Okay, folks, I got a request for a sequel to 'Christmas with Serena' that would essentially end Shauna's time in Ash's harem because Calem comes back. This is the result.


Calem Returns

In the Kalos region, one could hear the excitement in the air as Ash, Serena, Clemont, and Bonnie finally make it to Shalour City. The biggest reason for the excitement: the fact that Ash will finally have his Gym Battle against their short-term companion Korrina, who specializes in Fighting-types, in order to win his next Gym Badge. They were joined by Serena's childhood friend Shauna, who developed a crush on Ash instantly after meeting him at Grace's Christmas party. While she enjoyed her time in his harem, she felt something was missing. They were in for a surprise that would affect Shauna for the rest of her life.

They managed to make it and were greeted by Korrina at the gate. "Hey, guys, what's up?" asked the Gym Leader.

"Not much, Korrina. We just arrived, so we need to head to the Pokémon Center. Pikachu and the others haven't eaten recently," Ash answered, followed by a nod from the others. After that, his, Serena's, and Shauna's stomachs started growling. "Come to think of it, we could use some food too." Korrina laughed with them.

"Well I'm afraid our Gym Battle's going to have to wait. I had a one-on-one battle against this one trainer. Lucario won, but I'm afraid that he had to get healed up. He's still not used to Mega Evolving. He sort of reminded me of you, Ash." After hearing that, Shauna gasped.

"Please, what did this trainer look like?" she asked, surprising the others.

"W-Well, he had raven hair like Ash, a little messier, wears a long-sleeved jacket version of Ash's shirt, has a red cap, and a pair of sunglasses," explained Korrina, shocking Serena and Shauna. The expressions confused Ash, Clemont, Bonnie, and Pikachu.


They were sitting at one of the cafes in the city so Serena could explain the story. She took a deep breath before telling them. "Ash, you remember Trevor mentioning Calem, right?" she asked.

"Yeah, I do," he answered. "He was a childhood friend of yours that Trevor bullied, right?"

Serena nodded. "Well, Clemont and Bonnie don't know this story, so I'll tell it anyway. As Ash said, Calem was a good friend of mine back when we were kids. He's always been like a brother to me when we were growing up. In fact, we would always hang out with Shauna and Tierno all the time. We were all like family. When Trevor came along, he tried to become the leader. He figured that Calem and I were together as a couple at that age, but he was wrong. He even wanted me to become his girl. In fact, like Ash said, Trevor bullied Calem to a point where he disappeared. I haven't heard from him since."

"Oh, that's so sad," said Bonnie. Clemont nodded in agreement while Fennekin and Dedenne cried.

"Yeah, you're right. Afterwards, my mom sent me to Professor Oak's Pokémon Summer Camp where I met Ash. I sent letters to Calem, hoping that he'd be back home and write back. I also sent letters to Shauna and Tierno and got responses from them, but nothing from Calem. Up until now, I feared that the boy I called my brother was gone for good. If he is here in Shalour City, though, it'd be great. We could catch up on what's been going on in our lives and he'll finally get to meet Ash and Pikachu!" Serena said excitedly. Ash smiled with her as Bonnie wiped away Dedenne's tears.

"We'll find him, Serena. Then Shauna will be happy again," he said.

"Shauna isn't happy? How could you tell?"

"Well, back at the Thanksgiving party, after you and I got together, Brock gave me a few pointers on how to tell if a girl is happy or not. He may not have gotten lucky, but he knows what he's talking about." At this time, Shauna was confused, but happy that Ash understood her.

"Now how can Brock know that?" Bonnie asked.

"Yeah, last I checked, he got Poison Jabbed by his Croagunk for hitting on Serena's mother," Clemont remarked with a chuckle. Ash and Serena laughed along with him.

"Well that's classic Brock for you. He didn't always get hit with a Poison Jab, you know. Max and Misty used to drag him by his ear before he caught Sudowoodo as a Bonsly." Ash saw that Shauna had no idea of what they were talking about. "Brock used to be the Pewter City Gym Leader in Kanto. In fact, his Gym was the very first one I challenged when I had just started out. He's a Pokémon Doctor who originally wanted to become a Pokémon Breeder. Unfortunately, he has a tendency to hit on pretty women, which got him into trouble with my friends Misty and Max as well as his Croagunk."

Clemont looked and noticed that Bonnie wasn't in her seat. He saw her talking to a female Pokémon Breeder. "…so you just brush your Electrike like this and it won't shock you?" she asked.

"Well you need a brush that's not metal as well. That way, you'll have less of a chance of feeling a jolt, so to speak," explained the breeder. This got Bonnie excited.

"You've got to be the one! Can you please take care of my brother?" she asked in excitement. All of a sudden, Bonnie got picked up by Clemont's Aipom Arm.

"Bonnie, how many times do I have to tell you to cut that out?" Clemont asked in embarrassment. "I'm really sorry about Bonnie. She loves Pokémon, but she can be a bit of a handful."

"It's okay. I didn't mind at all," said the breeder. The brother-and-sister pair returned to Ash and the others with Bonnie pouting.


After they finished eating, Ash figured he could get some training in for his Pokémon. This especially applied to Hawlucha considering it was his newest catch. He and Serena got out to the training field and saw that it was being occupied. The trainer matched Korrina's description to a tee. His Pokémon that were on the field were a big green-and-peach one that looked like it would be able to use Rollout pretty effectively. His other one was a Zubat. Ash and Serena were both surprised for the same reason: this was Calem.

After seeing that his Pokémon's attacks weren't improving that well, Calem fell to his knees and punched the ground, frustrated at himself for not getting any better. "I don't get it. Quilladin's great. I know he is. And the same goes with Zubat. But what am I doing wrong?" he asked. He noticed a shadow over him that wasn't Quilladin. He looked up and saw Ash holding out his hand.

"I know Quilladin's great. Maybe you need someone to practice with," Ash said. Calem took it and got up. "I came here to beat Korrina as well. Maybe we can both train. After all, that Lucario of hers is a tough one."

"You've met Korrina before?"

"Not only that, but Serena and I traveled with her as well." As soon as Ash mentioned Serena, Calem was shocked that he mentioned his childhood friend. He finally took notice of her and was even more shocked that she was on a journey.

"S-Serena, is that you?" he asked.

"Yes, Calem, it's me," she said.

"What are you doing here? What about Shauna and Tierno?"

"I don't know where Tierno's at, but Shauna's here looking for you. On another note, Calem, we need to catch up. Let's sit down so we can give your Pokémon a break." As they sat down at a table underneath an awning, Calem suggested that they give each other the heads-up on what was going on. "In case you didn't get my letters, about a couple of months after you disappeared, my mom sent me to a Pokémon Summer Camp in Kanto. It was hosted by Professor Oak himself. Much to my chagrin, I got separated from the other campers and got lost in a forest, scraping my knee in the process. I hate to say it, but I even cried for my mom to come pick me up.

"That was when I met Ash here. He was chasing a Poliwag trying to catch it when he stumbled onto me. He even bandaged up my knee and helped me back to the camp. I remembered him since then."

"Wait a minute, so you're Ash?" Calem asked the Kanto trainer.

"That's me."

"That's incredible! I saw you during your Pokémon League matchups, including the Sinnoh region! You were great!"

"Thanks. The Sinnoh League was my best one if you don't count the Orange League and the Kanto Battle Frontier. Come to think of it, wasn't my battle against the Dome Ace Tucker televised?"

"Yeah, I saw that one too. Too bad they don't televise all of the Battle Frontier."

"Wait, Calem, you've been keeping tabs on Ash this whole time?" Serena asked, shocked that her best friend was doing such a thing.

"Well yeah, ever since the Indigo Plateau," he answered.

"What happened while you were gone?"

"Oh yeah, it's my turn now, isn't it? Well, like you said, I disappeared for two months because I thought you guys saw me as a coward. I did cry quite a bit when we were kids you know. After I came back, my mom was so overjoyed, but she didn't exactly give me a chance to say goodbye to you guys before we had to move. I was mainly looking forward to seeing you and Shauna again. When I did see Shauna, I tried to get mom to stop the car, but she wouldn't listen. I think she didn't want me to take a chance on verbal abuse from Trevor again.

"We moved to Santalune City to live there with my mom having the feeling that I'd be able to make some new friends. Sadly, only one person came to our house all the time, a girl who kind of reminded me of you, Serena. I took her in as a little sister of sorts. We had so much fun together. Unfortunately, she never told me of a heart disease that she was suffering. She died three years after I met her. In fact, to this day, I still think of her."

"Wow, that's so sad," said Ash.

"You're right, Ash, it is sad. None of this would've happened if I had just stood up for myself against Trevor in the first place." Ash and Serena saw that Calem was shaking his fists.

"Hey, Calem, how about a battle?" asked Ash. "That helps me quite a bit." Calem was surprised by the encouraging smiles on Ash and Serena's faces. "You can even have the first turn."

"Thanks, Ash. By the way, you did meet Trevor, right?"

"Yeah I did. I even called him 'Carrot Top' because of that orange afro." After explaining that, Calem busted out laughing.

"I can't believe that I never thought of that one! That was hilarious!" The trainers got on each end of the battlefield while Serena acted as the referee. Before they started, Tierno happened to come around the corner.

"Hey, guys, have you seen Shauna? She called me regarding an emergency search and…Calem?" he asked as he saw his old friend. "Calem, it is you!" Tierno rushed towards his friend and bear-hugged him, ignoring the fact that he was causing Calem quite a bit of pain. "Oh man, I thought we would never see you again!"

Ash and Serena smiled at the scene after Calem managed to get loose. Shauna arrived soon after, followed by Clemont and Bonnie. She saw her old friend and tackled him to the ground, causing Clemont to be concerned. "What's going on?" the inventor asked.

"It's a reunion, Clemont," Serena said. "Tierno, Shauna, and I were obviously glad to see him."

"Naturally, Serena didn't take it to the extremes like Tierno and Shauna did," Ash added.

Calem saw that Shauna was crying, so he returned the hug, rubbing her back as well. "There, there, Shauna. I'm back safe and sound. Don't worry. I won't disappear anymore," he said, soothing his tanned friend. From the corner of her eye, Shauna silently looked to Ash for permission, which he granted with a smile and a nod. She took Calem, Tierno, Clemont, and Bonnie by surprise by kissing Calem on the lips. Ash, Pikachu, Serena, and Fennekin smiled at the scene. Due to a rising need for air, Shauna broke it off after a few minutes. "W-What…was that…for?" Calem asked nervously.

"That…was years…of pent-up…affections…I've had…for you," she answered, panting hard while trying to catch her breath.

"Wow…I guess that Shauna's no longer in Ash's harem, huh?" said Bonnie, getting a nod from Serena.

"You see, Bonnie, Shauna likes Ash, but she loves Calem. She has ever since we were kids. He just never noticed until now," the older girl said, giggling a little. Calem put one hand on Shauna's back and lifted himself and her off of the ground. Afterwards, he pulled her in for another kiss. That's when Ash realized something.

"I hate to disturb you, Calem, but I think I might've figured out your issue with your training," he said, catching the other boy's attention. "I think that, in addition to the support you and your Pokémon give each other, you were missing the support of your friends as well. My friends and I, we always supported one another in our battles as well as other activities, like when Serena bakes PokéPuffs and makes PokéVision videos. Perhaps that's what you need as well."

That's when it dawned on Calem what Ash was talking about. "You know, Ash, I think you're right. All this time, I've been travelling with just my Pokémon. I should've realized that I'd need my friends as well. Thanks a lot. Now last I checked, we were about to have a battle. I know you're my opponent, but do you mind showing me some support as well?" he asked, getting an immediate nod from the Kanto trainer. "Quilladin, let's go!" he exclaimed. Quilladin came out of its Pokéball ready for action. Serena got her Pokédex out for information.

"Quilladin, the Spiny Armor Pokémon and the evolved form of Chespin. Quilladin's spiky shell is used to protect against oncoming predators. The spikes themselves will cause plenty of damaged if hit directly."

"Okay, Pikachu, you're up!" exclaimed Ash. Pikachu jumped off of his shoulder and into the arena.

"Pikachu!" said Pikachu, signaling that he was ready for battle.

"So you're going with Pikachu, huh? You must have something up your sleeve. Quilladin, use Seed Bomb!" Calem ordered. Quilladin fired a group of seeds. Pikachu dodged them thanks to his speed.

"Not bad, but we do have something up our sleeves. Pikachu, use Iron Tail!" Pikachu jumped into the air and a metal coat covered his tail. He slammed it down on Quilladin, causing critical damage.

"Quilladin, use Bite! Quilladin got near Pikachu and bit down. It made the mistake of biting his tail, though. "Quilladin, not there!"

"Pikachu, Electro Ball!" A ball of electricity formed before dispersing on Quilladin, shocking it big time. Quilladin stepped back and had a frightened look on its face. "Don't give up just yet, Quilladin! I know you can put up a great fight!"

"Ash is right, Quilladin! We can't just give up simply because of one mistake!" Calem exclaimed encouragingly. 'We'll just have to avoid biting Pikachu's tail, that's all.' "Quilladin, use Seed Bomb again!" This time, a whole bunch of Seed Bombs came down at Pikachu, but Ash knew what to do.

"That's the spirit, you guys! Pikachu, spin and use Thunderbolt!" Ash ordered, confusing everyone. This also applied to Clemont and Serena until the latter remembered a strategy Ash mentioned learning in Sinnoh. Pikachu spun on the ground and use Thunderbolt, which destroyed the seed bombs and rendered the electric mouse unharmed.

"What the heck was that?" Clemont asked in surprise.

"That, guys, was Ash's trademark 'Counter-Shield' technique developed in Sinnoh. The only other ones that have used it are Dawn with Quilava and his rival Paul with Gastrodon," explained Serena. "Ash has also used it with his Infernape and Buizel as well."

"Hey, that was pretty cool," said Calem. "Quilladin, Energy Ball!" Quilladin formed a ball of green energy and fired it at Pikachu.

"Pikachu, hit it back with Iron Tail!" Ash ordered. When the Energy Ball got near, Pikachu used his Iron Tail to swat it back near Quilladin, stirring up dust when it hit. "Okay, Pikachu, use Quick Attack!" The mouse Pokémon built up speed and rushed towards his opponent, slamming into Quilladin and knocking it unconscious.

"Quilladin is unable to battle! The winner is Pikachu, meaning that the victory goes to Ash!" While Shauna was sad that Calem lost, she and the others were happy that Ash made him realize the value of bonds.

"That was quite a battle there, Calem. Did you learn anything from it?"

"Yeah, Ash, I did. That encouragement is what I needed to improve on my training. I even noticed that Quilladin's Seed Bomb and Energy Ball attacks have improved as well. Thanks," Calem answered.

"No prob. If we keep training, I know we'll be able to beat Korrina. Just you wait," Ash said encouragingly. Calem nodded at that.


The group didn't realize that they were being spied on by a familiar short kid. "I can't believe he's back. It just can't be Calem. He's changed into someone who's just like Ash Ketchum," Trevor said, talking to himself. "He's probably going to steal Serena away from me again. Nobody touches her except me."

PART 1 END


Okay, I decided to do about 2 or 3 parts to this one. Consider it a special. It'll be the first time in any of my harem series that a girl leaves the king for another person that they actually loved (mind you, the girls in Ichigo Kurosaki's harem in the 'Black Crescent' series all love him in that, as do Cathy and Rio loving Yuma Tsukumo in the Yu-Gi-Oh! Zexal one-shots I do). I'd like your opinion on this story, thank you.

Also, I got a review on my 'Merry Christmas, Rika' one-shot from an atheist telling me to leave religion out of my stories, claiming it has no place on FFN or in public schools. He even called religion rude. I happen to be a Pentecostal Christian, so that one downright ticked me off. Talk about being hypocritical. That was rude right there. That is a one-shot that displays my faith in God the most. The Lord had me write that and I'm proud of it. I stand by it just like I stand by my other stories. The nerve of this jerk. Unfortunately, this guy is a registered member of the site, so I can't delete the comment. All I can do is pray for him while he most likely watches George Carlin's stand-up specials on Netflix or something.