Hey fellow Amourshippers (and Laserbladeshippers, too)! I'm back! I know, I've been gone over a month and a half now! I feel bad about that, but between the League and Flare there wasn't much inspiration to be gotten for any oneshots, though I'm hard at work on the final installment in the Ancienverse! That's hardly important here, though. I hope you're all back to read my latest Ancienverse oneshot. It may seem…similar to a past oneshot of mine, but still very different and set between (or after) XYZ 43 and 44. I hope you enjoy.
Author: Epicocity
Rating: K Plus
Primary Pairings: Amourshipping, Laserbladeshipping
Secondary Pairings: Marissonshipping, Fleurdegrenadeshipping, Sycamore/Anything that moves (joking)
DISCLAIMER: We know the drill. Don't own!
Seconds, Skates and Science
An Amourshipping and Laserbladeshipping Pokémon Story
"A double date? What's that?" Ash asked, a small bit of potato hanging out of his mouth. He realized this and quickly brought it back in his mouth. After he swallowed, he continued on. "Is that like two dates in a row?"
"No, Ash," Serena said kindly, lightly putting a piece of potato into her own mouth. Clemont watched the happy couple with a growing feeling of dread. This was not going to be good. Not at all. Especially not from where he was sitting, and certainly not thanks to who he was sitting between. "A double date is when two couples go out together."
"Oh…but that's kinda weird," Ash commented. Inside, Clemont was nodding his head fervently. Yes, Ash, don't let her do it…don't let her do it…he was begging his best friend. His internal pleading drew attention from Bonnie next to him and she poked his arm, causing him to tilt over a little and onto the arm of the other girl next to him. Flushing with embarrassment, Clemont kept his mouth shut as Korrina pushed him back up with a smile. "Aren't couples supposed to do things alone? You know, just the two of us."
"Well, yeah," Serena said and she tapped her chin, a piece of bread dropping from it and onto Pikachu's head. The electric mouse shook it off and proceeded to comfortably eat his pokepuff. "But sometimes it's nice to do something different. Different kind of conversation, different activities…not that I'm bored, Ash! But, after everything that happened, I…thought it might be nice."
"Sounds like fun to me!" Korrina cheered out, throwing her hands in the air. Clemont noticeably paled, though it looked like only Bonnie caught on in the light at their dinner table.
It wasn't that he didn't want to go on a date with Korrina. That wasn't it at all. Clemont was very attracted to the energetic whirlwind that was the Shalour Gym Leader. Sure, she was so hyper she just paid attention to the first things on her mind (which upon their reunion in the Kalos Crisis seemed to be Ash's Greninja), but he appreciated her heart and vigor. Simply put, he just wasn't sure he was ready for a second date with her. Not now, at least. Not with…not with Clembot gone, and Squishy. In some way, Clemont felt they'd lost more than they gained despite Bonnie's smiles and Mairin's presence and Korrina returning alongside them to Lumiose to help with the rebuilding, along with the other Gym Leaders.
"I'm still so confused…" Ash commented, throwing his head back. Pikachu looked at his trainer for a moment, blinking. "I was just starting to get a hand on this 'boyfriend' thing but now you tell me there's something called 'double dating'. How many other kinds of dating are there? !"
"Uh…not many others," Serena giggled out before taking a napkin and wiping away some leftover cheese on his cheek. Clemont wanted to sink into the floor at such a sight, and Ash looked just as embarrassed. "It's just, I saw Viola and Grant in the city when I was spreading some refreshments with Mairin today and it reminded me that there are actually a lot of other couples out there, and since Clemont and Korrina are an item…I mean, unless I'm mistaken."
"Uh, I thought we were," Korrina confessed, laughing a little before she looked to Clemont. He genuinely had no response other than nodding fervently. They had gone on a date, so he figured that he would have to say they were dating. Not that it was ever enough for Bonnie, and while she hadn't pulled her usual shtick lately, Clemont had a worry that she would sooner than later. The grin on her face practically confirmed it. "Great! Then why don't we do it, Clemont!"
"D-do it? I-I've never set up a date!" Clemont admitted. Bonnie suddenly patted him on the back.
"Don't worry big bro, I'll help you," she said sagely. That offer scared him even more than it should have; he never knew what was going on in his sister's mind during moments like this. And with her still recovering from Squishy's departure, he had an extra worry of how much she'd try to do to compensate.
"I was fine with planning the double date, though," Serena admitted, sitting back in her chair. She folded up the napkin and placed it down gingerly. "You don't really need to do anything, since I am the one who asked for it."
"Nah, Clemont and I can handle it, right?" Ash asked, wearing his usual grin. Serena looked to beam at him for this with an unnecessary thanks. Clemont, however, looked straight at Ash and could see the positive panic in his eyes. He was just as clueless about how to handle this kind of date as he was.
"If you say so…Korrina, do you think you'd be up for it tomorrow night?" Serena asked kindly. Korrina jumped out of her seat and pumped her fist energetically. Clemont would have laughed a little at her energy, but it just kept leading him back to the thought of what he was going to be doing.
"Yeah! I don't have to leave for another couple of days or so; I'm more than up for it!"
"Great. Then let's clean up the dishes and wash them. You, too, Bonnie," Serena said, finishing off her food and standing. Bonnie removed her hand from Clemont's back and stood with them.
"Yes, Mother Serena," she teased with her tongue poking out. Korrina finished wiping her own mouth and picked up a whole stack of plates. Lucario did the same and they walked off to the kitchen with Serena. Oddly enough, it wasn't a strange sight; they'd had such a revolving door of dinner guests since the repair of the city started that seeing a Pokémon carrying dinner dishes was the least odd thing. When they finished, Ash leaned across the table, frightening Pikachu.
"Clemont, what do we do? !" he asked in abject horror.
"What do you mean 'what do we do'? You're the one who's been on a number of dates, Ash! I've been on one!" Clemont pointed out. Pikachu looked between the both of them. Ash blinked rapidly a few times before furiously running his hands through his hair.
"But…but…but that's easy! I know Serena and what she likes to do and stuff, so those are easy, and she usually plans them," Ash admitted, his voice a little quieter. "I have no idea if we have to plan for both of them, though!"
"Neither do I!" Clemont shot back. Both of the boys looked at each other, a little despair setting in until Pikachu appeared to sigh. Gamboling across the table slightly, he grabbed a paper napkin that was left over and Serena's cloth napkin.
"What're you doin' buddy?" Ash asked. Pikachu didn't answer a moment as he first took the paper napkin and wrapped it around his neck like a scarf. Ash looked at Clemont who just shook his head back. Pikachu kept going and he wrapped the cloth napkin around him like a cape.
"Pi pika!" he proclaimed triumphantly. Ash still didn't get it, but Clemont started to get an idea of what Pikachu was saying. It started to make sense, somehow, as well. Korrina had told him to treat a date like an experiment, proving a hypothesis. The same appeared to apply to setting one up. At the very least, they needed to gather data.
"I get it; Pikachu thinks we should ask some of the adults for ideas."
"Pika!"
"Ooh, that's a great idea! Guess we'll have to since we'd leave Bonnie behind, right?" Ash noted, looking slightly in thought. "Great idea, buddy! We'll talk to them at lunch tomorrow."
"Great!" Clemont agreed. Of course, while Ash still exuded the same confidence that he always did, Clemont still despaired. This had a much greater chance than normal of going very wrong.
The following day was filled with all the hustle and bustle of normalcy. Amidst the clanging and banging of workers (Ash included) repairing Prism Tower from Team Flare's attack, Clemont remained focused on rebuilding Clembot. It was an emotional exercise, and no amount of thinking about their date that night helped it. Only when Korrina stopped by from her job being a courier around the city to give him a snack and a smile did he stop thinking. He liked that since it meant than when he was with her, he thought about nothing but her.
Either way, he was grateful for Ash grabbing him come lunchtime and blasting past Serena, Bonnie and Mairin to run their errands (Pikachu stayed behind with the girls, though). The first place they went was his father's shop as he worked on repairing someone's satellite dish. He had at least twenty of them on a backorder.
"What can I help you boys with?" Meyer asked, wiping his hands of any grease on them. At his question, Ash looked to Clemont, as though confirming that they would be doing this together. Clemont nodded.
"Dad, we need to plan a date for Serena and Korrina," he said confidently, though his voice wavered slightly towards the end. Meyer said nothing for a moment…and then he started crying, reaching forward and taking both of the boys into a bone crushing hug.
"Oh, my boy is so grown up! And Ash, too! Scoring such beautiful ladies somehow!" he cried out. Ash and Clemont felt their faces unfortunately squeezed up against each other, but could say nothing until Meyer finally deemed it all right to let them go. "Of course I'll help my son plan his first date."
"Second," Clemont squeaked out. Meyer looked at him in surprise, and he was afraid his father would start crying again. "It's my second date, and it's a double with Ash and Serena. So…"
"Well, we were kinda wondering, since you were married and all," Ash said nervously, rubbing his nose, "what did you do with Clemont's mom?"
"Ah…I remember it like it was yesterday," Meyer reminisced, staring off at a point in the ceiling as though seeing something that wasn't quite there. "We roamed the streets night after night, side by side. It was even how we met. Oh, the experience! I'd never give it up for the world, even though she did…"
"Please don't tell me that mom was Combusken Woman or something," Clemont said, the worry creeping into his voice. Meyer laughed at that and both of the boys laughed nervously along with him until he looked at his son seriously.
"Don't be ridiculous, Clemont," he told him. Clemont gave a sigh of relief. "She was Ampharos Hood."
"Well, this got weird," Ash admitted. It was so unlike him to say, but Clemont noticed the outright uncomfortable expression on his face and had to agree. His whole family was beyond weird: his parents being superheroes, his Gym had been run by his robot, and his sister had taken care of a Legendary Pokémon. It couldn't get weirder than that.
"Okay, on that note, dad, we'll be going," Clemont informed his father, who was stuck in another memory, it seemed. "Thanks for the help."
Ash and Clemont both had their hands on the door to the shop when Meyer called back to them. "Hold on, just a minute boys. Take this."
"What is it?" Ash asked, grabbing the slips of paper that Meyer was handing over, four in total. Clemont drew closer and saw that they seemed to be standing reservations at Restaurant Le Wow, one of the most popular restaurants in the city. He had to admit to being surprised at that turn of events.
"Your mother and I had standing reservations there. I'm not putting them to any good use, so why don't you boys use them tonight. Every lady likes a good meal, after all. Any lady worth keeping anyhow." Clemont observed the papers a little longer before Ash stashed them away in his jacket.
"Thanks, dad," Clemont said. Meyer nodded, obviously trying to restrain another hug and session of crying. Both boys took that as their cue to leave, pushing open the doors and disappearing back onto the broken streets of Lumiose City. They were halfway down the boulevard when Clemont turned to Ash. "Why don't we head to the lab? Professor Sycamore might have an idea of what to do on a date. I mean, there were rumors around town that he's somewhat of a ladies' man."
"What's that?" Ash asked. He still nodded, however, and turned them both in the direction of the laboratory. Now that Clemont thought about it, he really had no idea what the term meant. It just seemed to be something that his dad mentioned from time to time and Clemont assumed was true since he was good friends with the professor.
"I have no idea, but it has to help in some way," Clemont admitted. Ash grinned at the prospect and threw his arm around Clemont freely. Once they had separated, they continued on their way to Professor Sycamore's lab, thinking up questions they could ask him.
"There's got to be something we can do other than dinner, right?" Ash asked, adjusting his hat a little as the lab came into view.
"I don't know. Depends on what is and isn't damaged," Clemont admitted before turning in towards the gates and placed a foot on the stairs upward. At that moment, the doors opened and they saw Alain stepping out. He stopped and stared at them. Ash greeted him with his usual smile.
"Hey, Alain! What're you up to?" he asked positively. Alain seemed unsure of how to answer, but smiled back.
"I was helping the professor with fixing the lab up. Charizard is good at reaching the roof. Why are you here, Ash?" the other black-haired trainer asked. To Clemont's eyes and ears, he seemed even more confused about what he was doing than either of the boys felt in planning their date.
"We're trying to plan a date for Serena and Korrina," Ash said cheerily. It only hit Clemont just now how similar their girlfriends' names sounded. Alain looked kind of taken aback by this notion, sliding his eyes over to the blond but saying nothing. "You don't have any ideas, do you?"
"Sorry, but no," Alain admitted. He sounded almost depressed at this factor. "I've, er, never been on a date. Too focused on other things."
"Oh, I get it," Ash said, folding his arms and nodding his head sagely. "You haven't talked to Mairin, have you?"
"What does that have to do with anything?" Alain snapped quickly, but he looked positively mortified. Ash had somehow managed to hit close to the mark, and his fellow raven-haired trainer certainly didn't appear to like it. "Anyway, I need to go out and grab lunch for the professor and Sophie. See you around, Ash."
"Uh, sure," Ash said as his former rival walked past him, vanishing into the streets of the city. Ash turned to Clemont. "Did I say something wrong?"
"Not that I know of," Clemont answered. He couldn't quite comprehend Alain's rather brusque actions regarding the topic of Mairin, either. It was a different voice that answered him.
"Alain is just a very complex young man who doesn't understand what he feels, it seems," called the voice of Professor Sycamore. Ash and Clemont looked over to see the professor waving to them from the door to his lab. "I think Mairin should talk to him, but while she understands what she feels, she's too afraid to even bring up the topic. From your conversation with Alain, I get the feeling you boys are different. What can I do to help?"
"Any ideas for where we could take the girls?" Ash asked. His face was flushed, like he couldn't believe he was asking this of someone. Sycamore didn't respond right away, but walked down the steps one by one until he was standing in front of the pair of them.
"Who says you need to?" he asked with a slight wink. "Isn't all that matters is having a lovely lady on your arm? Treat her like she's everything and she'll go with you anywhere."
"Professor, just what are you telling those boys?" Sycamore flinched a little and turned around with a chuckle, rubbing the back of his neck as he turned to the steely eyed and beautiful form of Sophie, her hands on her hips. "Please don't share your compendium of flirting techniques when you have research to complete."
"It was harmless!" Sycamore protested. Sophie appeared to glare at him even further.
"Augustine!" Sophie's scolding had Sycamore looking more than sheepish as he apologized to both her and the boys before slinking back into the lab, looking slightly deflated. Sophie looked to the boys before going into the lab. "If you want dating advice, boys, just pick an activity you can all do together. Physical activities are always fun. You can even leave your Pokémon here for the date, if you'd like."
Physical…Clemont bemoaned in his head, but he couldn't ask her to elaborate further, or find something alternate because she had already stepped back into the lab. Instead, he turned to Ash with tears in his eyes, willing to plead to not do something physical. Instead of answering, his stomach growled and he laughed.
"Sorry," he apologized. "Let's go get some lunch."
Clemont couldn't argue with that, as he felt quite hungry himself. Knowing that, the two boys flipped around and headed back to Prism Tower. The girls, sans Bonnie, appeared to have left already, and Clemont's sister was sitting at the lunch table making cut out sandwiches that appeared to oddly be in the shape of Squishy.
"Finally, you guys are back!" she said in exasperation. "I was so bored…"
"Sorry, sorry," Ash said as Pikachu leapt up from the floor onto his shoulder again. Ash scratched him behind the ears kindly.
"So…you guys ready for your daaaate?" Bonnie trilled out. Clemont looked over at his companion and both carried the same look of concern for their prospects. Bonnie, being her extremely perceptive self as usual, peered at the both of them suspiciously. "Of course you aren't…This is why you need someone to take care of you, big brother."
"Bonnie, this isn't the time for that!" Clemont scolded her. Ash tried to sneak away from the sibling argument to nab a delicious looking sandwich. "I have a date with Korrina and I'm totally unprepared other than a dinner! I don't need your jokes!"
"It's not a joke…geez, Clemont, you're totally useless without me," Bonnie said, her grin stretching her face, making her look positively diabolical. "Don't worry! Just take them to the roller-skating rink."
"There's a roller-skating rink?" Ash asked; more like sprayed, on account of the sandwich in his mouth. Bonnie nodded and sat back with her legs kicking outwards.
"Yup, Korrina was talking about it at lunch today," she said. Seeing that his sister was about to put her feet on the table, Clemont reached over and stopped her. "Said she wanted to try it out but didn't have time. Serena looked real interested, too."
"Wait, were you doing reconnaissance?" Clemont asked. Bonnie positively beamed at the recognition. "Why would you do that, Bonnie?"
"You're my big brother, Clemont. I want you to be happy and find someone who can take care of you. If Korrina works out, that's great, but I need to help you make it work!" she confessed, getting off the chair to grab Dedenne. "Don't worry about it, they didn't know."
"Bonnie has a pretty good idea," Ash pointed out. "I like it."
"I guess…but a roller-skating rink…"
"Just think of it as a way for Korrina to take you into her arms to guide you," Bonnie muttered under her breath. Clemont thought for sure that he must have misunderstood her, and allowed it to pass as a whisper on the wind when she didn't bring it up. Rather, she raised her voice. "Well, glad I could help, big brother. Now let's get the two of you ready for your dates because I'm still sure you have no fashion sense at all!"
"I can't do this, Ash! Roller-skating? Roller-skating?" Clemont was sure he was close to hyperventilating now, and he was definitely sure he couldn't breathe. It didn't help that he wasn't wearing his ever-so-comfortable jumpsuit that made him feel happier and safe. No, he was wearing something similar to Ash with jeans and a collared shirt. It made him feel a little stupid, but Bonnie had insisted. Though, while Ash was wearing a button-up, he was stuck with a polo.
"Of course, you can!" Ash encouraged him, pumping his fist a little. Even Pikachu nodded happily, giving him some courage. "You've fought guys from Team Neo and Team Flare. You can handle this!"
"That's battling! That's easy!"
"So is this…kinda. You just gotta be yourself and have fun. Right, Pikachu?"
"Pika!" Pikachu's cry was like an announcement., causing the doors to the further interior of the Lumiose Gym to slide open. Clemont turned his head and was actually surprised. He hadn't expected Korrina to look so…pretty. Not that she wasn't usually, but she often looked wild and untamed. Here, she almost looked positively demure…or embarrassed about the white dress she was wearing. Gone was the miniskirt or shorts. Ash didn't seem nearly as surprised about Serena's appearance: a blue and yellow sundress with slight hair decorations. Coming out behind them was Bonnie, who Pikachu ran to.
"Er…uh…you look nice, Korrina," Clemont expressed with a light dusting of pink on his face. Korrina smiled, her eyes lighting up and it seemed to make her more comfortable with her state of dress.
"You look great, too!" she confirmed. Clemont felt relieved. Maybe this wasn't as bad as he thought, though he did feel a little pressure by the sight of Ash taking Serena's hand like it was the most natural thing in the world. Bonnie suddenly stepped up behind Clemont and gave him a nudge.
"Take her hand, Clemont," she hissed. On top of her head, Dedenne was chattering the same thing (or so he presumed). Clemont didn't move. "Ugh, fine. Have fun, though! Daddy'll be here to take me to dinner and drop off Ash and Serena's Pokémon soon, okay? Tell me everything when you get back."
"Bonnie, that's not-"
"All right, let's go!" Ash said, throwing his hand into the air. Even though it happened to be connected to Serena's she seemed to have no problem following his movements. Nor did she have a problem when what Clemont considered to be the Alpha Couple led them out of the Gym and onto the streets. That was when their first, well he wouldn't call it a problem, occurred. "Uh, Clemont, do you know exactly where we're going?"
"Oh, right. I forgot that you put me in charge of the map," Clemont chuckled nervously. This was so beyond weird, and with Korrina standing right next to him he was all the more nervous, fumbling with the map more than his inventor's fingers would usually suggest. After a tense moment (in his own mind) he was able to bring up the path to the rink on Hibernal Avenue. Knowing he'd have to take the lead or they'd go nowhere, Clemont swallowed his fear of this situation and strove forward. Korrina came to be right at his side.
"So, where are we going? Bonnie wouldn't actually tell us anything," Korrina commented.
"She didn't?" Clemont asked, utterly surprised. He really figured that Bonnie would spill everything. The thought of Bonnie and what she had said entered his mind and he looked down at Korrina's swinging arms; she really couldn't help but be rather kinetic in every moment. That made it pretty much impossible to take her hand in the first place so he chose to table it for the moment and focus on leading them to their destination.
Korrina's reaction was predictable, so that was a good start.
"A skating rink! That's totally awesome! Let's go, Clemont!" Turned out, he didn't need to grab her hand because she grabbed his and dragged him inside, leaving a bemused Ash and Serena in the dust. It all became a blur for a moment there as Korrina led them inside, switched out the strappy sandals that (in her babbling he had learned) Serena had chosen for her, in order to wear the skates while also helping Clemont choose. Before he was even aware, they were on the edge of the rink where various families and Pokémon were skating, including a little girl and her Pichu that kept falling but laughing it off. Clemont felt suddenly self-conscious.
"Breathe, Clemont. Just keep breathing," he told himself, but he found himself unable to take a step forward. Korrina, who had done a quick lap around the rink came back to him with a grin on her face, her white dress rippling around her figure.
"You okay, Clemont?" she asked, doing a quick pirouette in place. Clemont looked up at her and realized that his legs were knocking back and forth.
"I can't feel my legs," he whispered out. Korrina threw her head back and laughed a little. "Not really funny."
"You're right, it's not. So, I'll teach you!" He wanted to vehemently protest, but he didn't as Korrina grabbed his hands and dragged (or rolled) him onto the skating rink. The second his wheels hit the floor, he felt like he wanted to vomit, until he realized he was actually gliding along quite easily with his hands in Korrina's. She acted like this was super natural, and Clemont started to forget that he wasn't quite on solid footing.
Over a little, he caught sight of Serena and Ash, both more tentative than Korrina, but more energetic than he was, skating onto the rink together. They looked like they were having fun, hand in hand, though Ash's feet tended to start slipping a little. When he would stop, Serena's coordination would momentarily fail as well and they ended up having to hold onto each other for support. Maybe this isn't so bad…
Oh, he wished he hadn't thought that. It was like tempting fate, he realized a second later. After all, Clemont was fine up until Korrina appeared to decide that he was fine on his own and went for another lap around the rink. The second she let go and he decided to skate even a little forward, he slipped, flipped through the air, and landed right on his face. His glasses knocked askew, he couldn't even see anything until someone reached down and fixed them.
"Sorry," Korrina apologized, helping him up. "I'm always so eager to go skating that I forget that others aren't as skilled."
"I'd rather have a battle against your Mega Lucario than to do this," Clemont admitted tremulously. Regardless, he accepted Korrina's hand and allowed himself to be helped up. "I'm not coordinated."
"Aw, come on, Clemont! All it takes is practice!" Korrina encouraged him. "It's not like I magically woke up one day able to skate! Besides, you must have some coordination to be able to invent things with your hands, right?"
"I-I guess so," he admitted. In the corner of his eye, he saw Ash and Serena moving slowly but steadily, their skates now gliding rather smoothly. Seeing them, close to screwing up but still wearing smiles on their faces, firmed some resolve within him. He couldn't give up. Roller skating wasn't his kind of thing, but it made Korrina happy; it was similar to how science made him happy. To that end, he was going to master this. "All right, let's do this then!"
"Yeah! Yeah!" With that, Korrina took his hands again, spun him a little and then set about teaching him how to skate. It was certainly an interesting experience, and he'd had no shortage of mistakes. However, it was a little embarrassing, especially with the girl and her Pichu watching them. Korrina was a good teacher in any case, despite her zealousness causing her to forget his novice state of roller-skating. That caused him to faceplant a few more times, leaving his face covered in bandages by the time they had left the rink.
"That looks like it hurts, Clemont," Serena said, almost wincing at the Band-Aid over his nose. Clemont winced with her. It really wasn't painful, but every one was a sign of his failure on the rink. Korrina looked a little apologetic about it, likely for letting go of him far more than she should have.
"It's more my pride that's bruised."
"Mine too. I kinda sucked as a teacher," Korrina admitted, running some fingers through her hair. The quartet was approaching a nearby plaza, the banging of hammers heard in the distance as the sun was setting. It made the trees and bushes surrounding the plaza look like they were on fire, while also casting shadows, some of which appeared to move.
"No, you were fine. I told you, I'm horribly uncoordinated."
"Well, it wasn't like we did much better," Serena confessed. "I'm used to dancing, but that was a whole different thing."
"My feet hurt," Ash complained, though he did so with a smile on his face.
"Hey, Ash!" Ash looked up, blinking, and every single one of them turned to the source of the voice. It appeared to be one of the workmen that was fixing up the city. Ash clearly seemed to know him (which was no surprise given his help in patching up the city). "Sorry if I'm interrupting your date, but I caught sight of you and there's a steel beam that fell. You think your Hawlucha could help us out?"
"Uh, I sent Hawlucha to stay at the professor's," Ash admitted with a rub on the back of his neck, "but I don't mind lending a hand for a minute or two. You don't mind, do you, Serena?"
"'Course not," Serena said, waving her hand a little.
"I'll help, too!" Korrina said and Clemont was taken aback. She looked quite fierce, even while wearing her dress. "The more hands the better!"
"Thanks!" the worker said and he, Ash and Korrina walked off towards a Machamp that was carrying supplies in each one of its hands. In seconds, they had turned down a side street, leaving Clemont alone with Serena, who sat down on a small bench by the trees. Clemont joined her.
"They're always so energetic," Serena noted, clasping her hands on her lap. "But…I like that about him. It might get him into trouble, but I love that he's so willing to help people out. I try to do that every day, but it comes so natural to him."
"It does," Clemont agreed. "Serena, can I admit something?"
"Sure."
"This whole thing terrifies me!" he laughed out. "Going on dates, roller-skating, seeing Korrina in a dress. I'm not prepared for it at all! I just like tinkering with my inventions! But, when I saw Korrina so happy doing something she loved, no matter how much I was screwing it up, it made me happy, too."
"That's great, Clemont," she responded back with a smile. "Still, it's nice to have some peace and quiet, too."
"Yeah. Can be hard with them around."
"Don't talk like that!" a voice yelled out from the bushes behind them before a loud muffling sound was heard.
"Shh…they can't hear us."
"But daddy, Clemont is supposed to be with Korrina. Not Serena; she's for Ash."
"Bonnie…" Clemont flushed horribly. Just when he thought things were going so well! Of course, he should have expected his family members to spy on him. He even had a feeling that they'd been doing so almost the entire date since dropping the Pokémon off (which, considering Bonnie had planned the rink, it wasn't out of the picture). Serena laughed, though only long enough for Clemont to see Ash and Korrina returning, both their clothes a little dirty. He'd have to deal with his family later, maybe make some anti-spying devices.
"Sorry about that!" Korrina said, just as her stomach gurgled. "I guess I'm really hungry!"
"Then let's go get some food!" Ash said, offering a hand to Serena so she could get off the bench. Clemont was just fine doing that on his own, only this time he held no fear in actually reaching out and taking Korrina's hand. She didn't say anything, but her smile appeared to widen a fraction. He was rather surprised at how nice it felt, hand-in-hand on their way to Restaurant Le Wow.
Granted, when they reached it, all four of them felt grossly underdressed. Ash seemed to feel that the most, tugging at his collar, though his general demeanor didn't reflect it.
"Um, this place is really fancy, Ash. Are you sure we fit in?" Serena asked, lightly touching the boy's bicep. He just grinned reassuringly.
"No problem! We have reservations after all," he noted and he surged forward to the maitre'd standing there. "Hi, we have a reservation for four."
"Indeed," the man, a thin mustache (which looked attached rather than natural) bristling on his face, said haughtily. He took the reservation papers from Ash and looked them over before nodding with a sniffle. "This way."
"All right," Ash said. Serena hooked her arm with her boyfriend's and they followed after the man. As they did so, he turned to Serena. "You're right. Things go a lot better when you make reservations!"
"This place is really fancy," Korrina remarked from next to Clemont. Their table finally approached into view (or so Clemont thought from the maitre'd's position) and Clemont observed it to be quite a nice one, set underneath a chandelier, yet in a slightly secluded area of the restaurant. His dad really had some good taste, so it was no surprise for him to end up with his mother so easily. "Uh, you okay, Clemont?"
"Totally," Clemont said absentmindedly. He was just too absorbed by all the glitz and glamor of the place. It made him feel really out of place, especially when he thought he spied Viola and Grant at another table dressed in all their finery. If he looked a little closer through the dim lighting, he also thought he could spy Sycamore with a lady (though it may have been Sophie…or Cosette).
"Please peruse our menus and your waiter will be around shortly," the maitre'd said before bowing out and returning to his station. Serena thanked him while Ash pulled her chair out. Clemont chose to emulate him in doing so for Korrina before they all took a seat. Ash was the first to reach for his menu. The others were a little slower, but before Clemont could even open his, he felt an unnatural air of tension cover them.
"Serena," Ash hissed, trying but failing to keep his volume low, "why do these dishes look so small? I mean…a small bowl of salad and a piece of chicken? That's only a single serving."
"Yeah, this seems like a restaurant for people with tiny stomachs," Korrina admitted. Clemont could not disagree in the slightest. It was really just further proof at how inappropriately suited they were for this place. It made an uncomfortable pit form in his stomach that only worsened when the waiter came for their order. Ash looked to still be deciding, trying to find the biggest meal that there was, clearly, but Korrina wasn't quite as patient.
"Do you guys have anything bigger? It's just, I'm pretty hungry, and these meals seem small," she said with a laugh. The waiter simply bowed his head.
"I'm afraid we do not, miss. At best I can bring you a bread basket."
"That would be great," Serena insisted. The waiter then took his leave, allowing them further time to peruse their menus. Clemont wished he hadn't because with him gone, some mutterings began, and it only intensified when Ash's stomach growled far too loudly. Serena seemed to find it amusing with a giggle but the others around them were most offended by it.
"Such uncouth behavior for such a fine establishment."
"And did you hear the way that girl asked for food. Like a boorish brute." Clemont's fists tightened at that. If Korrina was hungry, it was well within her rights to ask for something a little more than this place provided. They didn't need to insult her for something like that. She seemed somewhat oblivious, but he could tell from the rigidness of her body that she'd heard the comments. Soon, the waiter returned with the bread basket.
"Awesome!" both Ash and Korrina exclaimed, grabbing their bread with little hesitation. Serena simply took the role of ordering dinner for all of them. Ash quickly thanked his girlfriend for the deed before munching furiously on his bread. Clemont, too, was ready to eat his own before the comments started again.
"Ugh, I knew it."
"Can't believe such a high-end restaurant would let such brute beasts in here."
"No, we're not!" Korrina suddenly screeched, suddenly standing. Her fists slammed on the table, causing the bread to fly high in the air. The muttering stopped and all eyes focused in on their table. Ash had another bread piece halfway to his mouth while Serena sat there, frozen. Clemont wasn't sure how to react. On one hand, it was embarrassing; on the other, they had been uncalled for. "We're just people trying to eat a good meal. Besides, don't you people recognize the Heroes of Kalos when you see them?"
"Korrina, it's okay," Serena tried to say, but Clemont could tell Korrina was gone from there. She had every right to be, too. However, Clemont also realized how the situation could worsen, so he stood.
"No, it's not! These people are being rude just because we don't eat like them…it's not right."
"Umm…maybe we should go, huh?" Ash remarked. His observation was surprisingly perceptive, even if admitted with a nervous expression. "Obviously some people aren't happy about us being here, and I don't think we'd get very full here anyway. Maybe we can stop at a café on the way to pick up our Pokémon from the lab."
"I think that sounds like a good idea, Ash," Serena admitted and the couple stood. Korrina's body was still quaking from anger. Clemont knew she wouldn't stop her righteous indignation until they were gone from there, so summoning his courage in the face of his new girlfriend's rage, he reached up and grabbed her slender arm.
"Korrina, let's go," he said softly before tugging on her. She didn't want to budge at first, but eventually, Clemont was able to start moving her along. They were far behind Ash and Serena, who looked to be apologizing to the maitre'd before exiting the establishment. Clemont and Korrina quickly picked up pace to meet them on the streets, though they were moving forward at a quick pace.
"Hey, Clemont, Korrina! We're gonna go get our Pokémon from the lab. We'll meet you back at Prism Tower, 'kay?" Ash called back with a wave and a grin. Clemont could only nod before he and Serena disappeared. At that, he hung his head, only to find Korrina doing the same.
"We really screwed up, huh?" Clemont chuckled out. She shook her head in response.
"I screwed up," she corrected. He didn't agree with that particular notion. He made sure to tell her so.
"No you didn't. They were really rude and you stood up for all of us," he told her, even going so far as to place a hand on her shoulder. She looked a little cheerier at that.
"Thanks, Clemont," she said in response. "Though I feel bad because Serena and Ash didn't really get to enjoy their date."
"I think that's normal for them," Clemont informed her with an adjustment of his glasses. Korrina still looked kind of upset about that particular notion, however. The inventor's expression turned contemplative, trying to think about how to cheer her up when she suddenly slammed her fist onto her open palm.
"I got it! Let's make some fireworks!"
"Make some fireworks?" Clemont asked.
"Sure! You're an inventor, so you must have made some, and you can teach me. Like I taught you about roller-skating!" Clemont had to admit that it was a really great idea, and an activity he wouldn't mind sharing with her. "Come on, Clemont, whaddya say? We can set them off when Ash and Serena get back to the tower."
"Okay…yeah, that sounds like a plan," Clemont agreed. Korrina pumped her fist in triumph and quickly grabbed his wrist before dragging the both of them off quickly to Prism Tower. The streets were quieting down as the work was finishing for the day, making them all easy to navigate on their way back. Clemont wasn't surprised to see Bonnie and his father resting in the Gym area while Bonnie played with Dedenne.
"Hey, Clemont! How was your date?" she asked with a wide grin. Clemont would have glared at her and accused her of spying, but instead he ignored her to take the lead so they could grab materials to make fireworks. He wasn't all that used to it, but he had made a couple of fireworks before with his inventions and he was ready to do so now, laying them all out on his work table.
"All right, so what do we do first?" Korrina asked. She tied her hair back in a ponytail and proceeded to bunch her dress up a little so it wouldn't get in the way. Looking all too eager to work, Clemont showed her the designs. It was hard to explain aloud so he just went about the process of demonstrating how to make one. That was all Korrina seemed to need…even if her first three exploded a little in her face. "Now I know how you feel when all of yours blow up!"
"It is a process, but the future is now thanks to science."
"And it's a real pretty future with these fireworks!" With her definitive proclamation, Korrina and Clemont continued to put their all into making their fireworks, with only a few missteps along the way. Bonnie attempted to peek in on them, but Meyer would always pull her back. Clemont was grateful.
"All right, I think we have a good collection of stuff here," Clemont said, proud of their hasty work. Usually, he knew it would take a long time, but with his Easy Firework Maker Solution, their future filled with fireworks was now! "Now, let's get to the top of the tower."
"All right!" Korrina said, reaching a fist out to Clemont. He decided to give it a small fistbump before grabbing their box of stuff and hauling it in the direction of the elevator up. It didn't take all too long and they were standing on top, surveying the massive expanse of the city. It already looked much better than it had after Team Flare had made their attack. Most importantly, though, was that Clemont noticed Ash and Serena approaching with ice cream cones.
"Ooh, let me fire the first one!" Korrina asked, reaching into the box. A gust of wind blew past and her hand brushed his upon grabbing the first one, while her hair accidentally caressed his face. Clemont felt that he was on fire from it, his heart beating rapidly. All the science in the world wasn't helping him now. All he could do was stand back and watch as Korrina fired off a firework in the shape of a Pikachu. "Yay!"
Clemont truly grinned at the giddy expression on her face before deciding to fire off his own, red in the shape of a Braixen. Down below, it appeared that Ash and Serena had stopped to gaze at the fireworks made just for them, Pikachu on his partner's shoulder. That made his heart swell with happiness, to see his two best friends lighting up with such joy at what was going on above their heads. It made the date feel more than worth it.
"This was awesome, Clemont. A really great time," Korrina said, and Clemont turned to her. She had stepped a little closer to him and for a moment, Clemont really understood why Ash and Serena were so happy together. It was those little moments like this, looking at the person you cared about. Science didn't matter, didn't play a role in the overwhelming feelings he had for Korrina in that moment. Her soft, yet jubilant expression was enough.
"M-me, too. You really helped me," he said. She had pushed his boundaries, brought out a well of bravery he hadn't known existed. So, he decided to bring up one more batch of courage to reach forward and wrap his arms around her. Korrina was surprised, but she returned the hug with obvious reciprocation. It just felt like the two of them, standing there.
Suddenly, Korrina's knees buckled for some reason and her head dipped a bit. Despite hearing the sounds of skittering footsteps running away from them, Clemont couldn't think. Korrina's lips were on his own, no matter for how brief a time. Swallowing a little, his eyes widened at the same time as hers before they both withdrew. Not quite how he had expected it to happen, but looking at Korrina, she actually looked…pleased?
"Yeah…real nice time," she said breathlessly. Clemont certainly had to regain his own breath. "I know I have to go back to Shalour in a couple days, but what do you say to meeting up again once things quiet down?"
"I'd like that, Korrina," Clemont said. Joining his hand with hers, both of the Gym Leaders turned to watch the twinkling night sky and the last embers of their fireworks fading away as Ash and Serena did the same below. Life was good.
Fín
Author's Note: Obviously, the biggest inspiration, in a way, was that this was similar to my first oneshot for this universe: a zany date experience. However, this one was obviously not nearly as zany as the first one but I hope you laughed or enjoyed the fluff for both ships, though it obviously focused on one over the other (considering what my chaptered installments focus on…) However, the next one will be a straight up Amourshipping oneshot that will serve to tie into the final story, which will drop…..October 4th!
So, hopefully you enjoyed. A thanks to those who reviewed my last oneshot a month and a half back. I hope you're all still around and can enjoy this one. If you did so, please leave me a Review, and as always,
Dare to Be Silly,
Epicocity