A/N: Hello, there!

This is a small drabble series I thought of a while back...and well, I decided to post it as a side project...and mostly to write some pokemon! Anyway, this series will be updated here and there...if you want, you can even request a prompt if you like! if only to not run out of ideas! :)

Anyway, hope you enjoy this simple chapter...next chapter's going to be a little less...intense, I guess.


Step 1

How to use an escape rope

(…you can't use this here…no really, you can't.)

Serena gave a loud sigh as she sat down; her legs hurt.

She had been wandering the streets of Lumiose like a lost Psyduck, all the while avoiding the strangers that constantly asked for a battle here and there.

The Elite Four did warn her though, as did Calem and Shauna and Tierno and Trevor…

…going out after being declared the Kalos Champion had been a terrible idea.

Everyone was constantly asking for a battle.

Most of them didn't even have all eight badges, but what could she do. She just couldn't say no and be done with it…she could avoid them, but saying no was a big 'NO' in her book…although that was mostly because she just couldn't say 'no' to someone and be done with it.

Grace would always tell her it was a bad habit…not that Serena was complaining.

But she wanted to complain…just a bit. Just a tiny little bit…well, maybe a lot more than a bit.

She didn't think going out shopping would be this hard!

She was the Champion, sure, but she still wanted to go out shopping, too! Couldn't trainers wait until she was back at the Pokémon League, at least?

No, they can't…Rini, Serena though as she let out a loud sigh. Always rushing…always running…hah…maybe I should just put a paper bag over my head…they couldn't recognize me like that…could they?

Serena shook her head.

No…she'll probably catch more attention that way.

"Hey! Champion! Where you ran off to, huh!?"

Serena froze as she heard the shouting again. Taking a peak from her hiding place, she saw them.

It was a group of five, maybe ten trainers, young men and women, turning from left to right in an effort to spot her. The young Champion hid in the shadows and watched them closely.

"I can't believe she ran off! What a coward!" a young man spat, looking angry.

Serena frowned but said nothing as another trainer smacked the one that had spoken in the head. "Don't be stupid, man! Coward? Please! As if!"

"Then why is she hiding from us? I thought Champions were in for the challenge!"

"She probably thinks she can't take us," another said, looking smug.

"Or she is unprepared." A young woman said looking amused.

Serena shook her head.

Or maybe she was just going out shopping and only brought one Pokémon! she thought, fuming.

"She's just a coward, I'm telling ya!" the guy that had spoken before spoke again. Serena glared but didn't dare move.

Nope. She wasn't going to give in.

They could call her whatever they wanted but no way was she going to waste her time! Even that kid with the Scatterbug wasn't this bad! And he had the gall to insult her too!

"Yo, Rini…"

Serena almost jumped when she heard the voice; she turned and spotted Emma, with Mimi in her arms. The young trainer sighed in relief as she noticed her old friend.

"Ah…hey, there Emma…and you too, Mimi…" She waved at the small Espurr and then turned to face the girl with a smile. "Sorry, scared me for a minute there…"

"I scared you?" Emma asked, looking amused by her question. "You don't look very happy…" She noticed the group of trainers in the distance and frowned. "Wow…if this is what it means to be a strong trainer…tough luck…"

"It's not so bad…"

If they weren't chasing her like mad Mr. Mimes, she wouldn't be saying that of course. Everyone has heard of the 'locking eyes with a trainer to fight' but this was just ridiculous.

"She's quite the weakling then…if she had to run away from moi," a girl spoke up, causing everyone in the group of trainers to start calling her out. Emma glared.

"…not so bad? That doesn't sound good, either."

"Gah…I'm sure they didn't mean it," Serena whispered, noticing Mimi glaring (and glowing…this was not good). "Please don't get mad, Emma…"

"Why not?" the girl asked, looking annoyed as the trainers nearby continued to insult her friend by calling her 'coward' or 'weakling'. "That kind of attitude is a no on my book! No one gives my friends a bad time!"

"Emma…"

"Come, Serena! You don't care?"

"I do…but I don't see the need to," Serena smiled even as the yells of 'Coward Champion, come on out!' rang in her ears. "Mom used to tell me that giving in to demands of jerks wasn't going to make things better."

"But…"

"They want a Pokémon battle…and I can't give them one now…see?" She took out a Poké ball from her pocket. "I only brought Vulkan with me…but he's new to the team and those guys might give him a hard time."

"I'll give them a hard time!" Emma cried, glaring. Serena sighed again and put a hand in the girl's shoulder.

"…come on, Emma…it won't do any good…"

Emma was silent for a while, before sighing.

"You're just like Mr. Looker…why fight when you can reason…" Serena smiled.

"If there was one thing Mr. Looker's translation skills thought me, is that if you don't see the need for a fight, don't fight it...or at least try to understand what the other person is saying before assuming they want expensive tea and cookies."

Emma smiled and shook her head.

"Fine, you win…come on, then! Let's go to the agency, then! You can hide there until these jerks are gone!"

Serena smiled and nodded.

"Sure, lead the way!"

And they took off, heading straight towards the Looker Bureau.

(Eventually, Serena forgot about her shopping altogether and had a good time with her friends...which was certainly better than shopping.)