1 ~ Serena! The adventure begins. . . at midnight!

"How many times have I worn this?" grumbled the 15 year old. She stood in front of her tall mirror, holding a black and red, high waisted dress in front of her whilst posing. She quickly suppressed a yawn before she heard a loud noise from downstairs.

"Serena!" her mother cried from downstairs. "You'll be late!"

Late for what? she thought, crankily.

She pouted and flung the dress in her closet. "Coming!" she yelled back.

She sprinted down the stairs at a fast pace. The girl met the soft, wood floor with a heavy thud. At the bottom of the steps, her mother stood with a cranky look on her face.

"Morning, Serena, or should I say 'Night'?" her mother, Grace, grumbled. "You sure slept well. . . All rested up from the move?" Her daughter yawned and scratched her head. "Serena!" The girl jumped. "You look like you just rolled out of bed!" Serena nodded. "Go and have a look at yourself in the mirror, and change out of your pajamas. You've slept all day."

"Mama. . ." she mumbled sleepily. "You're too loud." Her mother took out the spatula she always carried and smacked the girl on her head, lightly. Flinching, Serena stumbled up the stairs and into her room.

She sat on her bed and reached for her comb. Once the heavy knots were out, she tied her giant mass of black hair close to the base, and patted her bangs down until they stopped flying. Grabbing the dress she had modeled earlier, the girl switched her pajamas out for it. Once she had located her red felt hat, black over the knee socks, black high tops, red tote bag, and white sunglasses, the young girl made her ways downstairs with slightly higher blood pressure. Slightly.

"Come on, sweetie, why don't you step out and say hello to the neighbors? I'm more than sure that some are up at this crazy hour," she said while smacking her spatula threateningly on her palm.

Laughing nervously, she backed up towards the door and grabbed the door handle from behind. "Bye, mom," she said hastily.

I don't want to. . .

Throwing the door open into midnight skies, she saw two people. A girl shorter than her with strange looking pigtails, a pink, triple bow T - shirt, and pink sandals waved to her.

They were outside my door the entire time? Serena thought, half scared.

The boy next to her was wearing a red cap with black sunglasses, a high collared sweater, blue jeans, and combat boots. His hair looked as black as hers until she realized the darkness made his brown hair look black in her eyes.

"Welcome to Vaniville town, I'm Calem, and your neighbor," the boy introduced himself to her.

"I'm Shauna! Glad to meet you!" the pigtail girl cried.

"The esteemed Professor Sycamore lives here in the Kalos region. I was told he has a request for five kids, including us," Calem began to explain in a serious and formal tone. Shauna and Serena looked at each other and giggled. The boy continued. "But I'm a little surprised that he knows who you are. You did just move to Vaniville after all."

Shauna smacked Calem lightly and laughed. "To round it up, we'll wait for you in the next town over. It's not that big, and there's only one main road from here to there. And you know what?!" she exclaimed, jumping up and down. "We're going to get. . . a Pokemon!"

Her scream made the door behind Serena open. "Kids, be quiet. It's still midnight!" her mother hissed.

Trust me. . . if you hadn't quieted her, I would've. . .

Shauna winced as Serena's mother closed the door. She lowered her voice and whispered. "C'mon let's hurry!" She and Calem dashed off so quickly that Serena didn't have time to follow.

"If I go. . . then this is gonna be like those life changing moments that make me later reflect on how I want to have a normal life again. . ." Serena muttered. "Whatever, it's this or sleep."

She skirted her mother's prized Rhyhorn and burst through the gate. Fletchling hadn't noticed her so far, thank goodness, or else it would've raised a warning call that would have woken the neighbors. Once she was in the main square of the village, Serena made a left, and then a right turn that led her to the only official exit out of Vaniville.

She gently pushed the doors open and snuck through the small crack she had made. Shutting it behind her, she began to jog at a steady pace through the small road leading to the neighboring small town.

"Everything's so pretty at night," she murmured. "I wonder how pretty Lumiose City is at night." Lumiose City was the largest city in Kalos, and the center of fashion and beauty according to the guidebook she had at home.

There was a pleasant breeze that calmed Serena. She saw a faint glow from the street lamps of Aquacorde town and picked up her pace. Cobblestone pavement began to appear beneath her as she continued on.

"Hey, Serena!" she heard not too far away. "This way! Over here!" It sounded like Shauna.

So loud. . hasn't she ever gotten yelled at for that?

Up ahead and to her left, she saw Shauna and Calem with two other kids around her age sitting at a table and having some drinks. The cafe is opened this late? Sweet!

"We were just talking about you!" Shauna exclaimed. "Want something to drink?" she asked.

"I-iced tea, I guess," the girl said, nervous around that many people.

While Shauna ordered her drink for her, Calem began filling her in. "This is the meeting place, as you've probably noticed." He turned his head towards the two other boys across the table. "Lemme introduce you. Everyone, this is Serena." She nodded a greeting. She was rather shy around strangers.

The plump boy across from Calem nodded and whistled, seemingly impressed. "Wow. . . Shauna's description was spot on!" he exclaimed. Serena smiled.

That's creepy. . .

The plump boy was definitely taller than her. Serena could see a black T - shirt with a Vanillite on the front, outlined in orange. He had a yellow messenger bag with him with the strap across his chest. The hand he had on the table had an orange communication device with a black strap on its wrist, called an X - transceiver. There was only hair on the crown of his head which spiked up into three points.

Calem and Serena looked at each other and laughed. He continued. "So, Serena, this is Tierno. He's got some serious dance moves." Serena smiled. He turned his head to the shorter boy. "This is Trevor. He never misses a single question on his tests, but he's a little shy. . ."

I don't blame him. Who wouldn't be shy around new people?

Serena smiled at the boy with a giant head of orange hair with side swept bangs, and gray eyes. He wore a green - gray sweater vest with a pin on the right side, over a white, collared, T - shirt. In his lap was a bright green back pack and dangling over it, but around his neck, was a device of some sort that Serena didn't recognize at first. Later, she realized that it was the newest model of the Holo - caster made by Lysandre Labs.

Tierno grinned broadly. "Alright! Nice to meetcha!" he cried. He suddenly slammed his fists on the table, shocking everyone, including the waitress as she delivered Serena's drink. "Hey, wouldn't it be better if we called each other by nicknames? We might feel a bit closer than. Can I call you S - Meister?" he suggested, looking towards a confused Serena.

"S - Meister?" she echoed back at him. "U-um, it's -"

Shauna suddenly jumped in. "What? No way! She's a Lil' S, for sure!" She suddenly turned to Trevor with his cute bowl cut hair cut and honey orange locks. He was around the same height at Shauna and probably her age too. "What do you think, Trevor?"

The boy looked up from his book, shocked. "What?! You want me to nickname someone I just met?!" he cried. Serena laughed lightly and blushed. "Shauna, you shouldn't put people on the spot like this. How about something low key. . . like Big S."

How the heck is that low key? Big and low are two different things.

"W-wait-" Serena tried to interrupt.

These guys had better be better trainers then they are namers. . . wonder if they have pets. . .

Calem said to her, "Why don't you decide what we should call you?"

"Um. . ." she began. No way I'll pick those names. . . grrr something more normal. "How about. . . Serene, or Rena. Just Serena is fine too." Please don't come up with something idiotic.

"Wide range of choices. . ." Shauna murmured. I only gave you two . . . 'll call you. . . um is SereRee alright? Serene got me there." Serena nodded, glad that it wasn't a horrific nickname like before. "Great, it fits you perfectly! I'm sure we're gonna be great friends, so I'll call you that!" Her attention switched to Tierno. "Hey! Can we see the Pokemon now? I want to meet my new partner soon!"

Tierno grinned. "I know, right?! It was such a cool feeling when Trevs and I met our Pokemon! Hope you feel the same way we did!"

Hurry it up. . . I don't feel like waiting at midnight. . .Serena thought grimly to herself in her mind but with a smile on her face.

He dug around his bag and pulled out a small case. Popping it open, he revealed 3 Pokeballs. They each popped open and revealed three Pokemon: a fluffy little fox, a plushy frog, and a spiky . . . she couldn't describe off the top of her head. In order, they were: Fennekin, the Fire type, Froakie, the Water type, and Chespin, the Grass type, respectively.

"Urgh. . . which to pick. . ." Shauna muttered. "Calem, Serena! You two pick first! I can't decide!"

Great, at least I won't be stuck with last choice.

"I'd like Froakie, if it's alright," Calem said, looking at Serena.

She nodded and patted Fennekin. "I'd like to have Fennekin, actually." The little orange fox with fluffy red ears jumped off the table and into her arms.

"Perfect!" Shauna exclaimed. "I liked Chespin a lot when I first saw it!"

Then why did you not pick it first?Her terrible thoughts continued to flow while she smiled.

Froakie bounced around and found its way to Calem, while Chespin was snatched up by Shauna, playfully.

"Awww. . . " Serena and Shauna said together. "So cute!"

"My Chespin's cuter," Shauna teased lightly with a wicked laugh.

"No, no, no." Serena smiled with a glare. "My little Fennekin is more adorable. Aren't you, Fennekin?" The little Pokemon nodded with a glint in its eyes as it stared down the sleepy Chespin.

Women are scary, the three boys thought.

"Calem!" Shauna cried. "Is my Chespin, or is Serena's Fennekin cuter?"

"Um. . ." the boy stammered. "Oh, have you thought about giving your Fennekin a nickname, Serena?" he suddenly said, changing the subject on them.

Serena, distracted, looked at her Fennekin and pouted. "I guess I should verify your gender first," she muttered. "Are you a girl?" The Fennekin tilted its head. "How do you describe 'girl'?" she asked her new friends.

"I know!" Tierno butted in. "Froakie, are you a girl?" he asked the blue frog like Pokemon in front of Calem. It shook its head. "There, now Fennekin, are you like Froakie?"

It shook its head. Serena sighed. "What if Fennekin thought your question meant 'are you a Water type like Froakie', or 'Are you Froakie?''" she retorted with an exasperated expression.

Oops. . . It slipped. Shut up, Serena. Be nice to people, she mentally scolded herself.

". . ." Everyone looked at her when she stopped talking.

"I mean," she began, laughing lightly, "we might as well figure this out later and not waste time."

They all sat in an awkward silence before Trevor broke it. "Um, pardon me, but I have something from the professor as well. It'll help you understand Pokemon on a deeper level." From his bag he pulled out three card like items. He handed one to each person, save Tierno and himself. "So, um, what I just gave you was a high tech device that automatically records the Pokemon you encounter. The reason you got it was because the professor wants us to go on a journey with our Pokemon and complete the Pokedex."

A journey. . . hmm interesting.

"Like an important mission from the professor!" Tierno exclaimed, excitedly. Serena fought from rolling her eyes.

"I'm sure of it!" Shauna burst in. She fought the urge to do it. . . again.

"You two are so quiet. . . " Tierno mentioned, looking at Calem and Serena.

Because I don't feel like speaking to people right now, something wrong with that? She bit her tongue to stay quiet.

The two of them smiled. "Oh, that's right! Rena!" Serena jumped. Tierno handed her a piece of paper. "It's a letter from the professor. He said you should give it to your mom." The girl took it and tucked it into one of her dress pockets. She also took Fennekin's Pokeball and put it in the other pocket with the Pokedex. She hadn't thought of bringing her bag. "Alright!" Tierno yelled. The waitress shushed him. He blushed a bright red. "Anyways, with this, we're done with our errand for the professor. Trevs, you up for searching for some Pokemon?" he asked the younger boy. The mushroom head nodded.

"G-goodbye, everyone. I hope to see you soon!" Trevs said shyly, dashing off.

Serena waved to him and looked at the clock in the cafe and gasped. "It's 1 A.M. and they're going out into the forest?!"

"Crazy, isn't it?" Calem laughed. "But there are some Pokemon that won't show up till it's night time. Plus, it's nice and quiet."

"You know~" Shauna yawned. "I did not sleep all day like you crazy people, so I'm going to go to bed now." She dashed away enthusiastically.

Calem and Serena laughed. "So much energy for not sleeping all day like us, huh?" she said to no one in particular.

They quietly sipped their drinks at first and played with their new friends. Serena, still unsure about her Fennekin's gender, decided to wait on naming it.

"Want something to eat?" she asked it, showing it some cookies she had ordered. Its sharp snout sniffed them before it began to chomp down on her cookies, happily. "Aww, you do love them!"

Calem picked up one of her cookies and fed it to Froakie. "So, in Kalos, kids are chosen to carry a Pokedex and go on an adventure. But you need to give that letter to your mom before you go," he began to explain while munching on her cookies with Froakie.

"Mine," she scolded him, snatching the cookie from his mouth and throwing it in her mouth. "Froakie, do you want some more?" She gladly handed Froakie some of the cookies.

Calem gave her the same look she had wanted to give everyone minutes ago. She only laughed and threw a cookie at him which he caught. She herself bit into another cookie and fed the rest to Fennekin when it licked her hand. Calem was remaining awkwardly silent by her.

"Fennekin, we should go now," she said. Sliding the rest of her cookies to Calem and Froakie, she said, "I'll see you soon. Thanks for covering the bill, by the way." She smirked and quickly escaped. None of them had paid before leaving.