysticks on the undersides of the remotes. “How was the flight?” he inquired. Two robotic arms sprouted from behind him.
“Long. I barely moved for seven hours. Hi, Chespin.” Serena paused to plant a short kiss on the grass type’s fuzzy, hard head. She turned him in her arms, cradling him like a happy baby. Serena’s gaze tracked the Ambipom Arms. One plucked her hat from the floor. The other fetched her suitcase and pulled it toward them slowly. Joltik, curious, moved to stand on the back of the hand and crawl up the mechanism. “Oh, you haven’t met my newest partner! I caught him after our little date.”
They turned to the exit, Clemont taking the lead, toting her luggage as Joltik perched on his other shoulder. He smiled. “Are you really calling it that?”
“What?” Serena remembered a time when suggesting such a thing would turn his entire face redder than a cherri berry. She giggled seeing the traces of his old embarrassment rise to the tips of his ears. She took her hat and returned it to its place, securely on her head. “Dates can be platonic, can’t they?”
“Eh, that is true.” Joltik scurried up the robotic backpack and plopped down on the top of the strap. “Well, your new teammate is exceptionally cute. Did you find it in Chargestone Cave?”
“No. I hadn’t left Nimbasa City when I found him, actually. Joltik are all over the place there now. Must be some environmental phenomenon. I’m sure that would interest you.”
The pair continued through the crowded Lumiose Airport to the exit, rambling about anything to prolong the conversation. They reached the sliding glass doors and stepped out into the Lumiose City outdoors. In the dark of the early morning, the air chilled Serena’s skin, and she regretted wearing a sleeveless coat for a moment. She turned to her right, but Clemont turned to his left. Serena peered at him.
“Isn’t this the right direction?”
“I can’t leave the car here,” he said, marching on, “and I parked in the lot, which is this way.”
Serena paused for a moment. “Since when have you had a car?”
“Um… a few months ago now. I could have sworn I told you. It’s actually Dad’s. He got it from a colleague for an excellent price. It was rundown, but we worked on it. I replaced the battery, and now it just has a few dents on the bumper.”
Serena jogged to catch up and fell into a steady pace beside him. With a smirk, she said, “Do I really want to get into a vehicle you restored?”
If looks could kill, Clemont’s steely stare would have missed Serena entirely and ricocheted pathetically off of a nearby wall. Pancham laughed in his ear at his attempt at a glare. “Do you want to drag all your belongings across the city? Besides, I’ll have you know that since Ash last visited, I had plenty of time to improve on my circuit work. The spontaneous combustion rate of my machines has decreased impressively. And the car works splendidly for its age.”
“How do I know you haven’t attached a secret rocket?”
He scoffed. “I haven’t.” His lower lip jutted out in a pout. “Dad won’t let me.”
“And you’re sure that it’s safe to drive? In… Lumiose? Isn’t that unrecommended because of the weird roads?”
He took a keyring from his pocket and spun it around his finger. “Maybe for a tourist. I’ve lived in Lumiose City for almost eighteen years,” he reminded her, his voice oozing with pride, even when he dropped his car keys and scrambled to catch them. “I can handle it.”
They finally arrived at the car, and Serena had to admit that it looked fine. It was long to account for the storage space of the trunk. It had five seats, two in the front and three in the back. She ducked and examined the undercarriage when Clemont looked away, just to be certain there were no boosters attached. Before climbing in, they let out the rest of their team for reunions and introductions. There were hugs and nuzzles and collapses on Serena’s end under the weight of Luxray’s cuddly pounce. Sylveon’s reunion with Diggersby was exceptionally tender.
Then, after returning their larger team members to their balls, the trainers climbed into the front seats. Pancham, Chespin, and Joltik clambered into the rear. Clemont turned the key in the ignition and pulled out of the lot, driving toward the main roads of Lumiose City.
Save for an empty to-go coffee cup and café receipts stuffed into the second cup holder, the family kept their car fairly clean. Serena glanced at the trio of Pokémon in the backseat and saw a few crumbs in the leather seats’ lining, but she knew not to blame Clemont for the mess in Bonnie’s and Dedenne’s domain.
“So, what do we do until Bonnie’s up?” Serena asked, twisting in her seat to watch her friend. He kept his eyes trained on the road, far less crowded in the early morning. Still, a few vehicles began their drives early to beat the city rush. “You won’t force her to wake up at three o’clock in the morning on her birthday, will you?”
“Of course not. I’m not that bad of a big brother, am I?” He turned down Southern Boulevard. The trio in the backseat was being noisy, the joyousness from the initial reunion slipping into Chespin and Pancham’s usual rivalry and roughhousing. They remained mindful of Joltik and acted gentler than they did years prior. “We’re just going to avoid the house for a little bit longer. It’ll be hard to catch up and keep our voices down at the same time, especially when I know Bonnie is sleeping lightly. I hope you don’t mind.”
“No, I don’t mind at all! How has Lumiose University been treating you?”
“It’s been well! Stressful, but well.” He hesitated before he confessed, “I had a presentation today, and then I went straight to lab work. Bonnie thinks I’m staying overnight for work, but I left a message for her at midnight to say happy birthday.”
“Good.” Serena questioned, “And… how was the presentation?”
She watched his face contort in discomfort. He exhaled heavily through his nostrils, lips still sealed, emitting a squeak from the back of his throat. She laughed sympathetically. “I did not like it.”
“Well, it’s over, right? You got through it?”
“Barely. I panicked and kept stuttering. I think I might have failed it. But I’ll have to do even more to get my credit. I swear, I’m so busy sometimes, I feel like I'll burst.”
Serena awkwardly reached over the center console and patted his shoulder. “Maybe I can give you some tips on keeping your composure in front of an audience.”
“I would really appreciate that.”
Clemont stopped the car to yield to another and flicked the signal to turn left. Serena turned the radio on when the momentary silence grew too loud. Corny pop music sounded from the speakers, and with a pink face, he told her to change the station, proclaiming that he only put it on for Bonnie. Serena realized she forgot the Kalosian radio stations in her absence. She turned the dial a few times and settled for something electronic sounding. She settled against her seat.
“So does Bonnie really have no idea I’m in Kalos again?”
“Well,” Clemont said with a shrug, pressing on the brakes for a light, “the showcases are about to start up again, and she’s been keeping up with every performance devoutly, taking notes for when she’s even older and can compete. And every season, she sort of hoped that you would come back for it, but she knew you were working hard and was happy for you.”
Serena smiled, but she felt a little guilty for not returning sooner. “Well, this time, I’m staying for a while.” She swallowed. “And, hopefully, we can all stay together again,” she murmured.
She regretted saying it aloud immediately. The mood shifted with her words like a ship would on a stormy sea. Clemont finally let his eyes leave the road when there were no other drivers around. He looked at her. “Sorry?” he asked. Chespin leapt onto the back of the driver’s seat, cheering and chittering in agreement. From his seat beside Joltik, Pancham called similarly in encouragement.
“I don’t know,” Serena began, toying with the tails of the blue bow she had pinned to her jacket. “I mean… I know Ash isn’t here, so it would be a little different, and I know we haven’t talked about it, but….” She looked out the window at the yellow glow of the city and sighed. “I’m back in Kalos for showcases. Bonnie will be a trainer in just a few hours, and I can’t see her waiting to start act two of her journey. I figured I could go with her, but… I assumed, or hoped, that you would want to come too.”
Serena glanced back at her friend. Coming upon a new light, the car stopped at the line on the road, and he could meet her eyes. Lips parted, he seemed to be struggling for a reply. She turned away first, but he maintained his pondering gaze until the signal changed, and he began driving again.
“Well…” Clemont began, hesitantly, gently for Serena’s sake, and she swallowed a lump forming in her throat. He did the same. “It’s not that I don’t want to go on a journey with you. Following you and Ash around gave me the best few months of my life. Bonnie agrees. I figured that you would come and take Bonnie with you, which is why I haven’t been as anxious about her birthday and subsequent journey. I know she won’t be alone on the roads.”
Chespin sagged against the back of his trainer’s seat. Serena reached over and picked him up, pulling him into her lap. He hugged her. They were just reunited, but they would be separated soon. He said something to Clemont, but she didn’t understand exactly what. All she knew was that he spoke in protest. The gym leader's eyes flicked toward him for an instant.
“But I haven’t been traveling for a while now.” Clemont’s knuckles turned white against the steering wheel. “I can’t really separate myself from life now. I’m in school, and when I’m not studying, I’m doing housework or gym things. The League is in a few months, and Gym Season starts even sooner. The Lumiose Gym will be busier than ever. I can’t force Clembot to handle that by himself, again.” He paused. “They’re…. The Pokémon League is talking about having the tournament here in the city, again.”
Chespin curled into Serena’s frontside. From the backseat, she could hear Pancham huff and quietly explain the new tone and the last Lumiose Conference to Joltik. Serena looked over at her friend. “Are they really?”
“Yeah, something about healing symbolism. I helped redesign the stadium. The League is keeping it quiet for now. Only we Gym Leaders know because they want us there as another layer of immediate security. But as soon as it’s announced, Lumiose will be overcrowded, and I don’t want to leave it alone. I don’t want another Crisis to start in my hometown without me nearby to do something.”
She imagined her friend’s face near the end of their first journey. Younger, less defined and with a little more roundness to his cheeks. Those cheeks were smudged with soot and dust, and the grime was cut by sweat and tears. She imagined him now, only eighteen years old, ordered to act as the last line of defense for his home and region. She didn’t have to imagine him obeying without complaint. She saw him enshrouded in a harsh, warm light from the fire consuming his native city, and she hated it. She looked away.
“My offer still stands,” Serena muttered. “If you manage to get away, I’d love for you to come with us. Bonnie probably does as well, and I’m sure you would too.”
“Of course I would,” he said. “I’m just… busy. That’s all.” Chespin grew restless in Serena’s lap and crawled toward Clemont, laying across the console. He chittered, begging him pitifully. Pancham joined, shouting from the back, and even Joltik’s squeaks joined in. Clemont sighed and patted his grassy partner’s head. He looked at Serena, the corner of his lip pulling up slightly. “Look, I’ll make no promises, but I’ll think about it, okay?” She nodded and hummed. She couldn’t tell if he was lying. She wondered if he had already made up his mind but was temporarily sparing her.
Clemont ruffled Chespin’s quills, playfully glaring at him. “Satisfied now?”
The grass type leaned up into his palm thankfully.