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“You’ve won the Kaleidoscope Badge, Ash!”
“Thanks to you guys,” Ash laughed, rubbing the side of his neck as they walked down to the Pokémon Centre. Pikachu nudged him encouragingly while flopped out and tired on his shoulder from the battle, and Ash gave him a thankful scritch under his chin. “This badge was a team effort; I would’ve never gotten it without my Pokémon and everyone’s help, so thanks a lot!”
Serena found herself trailing the group as they made their way to the Pokémon Centre, where they were going to rest up and plan for their next trip. She never expected Ash to be travelling in a group in the first place, and yet, watching the way they talked and interacted with each other since yesterday, she could see how they clicked together.
There was Clemont walking besides Ash, a blonde boy around her age with a blue jumpsuit not unlike her own Rhyhorn racing gear. He was an inventor from what she could tell, having brought out an invention to help Ash train his team against Sticky Web (even if it did blow up afterwards). A responsible and reliable friend from what she could see, he had even explained some of the moves and their effectiveness to her when they were watching the Gym battles, welcoming her to their group with the grace of a true gentleman.
And there was Bonnie, a happy, cheerful girl who had so much wonder and faith with everyone around her. She automatically took to Serena as if they knew each other for years, telling her about what Ash has been doing and the Gym battle itself, clinging to her with every risky move and cheering alongside her with every landed hit. The two of them were siblings, with Clemont being the oldest, and yet they still worked together so well with Ash and had even accepted her, new as she was.
(There was also Alexa who was watching the Gym battle and helping Ash train, but Serena was still trying to understand what she meant back then in their second meeting.
Their second meeting, when she said that Serena gave Ash ‘inspiration’.)
She may not have planned to meet any new friends when she walked into that Gym, but she found herself grateful that they were there once she got to know them. Even if her initial reaction was anything but.
(Awkward talking, flustered hand gestures, and standing off to the side for the first few minutes until a small hand grasped her own.)
Serena shook her head, holding a resolute face. She was not going to think about that time again. For as long as she will live, hopefully.
Last time she’ll make a fool out of herself like that, that’s for sure.
“Trust me, that invention helped tons with my strategy. Don’t undersell yourself! Anyways, that’s one Gym done! Can’t wait to eat some good food after all that fighting!”
The newcomer of the group blinked, remembering a small part of the surprise that she wanted to bestow upon Ash and his friends. “Hey, Ash,” she called, and the Trainer from Kanto turned back to hear her out, “Since you’ve won the Gym battle today, I wanted to give you a little something for your hard effort.”
“Give me something?” Ash perked up, pausing his pace and waiting in place until Serena came up to him, much to the latter’s amusement. Serena pulled out a small basket from her bag, and the boy sniffed it before looking up at her with a hopeful look.
“Why was your first instinct to sniff it?” She laughed, holding the basket away as they both continued walking once more. “Remember how last night I asked about desserts and your favourite colour? Well, this is it! You’ll see it once we get to the Pokémon Centre, but this shouldn’t leave you hungry by the end of it”
“So that’s why you were asking all of those questions. This is incredible, Serena!” Ash stared at the basket, mouth watering, before he stood up straighter and swallowed, assessing Serena with his gaze. “But what time did you have to make this? Unless…”
Serena faced away, whistling in a picture of innocence. Ash narrowed his eyes at her, leaning in closer. “You couldn’t have stayed up after our talk last night, could you?”
She waved a hand in front of her face. “I just woke up a little earlier to make a small batch, nothing that big.”
“She was at the Gym before all of us today,” Clemont mentioned absentmindedly, looking through his bag as he walked ahead of them. She shot him a betrayed look, before switching her gaze back to Ash, who gave her a similar expression. She gulped.
“It’s nothing, really!” she tried to say, before almost hitting a street sign. Ash raised an eyebrow as she laughed loudly to hide the mistake and sidestepped it, ignoring Bonnie’s snicker. “I’m used to waking up early!”
“Waking up early isn’t good if you didn’t sleep early yourself!” Ash argued. “You can barely walk straight, Serena!”
“And that’s why we’re stopping at the Pokémon Centre, right? I’m not going off on my journey that quickly, you know.” The trio next to her shared a look, something that she didn’t notice as she continued her rebuttal. “And you’re the one who needed the rest the most! I wasn’t the one battling today, anyways.”
Ash turned his attention to her again. “Yeah, well—“
“I’m just going to go and restock supplies at the PokéMart across the road, everyone, so I’ll meet you all at the Pokémon Centre,” Clemont interjected, putting his bag on his back once more. “Bonnie, are you coming or…?”
“I’m going to stay with Ash and Serena!” Bonnie called out from far ahead of them, and he gave her a thumbs up from his area.
Ash patted the inventor on his shoulder as they walked up to him watching both sides of the road. “See you later, and don’t worry about Bonnie. This surprise should have us all busy until you get back. But just in case… you should probably come back quickly.” A small wink.
Clemont fixed up his glasses, giving Ash a small smile in return. “I’ll try my best.” He then crossed the road next to them, ending up on the other side and walking onto the closest building, out of sight once the door closed behind him.
Both Ash and Bonnie slowed down their pace, before picking it up once more.
The Trainer tapped Serena afterwards, a stern expression on his face. “You are going to sit down first thing when we’re in the Pokémon Centre, okay? No arguments.”
“I said I would, didn’t I?” She skipped a few steps ahead, turning around to wave towards Ash. “But that’s if we get to the Pokémon Centre. At this rate, Bonnie is going to be the first one to try out the surprise.”
Ash blinked as Serena giggled and turned to face the road ahead once more, running forward with the delicious smell emanating from her bag. The winner of the badge shook his head before chasing her down, trying not to jostle his worn-out Pokémon as they covered the last stretch with the rest of their speed and energy.
“Wow, it’s cookies!”
“Macarons,” Serena corrected, placing the platter down onto the middle of the table. A pile of macarons to be exact, all coloured differently and freshly baked as of this morning.
Even if Ash disapproved of the methods, his stomach couldn’t resist the results. He tried to grab three at a time once he left his Pokémon with Nurse Joy and left his bag next to hers on the ground near them, before a hand lightly slapped his own. “Hey…”
He gave Serena a long face, and she sighed. “Take one at a time,” she advised, and he nodded as he went on to grab a blue one and stuffed it in his face.
“Serena, can I take one?” Bonnie called, having hooked her bag onto her chair and sitting on it. The older girl smiled and gave her a nod, which resulted in the youngest cheering as she took an orange macaron herself.
“These are so good!” Ash mumbled through his full mouth, causing both girls to shriek.
“Don’t talk with your mouth full!”
“Yeah, it’s gross!”
“Okay!” Ash grumbled after he swallowed, putting his hands up. “Geez, suddenly I’m the bad guy for appreciating good food”
Serena shook her head as she took her own seat, drinking from her water bottle before wiping her mouth. “It’s called etiquette, Ash. Haven’t you learnt any manners?”
“I’ve learnt plenty of manners! But I never heard of ‘only getting one tiny sweet at a time’, it’s going to take ages to eat like that.”
She put her hands up in concession, sharing a look with Bonnie next to her. “Whatever you say, Ash. But when you get a stomachache, don’t come to me for it.”
Ash took her concession by grabbing three macarons. Serena sighed, pointedly ignoring Bonnie as she hesitantly took two in retaliation and snuck them into her bag. She’s learnt one new thing about her hero, and that one fact was that he was a serious glutton. And that he taught other people to also indulge in their sweet tooth. Even if Clemont wasn’t like them, she would need to guard her next batch from their sticky fingers if they ever met again.
C’est la vie, she presumed.
“Hey, weren’t you going to tell me something?” Ash suddenly asked once he finished his handful.
Serena opened her mouth to reply before swallowing wrong and ending up in a small coughing fit. She held a hand over her face for a few seconds before patting her chest to clear her throat. After putting down the macaron on her plate she looked furtively around the table and their worried faces before waving her hands, trying not to let her gaze linger on Ash alone. “Yeah! I’ve been meaning to give you something, Ash. Let me get it, it’s in my bag—“
Bonnie jumped out of her seat and ran to where they left their bags before coming back and handing her bag over, and Serena stiffened up before smiling. “Thanks, Bonnie! So, here it is.” She grabbed the hat in her bag, carefully placed and cared for and thought about, and paused.
Once she gave it back, once he remembered, what was going to happen? What was left for her to do?
Her fingers tightened over the brim for a few seconds before she drew the item out. “Ta-da! A clue and a gift, all wrapped in one.”
“It doesn’t look like a gift,” Bonnie mused as she looked at the hat, tilting her head so she could see it at all angles. Ash furrowed his eyebrows in confusion as he received the hat, feeling the weave of the object. She held her breath, making sure to look away once she passed it on to him, desperately trying to ignore how their fingers brushed because of course.
Of course she would feel like this over him. After all this time and after what she saw of him now, heroic and strong and smart, well, that’s just how it was going to go.
Bonnie gave her a confused look as Serena tried to hide the blush by pulling her hair over her cheeks.
Ash put the hat on for a moment, before putting it down on his knees. “…I have no idea, sorry. It looks familiar though, especially since we had to wear these a lot back home, in Kanto, I mean. The heat was pretty brutal in the summer.”
Serena’s gaze snapped onto Ash’s as he mentioned his home region, and her heart warmed. This was the boy, and this all but confirmed it. She looked away again as she hummed. “Well, we did meet in Kanto, after all, so that might explain it.” Ash gasped and then covered his mouth, and Bonnie laughed beside him.
“Wait, you’re from Kanto?” he exclaimed, and she shook her head. He flopped back dramatically into his chair, and Serena rolled her eyes as she took a bite out of her own macaron.
After she finished, she eyed Ash’s prone form. Somehow it was easier to look at him when he was acting like this, playful without aim. “My mother travelled a lot, and I came around with her. We usually ended up in Kanto and she would have to find me something to do while she attended to her business.” She restrained herself from talking about what kind of business it was. “Are there any activities that you can think of that are near your hometown, Ash?”
“Near Pallet? Not much…” Ash sat up properly as he scratched his cheek in thought, letting his eyes bounce around their surroundings. “There was the Summer Camp, lots of kids come around each year for that—“
Serena clapped her hands. “Oui! Do you remember what it was like? That Professor taking us for hikes—“
Ash’s eyes started to sparkle with recognition and joy as he jumped up to his feet and continued. “Pokémon-shaped snacks—“
“Counting Pokémon in the river—“
“Listening to the worst poems ever—“
“You climbing up that tree because you wanted to show how many Pidgie you could hold in your hands.”
Ash paused, a contemplative look passing his face. “I remember doing that; the Professor looked so shocked when I came back all pecked up and with only one Pidgie in my hand. You were there for that one?”
Serena nodded, gaze drawn to Ash. He was staring at her, tilting his head slightly, eyes slowly opening in recognition. “You were that girl from another region, weren’t you? The one with the ribbon in your hair?”
Her breath slipped out of her mouth.
“Yes.”
He looked at her for a few more seconds before nodding, sitting back in his seat. Bonnie snatched the hat that he almost sat on, putting it on her own head as Ash let out his own breath, looking almost… stunned. “I thought you left early because you didn’t like the camp. You’re from Kalos? And the hat! You kept it?”
“Wait, Serena left the camp before it ended?” Bonnie asked, oversized hat flopping over her face. She pushed it away from her eyes before looking at the other girl and adding, “It sounded fun to me!”
“It was fun,” Serena admitted, looking down at her knees underneath the table. Bonnie took a macaron and shoved it in her mouth, and Ash slowly took one for himself as he waited for her.
She took a breath as she faced them again and said, “I never had as much then as I usually had. I never liked travelling, but watching Ash back then, having so much fun and playing around with everyone… I wanted to feel that as well.”
Ash looked away then, some colour blooming on his face as he chuckled. “The Professor always told me that I was a menace back then, I doubt I was that good.”
“Non! You were incredible, Ash.” Serena shook her head as she looked at him, willing all of her unwavering confidence to touch him, connect with him, inspire him like it inspired her. “You were so full of life, it made me want to go out more than I ever had. And that’s why I walked out myself one day, on my last day, to see some of the Pokémon that you loved so much. But I tripped and hurt myself, and I started to think that it wasn’t worth it. That maybe I can’t do it. That maybe I should’ve never done it in the first place.”
“No!” Bonnie exclaimed, pushing herself on the table and giving Serena a desperate expression. “You can be friends with Pokémon, I know it!”
She laughed quietly, gazing at Ash. “I know. That’s what Ash said to me too, when he found me after chasing a Poliwag.”
“This is your first time in a forest alone,” Ash said, rubbing her back as she shuddered with remnant tears. “The Professor always told me that ya always gotta be prepared if going into forests alone. Or rivers. Or mountains. Or anywhere, really, with adults. That’s why I’m going to be a Trainer after I turn ten, so I can go anywhere with my Pokémon.”
“But it’s scary,” she wailed, feeling the tears coming back up again. Why is he so happy? She can’t ever imagine being happy after being stuck alone like this, with her hurt leg and the darkness and in a faraway region.
She shouldn’t have tried being friends with Pokémon like that boy was. She wanted to be with her mother now instead of a day later.
She just wanted to go home.
Ash shook his head, big hat bouncing on his head, before he paused. “Well, everything is scary to someone,” he mused to himself before brightening up towards her. “But that’s what friends are for! To make things not scary anymore.”
She sniffed, peering at him through her narrowed eyes. “Really?”
He nodded, standing up. “Sure I’m sure! That’s why I try to be friends with all the Pokémon here, so I’ll always have someone to talk to whenever I’m alone. And also Gary too—he’s a person—but he’s annoying right now so I’m not sure if we’re friends or not. But we’re friends and I’m here, so there’s no need to be worried anymore.” He offered his hand towards her, big grin on his messy face. “C’mon, let’s go!”
Serena looked down, indecisively, before trying to push herself up. Her leg twinged again and she yelped, hand slipping in the dirt as she fell back down again. She started to sob again, feeling hopeless all over again, until a hat plopped onto her head.
She looked up to see Ash, the ribbon that tied his hat into his head in his hands as he gave her a determined grin. “Hold my hat for me, will ya?” he asked as he kneeled down in the dirt, tying the ribbon over her skinned knee.
“There’s a secret that my Mama told me, do you want to hear it?” He didn’t wait for her reply, looping the ribbon around as he said, “To make a hurt better, you just wave your hands over it and say ‘feel better’ three times. Then you close your eyes and jump up, and then boom! It works! Wanna try it?”
Ash tugged on his makeshift bandage before looking at her, waiting for her approval. She tried it, and while it didn’t burn, it still hurt.
But the secret…
“Okay,” she squeaked, small and quiet. He beamed at her and jumped up, waving his hands around dramatically as he chanted the phrase thrice and flicked his fingers outwards at the last word uttered. He then gestured to her, and she…
Serena closed her eyes, trying to channel that brave spirit that Ash seemed to have, before pushing her hands off the ground and standing up—
Ash caught her before she fell over the other side, holding one side of her body as she bit back a pained sound, hat flipping over her own eyes. “You did it!” he cheered, pushing the hat away from her eyes, and she gave him a weak smile.
“It still hurts though,” she whispered, adjusting the hat so it leaned back on her head and allowed her to see, and Ash looked at her with his own smile.
“Yeah, but that's going to change soon.” She gave him a confused expression, but he pointed upwards. “See that? That’s a Spearow! They’re like Pidgie, but angrier. They still look cool though.”
Serena instantly followed his finger with her gaze, finding the Flying Type hopping at the branches above them with a scowl. “Why does it look so angry?” she giggled to herself, momentarily forgetting her pain.
“Who knows? Maybe they wanted to have a better haircut.” Ash grinned and started to walk her forward, pointing out other Pokémon all the time.
“Caterpie! Their string is super strong, and sometimes they make some pretty patterns with it.”
“Nidoran! Well, the girl one because it’s white. The guy one is purple and they’re usually not far from each other.”
“Oddish! The way they walk is so funny, and— hey, wait, I wasn’t trying to be mean, Oddish!”
Serena watched each of these Pokémon with awe, wondering about them and their lives and what they do. And Ash grinned all the while as he talked, explaining each of the Pokémon they passed by, both of them bonded by time and space to enjoy their surroundings together.
After an particular encounter with a nest of Rattata, she looked over at Ash and hummed indecivesly. The boy caught her gaze and gave her a confused look. “Huh? Is something on my face?”
She shook her head, turning her gaze to watch all around them. “Non, non. Just… how do you do it?
“Do what?”
She tried to gather her thoughts, attempting to find a way to describe what he has, exactly, that’s so interesting. “I tried to be friends with them and I just got hurt, but you… you’re always so happy! You make friends so easily and you don’t care what everyone thinks. I think… I want to be like you, one day.”
Ash looked down, cheeks growing warm. “Aww, you sure? I’m just having fun and trying to be a Pokémon Master.”
“A Pokémon Master?”
“Yeah!” He pumped a free hand up, grinning once more. “I want to be with all Pokémon and know all about them and battle with them, and that means that I’ve got to start now so I’m all ready for when I become a Trainer for real. That’s my goal!” He looked back at her. “So, what do you think?”
Serena bunched her free hand into a fist, looking back at him determinedly. “Your goal is so amazing! And you already know so much about Pokémon already, I can’t imagine that there’s more for you to learn! Maybe I can try that too, but I’m not sure if that’s what I really want to be… And it’s not like I’m good at it…”
“Hey!”
She returned her wandering gaze back to Ash, who gave her a thumbs up and a big smile. “Whatever you’ll do, I know you’ll do it great! You went this far, haven’t you? And look, you’re walking fine!” She stretched out her leg, realising that the twinging pain had went down. She gasped and he chuckled in response. “See! You’re even surprising yourself. You know what I think you should do?”
“What?” she breathed, on edge as she stared at his twinkling eyes, alight with delight.
He leaned in conspiratorially, before whispering, “Never give up until it’s over! There’s nothing you can do that’s a waste of time, after all.”
Serena laughed as she gently pushed him off, shouting out, “That’s not something you can do!”, and Ash followed her while replying with, “Yes it is! Yes it is!”
Both of them going through the forest, going back to the camp at their own pace.
(At lunch time, they shared a grin over the table.)
And when it was night and her mother came to pick her up early, well, Serena may have forgotten about the hat still on her head until they were at the airport, wind picking it up as she desperately tried to grab it back.
“I was meaning to ask you about that,” her mother said, returning the hat to her grabby hands.
And what response could she give? When she had almost forgotten it herself?
Gripping it tightly in her hands, all she could do was hope that they would return to Kanto, one last time.
“It’s from a friend, maman.”
“You had to leave early?” Ash asked, before shaking his head. “Wow, I just thought that I annoyed you off the earth or something. Sometimes I was even convinced that I was making you up, to be honest, because not a lot of people remembered you afterwards.”
Serena felt her cheeks flare up with colour once more and she bit back an undignified sound. He asked about her? Thought about her? Cared about her afterwards? “I thought that we would go back to Kanto and that I could return it, but my mother never really travelled again. And I had forgotten about it for a while until I saw you on TV…”
Bonnie nudged Ash, giving him a sneaky look. “Hey, Ash, you really are famous! How many people do you think know you now?”
He waved his hands in front of his face in embarrassment, a self-conscious chuckle slipping out of his mouth. “Aww, I don’t think I’m that famous, I just wanted to help out that Garchomp. But I’m happy to have met you again, Serena! Hopefully you’ve been doing good since that camp.”
“My time since then has been as eventful as it’s always been,” she replied simply, looking out to the field around them. “But seeing you again has really made me rethink what I want to do, and I’m happy to have started my journey the way I did. Giving the hat back to you is just returning the favour.”
Ash gave her an unreadable look, before getting up. “Okay, I think that I should wait out near the front for Clemont, since he should be coming back now.”
The younger girl jumped to her feet, holding the hat on her head. “Can I go too?! I can keep a lookout for the ladies as well!” Ash gave her a nod as he let out a good-natured sigh, and Serena started to get up herself before Ash held out a hand.
“You’ve been doing so much for us lately, and I’m pretty sure you need some more rest after you’ve made this many macarons on your own,” he pointed out, and Serena opened her mouth before closing it again. He did have a point… “We’ll be quick, just an in-and-out, okay?”
“Okay.” They both waved at her as they walked through the Pokémon Centre’s back doors, leaving her alone with the silence. She could bring out Fennekin, but she didn’t want to reveal her Pokémon that early in the day, especially after the long night they shared together.
…Maybe she should take her own advice and rest a little.
Serena huffed to herself, left alone on a table with a a decently sized pile of macarons still left in front of her. She pulled out her portable device as she took one of her macarons and ate it, checking out the areas that she marked for further exploration. As it were, south of Santalune had the Santalune Forest and Aquacorde Town before Vaniville, so maybe that was the last place she should go through. But the other route was to go back to Lumiose before taking any one of the four routes on each side of the city and—
“Hey, where did everyone else go?”
Serena put her portable device away, turning her head to face the newcomer and choking in surprise. “Clemont? I thought that Ash and Bonnie were looking for you!”
The eponymous boy paused as he walked out before sighing emphatically, pinching the bridge of his nose for a few seconds. “Both of them? I’m in trouble, aren’t I?”
“Maybe? I’m not really sure with the two of them.” She thought for a bit, before brightening up and holding out the plate full of macarons. “Oh! Before I forget, my treat! You’ve been super helpful towards everyone, I can tell, and your strategies and knowledge are amazing! Also because it’s unfair that everyone else ate but not you…”
Clemont’s face started to warm as he nervously chuckled, rubbing his neck as he walked over hesitantly. “Thank you, Serena. I don’t—well, I was only doing what I can for everyone.” He took a yellow macaron and bit into it. “Wow, is this lemon? And yet you’ve made it taste so sweet.”
She beamed. “Yeah! Each of the colours has its own flavour, thought I would give myself a little challenge. I’m happy that you’ve enjoyed it!”
“Well…” he trailed off after finishing his macaron as he heard footsteps coming near. “Oh, no, I hope Bonnie didn’t bring anyone with her this time.”
“Bring someone with her?” Serena looked around him as Bonnie burst out from the doors, colliding into Clemont and making him grunt with the impact.
“Hey, big bro, guess what I found a lot of really cute and kind—“
“Sorry, Clemont!” Ash called from behind (Pikachu now scampering behind him once more), trying to take another macaron and pouting when Serena moved it away while still watching the siblings talking rapidly to each other in shock. “Hey, why can’t I get another one? I thought you made these for me!”
Serena tore her eyes away from the confrontation (“You can’t just ask people to—No, you can’t take me out there!”) as she gave Ash a playful shake of her head. “You’re not the only one on this planet, Ash. Let others have some to eat for a change.”
“Hmm, maybe…” Ash eyed the scene in front of him, with Clemont trying to grab Bonnie with a mechanical arm coming out of his bag, trying to stop her from exiting the Pokémon Centre entirely. “You’ll get used to it in time.”
“I… understand.” Sort of. In her own way. “Who wants more macarons!”
Bonnie perked up, hat flopping onto her face as she looked up at Serena. “I want more!” she cried, before growling as she was pulled up into the air by the back of her shirt. She wiggled in place, shooting a scowl at the person behind her. “Let me go!”
Her brother held her up, trying to make her look him in the eye as he spoke. “Only if you promise to stop doing this sort of thing!”
“Just let me go! I won’t go out today, I promise!” He let her go and she stumbled in her desperate attempt to reach the macarons first. Clemont shook his head as he came after, mechanical arm retracted back into his bag once more, and Ash snatched two before they arrived before putting it into his mouth.
Lots of arguments, quick fingers, and points of contact all around her. Stories and memories and wants shared so freely.
(At some point, Serena admitted her Starter was Fennekin to the group, showing them the sleeping fox on her shoulder. Ash ate a little too close to the Fire Starter and got a shot of Ember to the face, which was only resolved when Bonnie helped Serena clean out her pelt and the Trainer returned her back into the Pokéball afterwards.)
It felt so happy and accepting, being like this. A sense of belonging that never felt so strong or true in her entire life.
It felt like a place she could thrive in, if given the chance.
“You’re so nice, Serena. I wish you could travel with us as well.”
Serena froze, looking at the rest of the group as she packed the empty basket back into her bag. Clemont looked shocked at what his sister proposed, opening his mouth to say something from his standing position nearby, but Ash beat him to the punch, adding, “That’s if Serena wants to come, of course.”
“If I want to…” Her mind couldn’t believe it. It didn’t make sense. If she wanted to? “Are you all sure?”
Clemont shook away his shock, adjusting his glasses before raising his gaze towards her, looking… hopeful? “I wouldn’t be opposed to it, myself.”
“See? We all want you to come!” Bonnie took her hand and waved to the boys in front of them. “They may not know it yet, but you’re better than both of them combined.”
“Hey!”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
The younger girl flashed them a cheeky smile. “Because she makes good snacks!” She went to face Serena afterwards, giving her the best pleading look she has ever seen. “But seriously, can you come? You’re so nice and kind!”
Serena looked at Clemont, who was watching his sister with a veiled expression before looking up at the new Trainer in question, giving her a soft nod.
She turned her gaze to Ash, who was avoiding her gaze, eating as many macarons that were left on the plate as he could in one go, before turning to her and grinning awkwardly, giving her a thumbs up.
“I…”
(Go for broke, right?)
Fist to her chest, standing up tall.
(This was her chance, right? This could lead her to something worthwhile, couldn’t it?
They can lead her to something worthwhile, all of them.)
She gave them a big smile, cocking her head as she said, “How can I say no to all that? Of course I’ll join you!”
Cheers ringing out at the back of the Pokémon Centre, an impromptu group hug under the big sky above them.
In the brisk morning of Ash’s rematch, the outside of the Gym looked cold and desolate.
Serena stood in front of it with her basket out, letting it cool off in the cooler air outside. There was no risk of anyone coming around at this time, and she thought that she might as well wait out the time.
Last time she came here, she was unprepared for everything. Ash in the middle of a battle and losing, Clemont and Bonnie and Alexa knowing him and watching his progress. She walked in with only the thought of the boy of her memories in front of her, walking forward as if in a dream, and it was only the grace of the older woman calling her from the sides that stopped her from taking the first step down towards the active battlefield.
She may have panicked a little, realising that she was watched and perceived in such a manner, but luckily they made room for her and didn’t question it.
They were so, so gracious, accepting her and her faults like that.
(Her mother would’ve wanted her to make a better impression, a stronger one, a more prepared one. She always said that she was never ready for the struggles and realities of life itself.)
This time, Serena was ready.
“Didn’t expect to see your face at this time.” Serena startled, turning her head quickly and coming face to face with Alexa herself. The older lady chuckled at her reaction, standing next to her. “No need to worry, the Gym is going to open up soon. My sister can tell when there’s going to be a good battle, and she can’t wait for Ash either. Speaking of…”
Serena pressed her lips together, grateful that the basket was behind her. Alexa continued, “I heard you talking to Ash yesterday, between our practice.”
The practice after he lost the first time. Serena remembered him healing up his Pokémon and sitting outside in the practice battlefield, looking so lost. She didn’t do much back there, from what she remembered. “All I did was talk to him about his battle. I didn’t really understand what he was doing, but I was surprised that he used a Fletchling for battle like that! And his Pikachu looked pretty strong and fast as well.”
Alexa hummed. “I don’t think you understand; whatever you told him back there, I can feel it really changed him. And I heard you come back for him last night as well. I didn’t hear all of it—“ She put her hands up when the younger girl raised an eyebrow— “But if it was anything like before, then I’m sure this battle is going to be a good one.”
“What do you mean?” Serena inched backwards, trying to slip the basket into her bag as she tried to look interested in the conversation.
“What do you think? Let me tell you this—when you first came into the battlefield the way you did, well, I honestly didn’t expect you of all people to inspire Ash. But maybe that’s a good thing.” Alexa looked at her watch, before looking at the Gym in front of them.
Serena paused, basket already inside her bag with the pouch open.
Alexa gave her a quick grin as she walked up to the door and knocked. As it started to open, she looked back at Serena and said, “Giving someone inspiration is a powerful tool, you know. But make sure that you don’t get overwhelmed yourself, okay? And don’t worry, I won’t tell anyone about your treats, so no need to bend yourself backwards like that.”
“Wait, what do you— How do you know what I have?” she demanded, following quickly behind her as she closed her bag up.
“I’m a journalist, Serena. It’s my job to keep my senses sharp and follow clues. Now, are you ready to walk in and see a Gym battle from start to end?”
Serena looked back behind her, noting the warm air wafting in was from the Gym itself. Preparations were already underway to get the Gym ready for the onslaught of battles it was going to experience for the day, and Ash’s was inevitably going to be the first.
He looked so ready last night it was a wonder that he wasn’t already ahead of her. For once, she was first in line for something big.
Then she turned forward, taking a few steps past the foyer and into the inner room of the Gym, where Alexa was waiting. “I’m ready,” she said, and the skylights opened in front of them.