Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon. Pokemon belongs to GameFreak, etc.
Serena couldn't believe it. She was in the finals of the Master Class Showcase, her next opponent being Aria.
However, in the process of doing so she had injured her wrist.
She was resting in the provided waiting room when she heard a knock on the double doors.
"Uh, please come in."
The door opened to Palermo, who slowly walked towards Serena and sat down next to her.
"Show me." Seeing a confused expression on Serena's face, she specified. "I mean your injury."
Serena gasped. "How did you know?"
"I could tell from your movements." She grabbed hold of Serena's left hand, curling Serena's fingers slightly.
"You can barely make a fist. Withdraw from the finals. You won't be able to put on a decent performance like this, much less win against Aria."
Serena's body started to shake from her nervousness.
"It's my. It's our dream. I had nothing, but then I finally found this dream together with my Pokemon. Now that we've made it this far, I don't want to give up till the end!" She said, looking at Palermo with a steady gaze and confidence in her eyes.
Palermo remembered a similar situation, long ago when she was still training Aria to be Kalos Queen. Serena had used the exact same words as Aria back then.
"Geez, will the similarities ever end?" She asked herself. She took some tape like thing off the make-up table and turned around.
"One performance only. I will make sure it can hold for that. Once it's over, let a doctor examine you." She cautioned, and wrapped a makeshift bandage around Serena's wrist with the tape.
"All right!"
A few minutes later, Serena found herself under a spotlight. Next to her, on another platform, Aria also had a light shining on her.
"Let's begin with Challenger Serena's performance!" Monsieur Pierre announced.
Serena took the steps down to the stage. She felt every eye in the stadium watching her. She looked up to see Ash, giving her a nod. She knew what he was saying. She saw her mother, with an anxious look on her face.
"All right, let's go!" She shouted to her Pokemon.
*Play DoriDori for special effect*
They started off with a dance, nobody using any moves yet. Pancham doing some backflips was enough to get the crowd going.
"Braixen, Flamethrower! Pancham, Dark Pulse!"
The two attacks collided, creating a ball of orange.
"Sylveon, Swift!"
Sylveon's Swift was enough to cause a reaction. The ball grew slightly larger, and then exploded into tiny sparks. Then, using Braixen's twig, they surrounded themselves with a ring of fire. From the stands, Ash, Bonnie and Clemont were cheering her and her Pokemon on.
Sylveon let out a subtle Fairy Wind, while Pancham later let out a not-so-subtle Stone Edge which encompassed them, extinguishing the flames. Sylveon proceeded to jump on the glowing crystals, finally jumping up high to release another Fairy Wind, lifting Serena and her Braixen and Pancham up into the air. Everyone sent another combo of Flamethrower, Dark Pulse and Swift to encase them in a light pink sphere. This sphere opened up into a flower, much like a Vileplume's head. It soon burst into small embers. Down below Serena and her Pokemon were dancing, ready to finish the performance up in one final move.
This time Braixen didn't hold back, substituting her Flamethrower for a Fire Blast, a much more powerful move.
This resulted in, Arceus knows how, fiery figurines of Braixen, Pancham and Sylveon to close it off.
"Finish!" Serena yelled. She felt she had done her best here, and promised that she'd have no regrets whether she won or lost.
Now it was time for Aria's performance. She stepped onto the stage, immediately welcoming cheers from many.
"Delphox, Mystical Fire! Vivillon, Psybeam!" This created a fire hurricane that stayed unmoving.
Serena was thinking about herself. She didn't feel she had reached her full potential yet. She was always on the receiving end of things. Sylveon saved her from a catastrophe when she had made her risky move in the semi-finals. Meanwhile Aria had just completed her little show.
"Now, please raise your Pokelumes in the colour of the Performer you wish to vote for! Un, deux, trois!" Monsieur Pierre screeched in his annoying voice, and lumes flashed.
Aria was shocked to see a torrent of pink lights, being absorbed by the key on Serena's dress. She smiled. It would never top hers though. She was wrong. When the final lights were counted, Serena had won. Though only by perhaps one block, she had won. Serena was thrilled. She had never expected this.
Aria walked over to her. "Well, that was fun, wasn't it Serena?"
"Yeah... but I don't think I should be Kalos Queen."
"Nonsense. You deserve it. Just be warned: I'll be back for my title." She whispered in a friendly way.
They smiled at each other. Unknown to Aria, Serena didn't want this. She felt something wasn't right. She had achieved her dream, but she felt that part of it was incomplete.
After most people had left with the exclusion of the gang, Shauna, Miette and Nini, Pierre beckoned Serena to Palermo's special VIP box.
"Let's get down to business, mademoiselle. You are the new Kalos Queen, so if you please, sign here." He said, handing her a few papers.
"If it's alright I'd like to wait a few days before signing."
"Of course! Meet us at Madame Palermo's hotel room. 314. Say, five days?"
"Sure!"
Serena got changed. She found her friends waiting outside for her, ready to congratulate her.
"Guys, don't." She said, knowing what they'd say.
"You deserve it, Serena!" Miette squealed. Serena had fulfilled her dream for her.
"I don't."
Serena didn't bother to say anything else. She just walked back to the Pokemon Centre, alone. Not even with her crush, Ash. She had her own room key, so she opened the door and slumped onto her bed.
Ash was quick to follow. He came in a few seconds after she did.
"Serena, what's wrong. Please tell me."
"I just don't feel right, being the Kalos Queen."
"You should. You earned the title fair and square!"
"I feel like I didn't."
"Then do what your heart tells you to do. Respect yourself, and others will respect you."
"You know what? You're absolutely right Ash."
"Glad to be of help."
Five days later Serena was on the elevator to the third floor of the Gloire Hotel. She got out and looked at the room numbers. Room 393. She looked in the direction of Room 314. It was a long way down the corridor.
It seemed like a mile from the elevator to here. Serena knocked tiredly on the door. It was Pierre who answered.
"Ah, our new Kalos Queen. You are ready to sign the papers?"
"Yes."
"Tres bien! Come this way!" Pierre invited her into the spacious room. Palermo was seated on a padded chair next to another which Serena assumed was for her.
She took a seat and looked at the papers.
Sign here if you have read the terms and conditions above and wish to be the Kalos Queen.
Serena read the points above.
"As Kalos Queen you are expected to: Maintain a respectable image for your fans, be ready for anything should the need arise, allow magazine photoshoots and leave behind everything you have now."
Serena had made her decision. Instead of taking the black fountain pen Pierre had laid down beside her hand, she took the forms and ripped them apart.
Palermo and Pierre looked horrified.
"I'm sorry."
She stood up and left the room. Pierre and Palermo froze in their previous positions, gawking at what this girl had just done.
Serena, walking back to the Pokemon Centre, was feeling elated.
She walked into the room and Clemont spoke first.
"So, I guess this is goodbye, where you pack your things and follow Ms. Fancy into a black chauffeur-driven limousine to Arceus knows where for random performances and photoshoots."
"Nope. I ripped the papers apart."
"Is that what your heart told you to do?" Ash asked.
She nodded. "I respect myself the way I am right now. Therefore as you said, other people should respect me just as I am as well."
Ash smiled. She had done what she truly wanted.
"Also, I just can't live up to expectations. I refuse to take part in photoshoots. And the worst thing was, they insisted on me giving up everything I have. That isn't happening. I can't leave my mother, my freedom, and most of all my friends." Gesturing to them.
Ash, Bonnie and Clemont were touched – but then again, she had stated before that she didn't turn down the offer just for them.
A few hours later, Bonnie was helping Clemont with dinner. Serena stood outside on the balcony, watching the sunset. Ash joined her silently.
"Nice afternoon, huh?"
"Indeed it is." Ash replied.
Serena didn't say anything else.
"I really hope you were sincere and not just leaving an opportunity to make us happy."
"Oh no. I felt that I needed to give more. To my fans out there. To you, Clemont and Bonnie. Even if I did give up this opportunity, I wouldn't regret it. Because I did it for friendship. And I did it for love."
"Love?"
"My mother. And..." She trailed off, debating whether now was a good time to confess to Ash. She decided it was perfect. A glorious sunset and some privacy.
"… And you. Ash, I love you so much to where I would abandon my dreams for you. If you died for me I'd die for you. If you do something for me I'll always repay you."
Ash was surprised to hear this. She... loved him?
"I can't leave you yet. I need to pay for everything you've helped me with. You still need another badge and the Kalos League is afterwards. I can't ditch you yet. Not when there's ways to support you."
She looked at his blank, expressionless face. Maybe he'd never grasp the idea of romance.
Ash stared at her. She really was gorgeous. Ash mentally slapped himself.
'Darnit Ash! You're supposed to act dense! You can't go around calling girls gorgeous!'
But then he realised. He had acted dense all this time to find the right girl. He had found her. There was no need anymore.
"The sunset really is beautiful, isn't it." She asked nobody in particular, especially considering she thought Ash was dense as all hell.
Ash went back inside. "Just like you." He breathed. "Just like you."
He began forming a plan in his head for his own confession.
Please note I am pretty bad at one shots, if I say so myself. There will be a sequel to this though, so watch out for that. I think that with these one shots I should be able to get something out for you all even during my exam week.
Speaking of exams damn got my English Speech tomorrow (2016/11/7), my Science yearly tomorrow (2016/11/7), my Personal Development/PD yearly on Tuesday (2016/11/8), my History yearly on Wednesday (2016/11/9), my Cooking Practical assessment on Thursday (2016/11/10) and my math yearly on Friday (2016/11/11) so I'm sorry if nothing comes out for the weekdays of the week coming up. BTW these dates are Australian Eastern Daylight Saving Time so it's technically one day behind for you Americans and British out there. Meaning do not expect any on Sunday – Thursday for you people.