Hello there! On Tumblr, a week-long celebration of Amourshipping occurs the week of January 4th. So this year, 2016, Amourshipping Week is from January 3rd-9th. So all this week, I'll be posting short, loosely-connected one-shots! I hope you enjoy them!
"Yeah, that's the way!"
Ash was working with Hawlucha, sharpening the Pokémon's moves for his next battle. Ash and Hawlucha both struck a pose; Trainer and Pokémon were both in perfect sync.
Sitting on a rock nearby, watching Ash pose, was Serena. The performer was daydreaming, stuck for inspiration on her next performance. She wanted to try something new, something that would dazzle the crowds, but something unlike what she had been working on. Somehow, her gaze had settled upon the trainer, watching him move. His poses were always sharp and dynamic. She knew the battling was about the moves, but she couldn't keep her eyes of Ash, his lithe, toned arms, motioning through the air as he gave his next command.
"Hawlucha, use Karate Chop!"
Ash made a swift, chopping motion as he called for the move. Serena could almost see the wind coming off of the motion, so sharp and decisive it was.
Hawlucha leapt forward, raising his glowing arm up before striking the log Ash had set up as a training dummy in half.
Ash raced over to his companion. "That was awesome!" he cheered, opening up his arms as Hawlucha leapt into them. He hugged the feathered Pokémon close, laughing with Hawlucha, who himself was laughing loudly.
The sight of him so happy made her heart pound in her chest. There was something so pure about how he loved his Pokémon. Yet another reason that watching him made her heart race.
Serena slipped from the rock onto her feet and began crossing the clearing to where Ash was laying on his back, lifting Hawlucha above his head. The trainer noticed the girl's approach and sat up, still holding his Pokémon. "Hey Serena," he said, patting Hawlucha's head like a father might his son, "what's going on?"
Serena smiled at the scene for a moment before speaking. "Oh, I was just trying to think of a way out of my rut," she explained. "I want to try some new dance moves, so I'm trying to get some inspiration."
"I see," Ash said. "I hope you can find something soon! Your performances are always a lot of fun to watch."
Serena laughed nervously. "You see, that's kind of what I wanted to talk to you about," she said. "I actually think your moves would be pretty good for dancing."
Ash stood up. "Serena, we've been over this. My dancing isn't any good for battles, and with the way that Clemont and Bonnie laughed at me, I don't think it'd be very good for your performances, either. Thanks for your help back then, but my dancing's kinda pointless."
"But I wasn't talking about your dancing, Ash," Serena said. "I was actually talking about how you move during battles."
"How I move during battles?" Ash asked out loud.
The performer nodded to him. "Yeah! The way when you order attacks is always so dynamic and confident," she said. "I bet a bold dance based on how you give commands in battle would really impress the crowds!"
Ash laughed, scratching the tip of his nose. He smirked at the girl, his ego swelling a bit. "Well, if you think so, I'm sure I could give you some tips on how to do it."
Serena's smile bloomed on her face. "That'd be wonderful, Ash!"
He sat Hawlucha down and took a few steps away. "Alright, just follow my lead, okay?"
Serena nodded, watching him while mirroring his body language. "Alright, Ash. Show me!"
Ash took in a deep breath and focused his mind on the movements he made during battle. "Alright, Hawlucha, ready? We're going to show Serena our moves!"
"Lucha!" the Pokémon responded.
"Alright, use Karate Chop!" As he ordered his Pokémon, Ash made the same slicing movement with his hand. Hawlucha's glowing arm sliced through the air with the same swiftness.
Serena made the motion as well, mimicking Ash's pose and his chop, swiftly cutting through the air with her own movement. It felt fresh, interesting, sharp. Much of her own dancing felt circular, cyclical, round. Ash's movements were a hard contrast to what she was used to.
"Now use X-Scissor!" Ash crossed his arms in front of him, and then spread them wide in a dual-chopping motion. Hawlucha moved in the exact same way, crossing his arms in front of him and diving forward through the air.
Serena crossed her arms as well, and made the same pose, cutting through the air with her arms. She took a step forward as she did it, as if advancing on an opponent. It felt aggressive, energetic. She was putting her whole body into the dance. It felt like she was moving just like Ash was, translating his actions to her body.
"Now use Flying Press on me!"
Ash spun in a circle and then spread his arms wide. Hawlucha leapt into the air and did a spin of his own before gliding down on top of Ash, knocking the two of them to the ground, laughing.
Serena once again copied the movements that Ash made, but when Hawlucha came in for his landing, she paused, and then began laughing.
Ash and Hawlucha's own laughter was broken by the performer's giggling, causing Ash to stand up. "What's up, Serena?" he asked. "What's so funny?"
Serena wiped a tear away before she spoke. "Well, I just realized the secret to your bold, interesting movements."
Ash put a hand on his hip while Hawlucha crossed his arms in front of the trainer. "And what's that?"
"I thought that your movements were something you had come up with, Ash," she said, "but I realize that I was wrong. They're your Pokémon's moves!"
Ash looked at his Wrestling Pokémon for a moment and chuckled. "Yeah, I guess you're right. I just get so in sync with them that I start moving like they do! It helps us stay connected in battle."
"Luchaha," he added.
"This gives me so many great ideas, Ash!" Serena said. "I need to work with my own Pokémon if I want my movements to match my Pokémon's as well as yours do!"
Ash smiled. "You'll do great, and I'm sure that working with your Pokémon'll bring out that new dance you're looking for Serena, no doubt about it!"
"Thanks, Ash," Serena smiled back. "I'll do my best!"
"When you're ready, I'd really like to see it," he said. "Do you think you could dance for me, then?"
The way Ash had phrased his innocent question made Serena's heart leap into her throat for a moment. "Y-yeah! Right! Of course! I'll let you know as soon as I'm ready, okay?"
"Awesome!" he cheered. "I'm looking forward to it."
As she turned away to head back towards camp where Bonnie was playing with her Pokémon, the performer put her hand to her chest and whispered quietly, so Ash could neither see nor here.
"Me, too."