Heavy breaths lined up perfectly in sync. Chests rose and fell vigorously with each passing second. As she dismounted and laid down next to the young man beneath her, he eased his arm around her back, welcoming her to stay close. His bare, warm skin felt divine against hers. She rested her head on his naked chest as he moved his fingers into her long, messy hair, enjoying absentmindedly playing with the silky soft ends.
"You're really noisy." Calem said tiredly in between breaths. Serena felt her face heat up quickly at this remark, attempting to hide her reddening complexion from him. Her reaction brought a smile to his face - if he could smile anymore than he already was.
"Not as much as you." She mumbled against his skin. Calem chuckled quietly as he softly placed his lips on his girlfriend's head and pulled his blankets up over the two of them.
"That's because you're so good." He answered, although she was sure he said that for the sole purpose of embarrassing her. "You have any regrets?" He suddenly asked, successfully getting her to finally look at him. Her cheeks were still a deep shade of red, which made his heart flutter all over again. She pushed herself up off his chest so that she could kiss his lips once again -more gently than she had ever kissed him before.
After a few short moments of ecstasy, Serena broke the kiss to look him directly in his amazingly dark blue eyes.
"Not one bit." She gave him a smile sweet enough to melt him to the core. "I love you," she smiled as she kissed his cheek.
"I love you too, Serena."
"Oh no." Serena groaned as she pulled herself to standing. The acid of her vomit burned her throat, but that was the last thing she was worried about. "Oh no. Oh no, no, no, no." Thoughts were stampeding in her head which quickly made her dizzy. That, of course, didn't ease her worries either.
She ran from the bathroom into her room to check her calendar. Oh no, no, no. It's just a flu. Please, just be the flu.
Six weeks. She was officially two weeks late, just four weeks since her sleepover with Calem.
"Arceus.." She didn't know what to feel. Anger? Anxiety? Fear? Panic? She thought all of these emotions were sloppily crushed together and clogging her ability to think, or even breathe properly at the moment. "Arceus, damn it. This isn't happening." Time seemed to stop, yet she felt rushed at the same time. She held her head as she sat on the nearest chair she could reach.
Her fumbling hand reached for her holocaster that rested on her desk and she clumsily dialed a number.
"Serena?" A voice on the other end answered after a few seconds of ringing.
"Shauna." Serena breathed. "I need you." She breathed in again. "Please, come over now."
Holding her dear friend tightly among her shivering and sobbing, Shauna was at a complete loss for advice as Serena cried into her. "Serena, it'll be okay!"
"No it won't!" The blonde woman snapped, biting back the tears for just long enough to growl in frustration. "I can't have a baby!" She wailed before collapsing back into Shauna's embrace. Serena felt suffocated in her own room; she wanted nothing more than to get up and walk off the impending sense of claustrophobia, but she felt way too dizzy to even think of standing, let alone walking.
"Well, you don't have to. But, would it really be so bad? I mean… It is Calem's, right?"
"What? Shauna." Her head snapped up in a split second to give the girl a death glare. "Of course it's his!"
"Right, right. Sorry. That was a stupid question." Shauna apologized. "I just.. I didn't even know you guys were.. you know."
"Once. We did it once. And I thought we were careful. Damn it, how did this happen?"
"What do you wanna do?" Shauna asked with caution.
"I don't know." Serena mumbled, laying flat on her back as she appeared to be talking to the ceiling. "I don't want to think about it anymore. I just want to go to sleep; maybe all of this will disappear when I wake up."
"I know avoidance would seem easier, but Serena," Shauna placed her hand over her friend's. "This isn't something you can avoid and pretend isn't there. You need to talk to see your doctor as soon as possible so you can talk about what you want to do."
Serena retracted her hand, using it to run through her long hair. She found a sudden fascination with the frayed ends of her hair, which served to occupy her mind for just a moment. She needed a trim.
Inhaling a shaky breath, she said what she had been circumventing the entire time. "I can't keep it." Serena mumbled, hardly audible at all.
Shauna remained silent, nodding solemnly while trying to remain supportive despite her heart breaking at her friend's words.
"I mean," Serena continued. "I don't think I'd be able to get rid of it. But once it's born, I can't keep it. There's no way."
"That's fine," Shauna encouraged, smiling gently. "It's your decision. I'm sure people will jump at the chance to adopt the champion's kid. But when are you going to tell Calem?"
"No!" She spat suddenly, voice much louder and more shrill. "I can't." Serena's eyes remained glued open at the thought. "There's no way. He'll flip."
"But don't you think he has a right to know at least? He'll find out eventually!"
"Trust me," Serena glared. "He will not be happy about this at all. He's such an old-fashioned guy; there's no way he'd be happy about being a biological father when we're practically still kids. "
"You and Calem are eighteen! That's plenty old enough in some cultures. Besides, you being champion, and him working under Sycamore, you could easily support this baby if you wanted to keep it."
"There is so much wrong with that sentence, Shauna." Serena looked back to her ceiling, perhaps trying to find a solution to her problem. "Besides, I am the champion. And he is known for being a highly respected assistant to Professor Sycamore. Do you know how much negative attention this will bring both of us? And my mom will have to know her only daughter was 'deflowered' out of wedlock - and of course, the reputation damage will probably ruin Calem's life too."
"Come on, that's a bit dramatic, don't you think? But I won't tell Baby Serena you said that." Shauna was always a bit bad at judging the mood. She hoped that some light-hearted banter would help, but it didn't look like that would be the case this time.
"Please, don't call it that." She fought off tears that threatened to break through her ducts. "You know as well as I do how much Calem loves being free to travel and train his team. Never in a million years would he give that up to take care of a kid." A single tear rolled down her cheek which she stubbornly wiped away. "I know we won't be able to stay together if I keep it. Not to mention, I'll probably have to forfeit as champion if I have to stay home with a baby."
"I highly doubt he'll leave you! Besides, if you let someone adopt it, then what's the problem?"
"Whether he wants to or not, I just know he'll resent me." Her voice trembled, cracking a bit towards the end. Another tear escaped her eye. "I'll always be the girl he made a mistake with. I'll always be the girl who ruined his reputation. He's always been so proud. I don't think he can forgive me for that."
A few moments passed that would have been silent if it weren't for Serena's sniffling. Just a few passing minutes of silence were as exhausting as an hour with as many thoughts that were invading Serena's mind. She wanted to wake up, but unfortunately she knew there was very little chance that she was caught in a nightmare. This was her reality, and she'd have to accept it.
"You know," Shauna finally spoke up again, handing Serena a box of tissue. "You are by far the strongest person I know. You left home right after moving to Kalos. You dismantled Team Flare with little help from any of us. And you even became champion of the entire region. If anyone is qualified to be a parent at eighteen, it's you." Serena looked at the soft-spoken young lady sitting on the foot of her bed through the cloudy tears in her eyes.
"Shauna, there's no way I can do this."
"Pfft, you absolutely can! If you can save the world, surely you can handle a little pregnancy. And if you change your mind and want to keep it, I'll be right there to help you, no matter what! I'll be like another parent!" Shauna didn't mean to sound so optimistic but dang, she was excited to be a self-declared godmother. "Besides, I really think you're not giving Calem enough credit. He loves you even more than he loves the thought of beating you in battle; I don't think he'll take this as badly as you think."
"Ugh." Serena groaned, covering her face with a nearby pillow. "I don't know about that. Even if I can accept the fact of being a m-mother," she shivered at the word, "either just biologically or for real, I can't even imagine how he'll handle being a father, whether I keep it or not. Please, just don't say anything for now. I'll tell him when the time is right.. okay?"
"Of course. I won't tell a soul." Shauna smiled reassuringly at her best friend, grasping Serena's hand in her own. All she could do was offer her undying support, but she also couldn't shake the excitement that she was practically going to be an aunt.
Four months of strange cravings and swollen feet passed incredibly slowly, although nobody seemed to suspect a thing. She still couldn't imagine telling anyone. It didn't feel right. She planned to put it off as long as possible at this point. She was grateful that she wasn't showing much; she was able to hide the very slight bump that had formed as long as she wore baggier clothes than usual. Living a normal life while hiding this massive secret proved to be quite the chore. Especially maintaining her position as champion while still helping Professor Sycamore with his research.
"Professor?" Serena announced as she entered his office. "I have the Pokémon you asked for."
She was surprised to see a woman in his office along with a small child, no older than four years old. Sycamore's head perked up upon Serena's entrance as he directed his attention to her. His hair was a mess and the dark circles beneath his eyes complemented his unshaven face well.
"Ah, fantastic!" He exclaimed, rising from his paper-covered desk. "Bayleaf, Tropius, Lapras, along with your Aurorus; this is perfect. Was it a lot of trouble to get your hands on these?"
"Not too much. I contacted gym leaders of these Pokémon's native regions and they had no problem helping me out." She smiled politely as she handed over the balls. Glancing briefly to the woman and child, she wondered if she should make an effort to introduce herself. Then again, she didn't intend to stay longer than she needed to; these new specimens would keep him busy, and she had planned to see Calem afterwards. Calem would give her hell if she were late to a battle. Besides, she was pretty sure she would have to vomit again soon.
"Excellent, thank you Serena! I knew I could count on you." He spoke with a caffeinated enthusiasm as he smiled as brightly as he could. "You and your friends have been considerably helpful in researching my hypothesis. I'm going to take some DNA samples from these Pokémon today, but why don't you let me take all of you to a nice restaurant here in Lumiose as a thank you for your help? My treat to you all."
"Oh, Professor, that isn't necessary; we all enjoy helping you out!" Serena responded.
"I sure would hope so," he chuckled lightly. "But it's the least I can do. And let's face it - even I could use a break. So, what do you say?"
Not taking much a chance to ponder his invitation, she found it common courtesy to accept. "That would be lovely. Thank you! You know, I'm actually on my way to battle Calem right now, so I can let him know after calling the others."
"Sounds good!" Sycamore said as enthused as possible.
Before she had a chance to say goodbye, a small voice from behind caught their attention. "Mommy when will he give me a Pokémon?"
"Johnny, don't be rude!" The woman growled in a whisper, although perfectly audible throughout the room.
Sycamore's head immediately turned to the pair. "Ah, yes, sorry about that!" He said apologetically before turning back to Serena. "Serena, do you have a minute? I'd like to introduce you to this boy. His mother is an old friend of mine, and as she is often busy with work, I've decided to give him a Pokémon friend to keep him company."
"Sure," Serena nodded with a courteous smile. Surely Calem could wait a few more minutes.
Sycamore kneeled down so that he was closer to eye-level with the small child. "Johnny, this is a very talented student of mine. I'd like you to meet Champion Serena. She got her very first Pokémon from me, just like you're about to!"
"Champion?" The young boy looked to Serena curiously. Not quite knowing the best way to interact with small children, Serena simply offered a smile and waved at the boy. Within seconds, a massive, toothy smile spread across his face. "Woah! Mommy, I'm gonna be champion too one day!"
The older woman smiled at her son, ruffling his hair as he bounced up and down in excitement.
"We need to get you a Pokémon before you can become champion." Sycamore said, pulling three Pokéballs out of a display case. "So, Johnny, what Pokémon do you want to be your very first partner?"
"Mewtwo!" Johnny chimed in pure excitement. Serena giggled at the request, knowing he'd probably be ecstatic if he knew that she caught Mewtwo, although she usually left it in the PC. She preferred battling with the team that accompanied her on her journey. She tried to keep it rather down low to avoid excess attention from the media.
"Well I don't have a Mewtwo," Sycamore laughed, awkwardly scratching the back of his head. "But I do have three strong Pokémon for you to choose from."
The three Kalos starter Pokémon materialized in front of the kid's gleaming eyes. "Wow," he exclaimed in complete amazement. "The blue one is so cool! That's the one I want!"
"Ah, that would be Froakie. This guy is a handful, but will definitely make for a good partner."
The Froakie chirped in complete elation, hopping towards the boy as he took his new Pokémon friend into his tiny arms. Serena forgot how tiny baby Pokémon were; both the Froakie and the boy were really quite adorable. He giggled as the Froakie nuzzled into him. Without realizing at first, Serena noticed a warm smile had found its way onto her face.
Johnny's mother found her way next to Sycamore. "Thank you so much, Augustine. He's been excited ever since I told him he'd be getting a Pokémon." She sighed wistfully. "His first Pokémon already. Before I know it, he'll be old enough to go on a journey."
Before Sycamore could respond, Johnny interrupted. "Mommy! Say hi to my new friend!" He held the small water type clumsily in his arms. The Froakie seemed almost as big as him as he struggled to hold him, but the Froakie basked in all the attention.
"Haha, it's wonderful to meet you, Froakie. You keep my boy safe, okay?" She stooped down to pet the small Pokémon's head.
The innocence and hopefulness of being so young was a funny thing. On the one hand, he was overjoyed to have his very first Pokémon, but Serena never realized how much it must break a parent's heart until she saw the look in this woman's eyes. She seemed to be happy through her bright smile for the sake of her child, but the melancholy behind was undeniable. How much did her own mother miss her when Serena left on her journey? Even so, much like her own mother, this woman was nothing but supportive of her son's ambitious dream to become champion. What would be considered naive to some was completely plausible and realistic goal in the eyes of their mothers. So much care; so much love. It was enough for Serena to feel a strange calming sensation. However, Serena's smile broke immediately when she felt a slight movement in her stomach.
Her hands grasped her tummy suddenly at the strange sensation. Her eyes grew wide in a sort of panicked terror - that was the first time she felt any sort of movement. Her doctor said that could start happening any time, but it felt way freakier than she expected.
"Serena?" Sycamore asked. "Everything all right?"
"Um," Serena swallowed, trying in utter desperation to dismiss a fit of panic that threatened to take over her body. "Yeah. Sorry, I should get going. I'm glad I got to meet you both. I'll see you tonight Professor!" She shouted the last bit, already halfway out the door as she spoke. She didn't see how Sycamore reacted to her sudden departure, but she could only hope she didn't come off too rude.
"Delphox, you did great! Return!" Calem called as he returned the fainted starter to its Pokéball. "Dang Serena, where was your head? I almost beat you that time." He said jokingly, although it was entirely true. He looked at the girl's Pidgeot, beyond exhausted and waiting to be returned as well. But Serena didn't move. "Hey, Serena?" Nothing. No response. He took a few steps forward towards his girlfriend, but she kept her eyes fixated on the ground. "Serena!" He finally said on the brink of shouting. She jumped at the sudden shrill rise of his voice. She had been spacing out yet again.
"Sorry!" Her eyes went round and her face felt warm when she realized he had been trying to get her attention.
"Serena, what's up? You've been totally out of it for a while now, and you're always completely in the zone when you battle." Calem brushed the hair out of Serena's face, letting his hand trail down her jaw line. "Please, tell me if something's bothering you."
"Nothing's bothering me!" She smiled and playfully swatted his hand away. "I'm just tired, probably. Sorry about that."
"You sure?"
"Yes!" Her smile was quickly turning into more of a grimace as her teeth grinded in annoyance. "I'm fine. Wanna get something to eat? I'm starving."
"I-if you want," he began quizzically, "but didn't you say we're going out to eat with Professor Sycamore soon?"
"Oh. Right." She folded her arms, gnawing the inside of her bottom lip. Damn this relentless pregnant appetite. "Well no, I guess I'm fine then so don't worry about - hey… Calem?"
"Hm?" He mumbled.
"What are you looking at?"
"What do you mean?" He stuttered, knowing very well what she meant.
"My eyes. Up here." She pursed her lips. She totally caught him red-handed accidentally staring at her breasts. He wasn't typically one to gawk, so normally she would have been embarrassed, perhaps even flustered, coming from Calem. But she knew why he was staring. They had unfortunately grown more than she could hide upon becoming pregnant. Him noticing made her worry that she was showing more than she realized.
"Serena, I'm so sorry.." His pupils shrunk as his eyes grew wide and his face went completely red. Never would he mean to disrespect her, even if she did suddenly have assets he was sure weren't quite there before.
"Dummy." She mumbled, crossing her arms in front of her chest. Truthfully, she wasn't mad. Only nauseous with nervousness at this point.
"Seren-"
"Don't forget we're meeting Professor Sycamore at Sol Café." She said bluntly as she climbed on the back of her Pidgeot. She didn't mean to be rude; she just really wanted to get away from him before he had a chance to suspect anything. She also wanted to get home and find baggier clothes for herself before meeting with the Professor for dinner. Meanwhile, Calem was left standing like a blushing, confused fool as he watched her fly off.
While flying midair, Serena inhaled deeply. She bit her lower lip, still worried that Calem would put the pieces together and figure out her secret. She simply was not ready to tell him, and she didn't know if she ever would be. Bringing a hand to her tummy, she gently caressed the slight bump. "You're getting me into some real trouble, baby. But I still love you, no matter what." Inhaling the fresh wind that caressed her cheeks, she gingerly wiped away the droplets of tears that threatened to fall. "I love you, and you're mine. I'm keeping you."
"It's great to see the five of you together again." Sycamore smiled at the group sitting around the table, taking a sip of his water. "I know you've all been busy and working hard helping with my research, so I wanted to treat you all tonight."
"This is really generous of you, Professor." Serena said happily, mostly because there was a huge plate of food in front of her that looked absolutely to die for.
"Yeah, thank you so much for inviting all of us too!" Shauna chimed, referring to Trevor and Tierno who sat next to her.
"It's my pleasure. Thanks to you all, I've made remarkable advances in my research of convergent evolution of Pokémon of different types. Taking you all out is the least I could do."
"It's nice to all be together once again, isn't it?" Shauna asked, her eyes scanning the rest of the guys at the table. They nodded, but were already too involved in their food to respond. Sycamore smiled, pouring himself a glass of wine from an expensive-looking bottle that the waiter had left.
"Calem? Serena?" Sycamore asked, gesturing to the bottle of wine as to ask if they wanted any. Calem nodded, gently passing him the empty wine glass next to his plate.
"U-um, Professor, Sir, I'm only eighteen. " Serena responded nervously. "And Calem, so are you!"
"Hah, sometimes I forget you're not native to the Kalos region. But it's perfectly legal for you to drink at eighteen," Sycamore answered. "What do you say?"
Serena must have been holding her breath without realizing, for her head felt strangely light and she had trouble finding an answer. She exchanged a worried look with Shauna, who looked equally as nervous while furiously shaking her head "no."
"N-no, thank you!" Serena finally said. "I don't know how I'll react to alcohol and it's probably not the wisest to risk getting drunk for the first time in such a civil setting, right? Not that I'd drink so much I'd get drunk, but you never know what can happen your first time."
Shauna cringed at her friend's Arceus-awful monologue, internally asking why a 'no thank you' wouldn't have sufficed. Serena smiled proudly at how casually she nailed that refusal, only to see Shauna's clenched teeth and furrowed eyebrows. Maybe she didn't nail it, after all.
Sycamore chuckled at her long-winded answer. "Well all right. Whatever floats your boat."
Crap, not again. "Excuse me, I'll be right back." Serena said while standing up.
"Are you going to the restroom again?" Calem asked, watching as she put the napkin from her lap on the table. "It seems like you just went."
"So? Are you tracking every time I pee?" Serena snapped, arching an eyebrow. Her tone had so much bite in it that Calem was taken aback, knowing very well that he shouldn't say more.
"I'll go with you!" Shauna volunteered, springing up out of her seat to walk Serena away from the table. In a matter of seconds, they were out of sight.
"Why do girls always have to go to the restroom together? I really don't get it." Tierno said in between bites.
"Calem?" Sycamore asked, getting the young man's head to perk up. "I know you and Serena have been dating for a while now, but is everything all right with her?"
"Hm? Uh, I guess so?" Calem answered, thoroughly puzzled. "What makes you ask?"
"Well," Sycamore began, awkwardly scratching the side of his head. "She's been snapping at you all evening, which is rather unlike her."
"Yeah, but I mean it's not a huge deal … she's busy all the time, so I understand why she'd be a bit tired and on edge."
"Okay, but even so," Sycamore continued. "She's looking a little … you know."
"What?" Calem interjected.
"More … voluptuous?" Sycamore said almost on the defense. Calem tilted his head, clearly not understanding the point he was trying to make. "A bit more…"
"Fat." Trevor interrupted. "He's saying she's gaining more weight every day. Is she sick or something?"
"Trevor!" Calem grimaced. Tierno watched the exchange with a fist held to his mouth, trying not to laugh out loud. "C'est quoi ce bordel?No, she's perfectly fine, and she looks great! How dare you say that?"
"I was just saying what Professor Sycamore was circumventing." Trevor shrugged, speaking as innocently as he could.
"What are you trying to say, Professor?" Calem asked, narrowing his eyes.
Clearing his throat, Sycamore took a deep breath as he tried to plan his words carefully. "I didn't mean offense, honestly. It just seems like there's something she's not telling you. Something important."
"Like what?" Calem swallowed heavily, growing more and more nervous to proceed in this conversation with each awkward exchange of words.
"I think you should talk to her. And brace yourself."
Before Calem had a chance to question what he meant by that, he felt a small hand on his shoulder from behind.
"I'm back. Sorry about that." Serena whispered as she returned to her seat next to him, giving him a kind smile.
"Don't worry about it." He put his hand over hers for a moment, removing it only to avoid making the others uncomfortable. Truth is, he was feeling uncomfortable enough for all of them at the moment.
"So what is everyone talking about?" Serena asked as cheerfully as she could, blissfully ignorant to the train wreck of a conversation that she interrupted.
"Why was everyone so quiet once I came back from the restroom?" Serena asked as she walked alongside her boyfriend. Her hand was linked with his, enjoying his warmth against the cool night breeze as he walked her to her door.
Calem stopped walking, halting Serena's footsteps as well. She waited for an explanation as to why he stopped, but also why his face was suddenly so grim.
"Calem?" She urged. "What's wrong?"
"You'd tell me if something was wrong, right?"
"Huh?" Her head tilted as she let go of his hand. "What do you mean?"
"I'm not quite sure." He admitted, crossing his arms. He had trouble breaking his eye contact with the ground. "But is there something you want to tell me?"
She stared at him for a few moments, blinking dumbfounded a few times. "No… No, not really?" She answered unconvincingly. Her arms absentmindedly folded in front of her stomach. "Where is this coming from?"
"I don't know why, but I don't believe you." Calem finally said, although he wore an expression of more concern than conviction. "You've been acting strange for a few months. Just zoning out, getting angry with me over small things, being extra distant. I know you're tired from your job as champion. I really do understand that. But I feel like there's something more… Is it me? Are you not happy with me anymore?"
"What? Calem, no." Frantically, Serena replied. "It's not that at all."
"So what is it?" He finally looked up from the ground, his gaze piercing through her eyes. This was clearly no longer a light-hearted conversation, and she had to think of something fast.
"I… " She mumbled, her head feeling light from dizziness, and yet heavy with anxiety.
"You need to tell me."
"I can't."
"You have to!"
"Stop! I can't do this right now." Her eyes shut tightly, trying to avoid everything about him.
"Serena!" He accidentally shouted; he really didn't mean to. But he continued anyway. "Don't put this off anymore. If there's a problem that's affecting you so much that it's interfering with our relationship, then I need to know what it is!"
"Please leave me alone!" Her voice raised in anger, surpassing even his own in volume.
He watched her in a silent rage for a few moments. His lips quivered bitterly, trying desperately to pretend that she wasn't breaking his heart.
With a scoff, he was about to turn to his own house next door and retreat for the night. But anger turned to fear as his girlfriend's tear-filled eyes rolled to the back of her head, right before she collapsed to the ground. Blood that boiled with anger just seconds before erupted in nothing but raw fear.
"Shit, Serena!" Chills stung his skin like a million needles to see her lying on her side, entirely unconscious. He dropped to his knees, bracing her head with his hand. "Shit, shit, shit." He whispered furiously, straining his back to pick her up. He felt a pulse, which eased some of his worries, but her breathing was staggered. Her house was just meters away, but he thought it best to get her to a doctor immediately.
Heavy eyelids fluttered as they tried their very best to open. She clutched the thin white blanket, pulling it closer to her body. She didn't know why her back stung with pain.
"Good morning." A young man's voice greeted her from inside her room. That was certainly unusual, but she knew that voice. It was Calem. She pushed herself up to a sitting position, justifiably very confused. She looked around the room frantically, noticing a lot of white.
"Am I at the Pokémon Center?" She asked, trying desperately to recollect what exactly brought her here, and why Calem was there with her.
"Yeah. You fainted last night." Calem answered, a little too casually for comfort.
Her head snapped towards him, staring at his deadpanned expression with her lips parted. "I… I fainted?" The last thing she remembered was arguing with Calem, then everything else was a blur. As her brain had a chance to catch up with the situation, she had a devastating realization. "Wait, I fainted?! Did I fall?" Calem nodded. Serena felt her heart sink to the depths of her stomach which she clutched, suddenly overcome with horror. "Oh no… Oh no. Get a nurse, fast." Swinging her legs over the side of the bed, she began to feel suffocated in terror.
"Why?" Calem asked flatly. "The doctor said the baby would be fine."
…
The wall clock's ticking was the only noise present in the room. She stared at him with rounded, horrified eyes. Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock. No. No, there was no way. After all she did to keep this from him, there was no way this is how he found out.
He looked back at her, his expression so blank it was impossible to read. It killed her inside that she couldn't tell what he was feeling and the uncertainty made her feel sick. "Serena," he said firmly to break the silence. "Why didn't you tell me?"
Why were tears forming in her eyes? Why did her heart race so uncontrollably?
"Say something," he urged. "Why didn't you tell me you were pregnant?"
"I…" She mumbled from the back of her throat. "I was afraid."
"Afraid? Of what?"
"I'm a pregnant eighteen-year-old… everything about this is terrifying." She huffed, pushing her bangs out of her face and wiping tears off her cheeks in the process. "And come on, Calem. I know you wouldn't want to be a dad at eighteen. So I thought," the rest of the words were stuck in her throat, choking her until she spat them out. "I thought you would..."
"That I'd leave you because of this?" Calem completed her sentence, blatant disbelief underlying his tone.
"You love adventuring. You live for it."
"And you think this isn't the biggest opportunity for adventure?" He exhaled heavily, taking her hand in his. "Serena, the only reason I'm upset is that you kept this from me. We could have been going through this together."
The tears started flowing more heavily now as she choked on a sob. "But what is everyone going to think?" Her throbbing head rested in her free hand, unable to even look at her boyfriend. "We're public figures. Everyone is going to know and have something to say about it!"
Calem only honored her statement with a scoff. "Who the hell cares? We got into this together. Don't shut me out now." He rose from the chair and sat on the side of her bed. Keeping one hand on hers, he used his free hand to lift her chin so that she would look at him. "I know the timing isn't ideal, but so what? Whether we're eighteen or twenty-eight, starting a family with you makes me just about the happiest guy ever."
If she was crying before, now she was bawling. Calem dropped his hand from her chin and brought it to her baby bump, hardly noticeable but still present. "I love you Serena." He whispered as he kissed her forehead.
Finding the right words was beyond her at the moment. All she could do was bask in the blissful ecstasy that was his kiss. She threw her arms around him, completely closing the distance between them and losing herself in the feeling of his body against hers. She buried her head in his neck, whispering almost inaudibly against his skin, "I love you too."
"Daddy! Daddy! Guess what?"
"Hm?" The sound of small footsteps thumping against the wooden floors of the house - clearly running - interrupted Calem's holocaster call. "Professor, I have to go. I'll have the lab samples to you by tomorrow. Yes. Have a good evening. Bye."
Pivoting around the corner, the six-year-old girl dropped her blue Hydreigon backpack on the floor and threw her arms around Calem. A Goomy followed in behind the girl, looking to Calem in anticipation.
"Daddy, Elphie learned a new move!"
"She did?" Calem gaped, picking up his daughter in his arms, brimming with pride. But he thought he'd play with her a little. "I don't believe you."
"I mean it!" The girl laughed, swatting at her dad to be put down. "Mom's Pokédex says it's dragon breath!"
"Dragon breath?" Calem repeated. "That's an advanced move. I'm gonna have to see it to believe it."
"Fine! We'll show you, right Elphie?"
"Do it outside, please!" A third voice interjected. Calem set his daughter down, rising to greet his girlfriend as she entered the house.
"Bon retour," he greeted, pulling Serena into a hug. "Off to the Pokémon League?"
"Yeah," Serena replied, breathing him in as she wrapped her arms around his back. "The Trainer School teacher said none of the other kids can win against Becca in battles. She takes after her mom, I guess." Serena winked.
"You mean her dad. Obviously she gets her talent from me." Calem responded, keeping his arms around Serena's waist.
"Hm, if you say so, Calem." Serena giggled, kissing his cheek as he rolled his eyes.
"Also," Serena continued. "Diantha can't cover for me at the League tomorrow, so do you think you can pick Becca up from school?"
"No problem. But only if you let me take you out somewhere nice tomorrow night when you get home. My mom said she'd love some time with Becca, anyway." Calem suggested.
"Yay, I love going to Grandma's house!" Becca cheered.
"Well, I guess if you insist." Serena said jokingly. He could tell Serena was in a bit of a rush, but he pulled her in for a quick kiss before she left again.
"Ew." Becca stuck out her tongue at her parents. Her reaction always made them laugh.
"Bye, Calem." Serena smiled, not even bothering to hide her rose-tinted cheeks. "Bye sweetie! Mommy will be back tonight." She hugged Becca, double-checked her belt for her Pokéballs, and was out the door.
Calem's gaze followed her out. He sometimes wished she could be around more, but he was glad that she could maintain her championship and be a great mother at the same time. If she wasn't already the most incredible woman he could imagine, being a mother only made her even more of a hero to Kalos.
"Daddy, I wanna show you Elphie's new move now." Becca said, bringing him out of his daydream and anchoring him back to the present.
"Just a second, Becca." He sat on the couch next to his daughter. Her eyes perked open in curiosity. "I wanna tell you a secret. I don't like hiding things from Mommy, but this is for a good reason. If I tell you, you have to promise not to tell her. Okay?"
"I promise. What is it?" She asked, now to the brim with anticipation.
He didn't say anything. Instead, he reached into his pocket, pulling out a small black velvet box. As he opened it, Becca's eyes widened at the sparkling diamond ring that glimmered beneath the light. The band was lined with smaller diamonds that shined just as beautifully as the large center gem.
"Daddy, are you and mommy gonna -"
"If she says yes." He chuckled, closing the box and putting it back in his pocket. "Do you think she'll like it?"
Becca's lips curled into a smile so huge that it nearly strained her cheeks. She nodded several times, bursting with excitement that her parents would soon be married. If her mother said yes, of course. But they both knew she would.
"So now, show me Elphie's new move?" Calem asked, ready to get rid of the Butterfree that suddenly swarmed in his stomach.
"Mmhm!" Becca exclaimed, jumping off the couch and grabbing her dad's hand. "Come on Elphie!" She motioned to her Goomy. "Let's show Daddy how strong you got!"
The small dragon-type chirped excitedly. Now extra aware of the box in his pocket, Calem felt his face flush, although he wasn't sure why he would after being with Serena for so long. Maybe their lives hadn't played out as they originally planned; holding his child's hand without a ring on his finger was not at all how he imagined early adulthood. But feeling their daughter's small, yet determined hand in his own as she looked up to him with a radiant smile, he knew that he wouldn't have done anything differently if given the chance.
Author's Note: Wtf is this? Idk. I started writing this last November, I just couldn't figure out how to execute this. But after much writing and cutting, I've decided on this. I think every scene is important, and in reality there would be much more psychological build up to every decision Serena makes, from panicking to avoidance, and also how Calem would react to everything. I probably could have turned this into a multichapter novelization, but I think a one shot suffices just fine Moral of the story? Don't have sex. You will get pregnant and die. Just kidding! But do be careful and all yall single or young parents are heroes too!
Like I said, I wrote different scenes throughout a span of several months, so I wouldn't be surprised if they differed in quality, haha! Hopefully everything is up to standard and at least makes for an enjoyable read. I hope you enjoyed reading, and if not, then please be nice anyway. Best wishes - until the next fic!