Hey, what's this? It's a second story I plan to work on while also continuing my other story "Champions and Crushes". Don't worry, that one is being worked on at the same pace as this and they will both be finished.
Now, just a few details about this story. Once again, it is going to be an Amourshipping story, but this time it's going to be set a while back. This story takes place shortly after XYZ 17 (Noivern's evolution) and splits off from canon from that point on. Now then, let's get onto the fun part.
Ch 1: A Welcomed Surprise!
"Hey, did you hear about the tournament being held in Dubayy City?"
Those simple words spoken between two passing trainers was all it took to catch Ash's attention. Dropping his fork, the young trainer made his way over to his two fellow trainers before they could leave the Pokemon Center they were all staying at for the day.
"Did one of you mention a tournament?" He asked while walking up to the two trainers. One could just see the excitement in his face from those simple words and he was hoping to have not misheard them.
"Yeah, I did," one of the two trainers replied as he handed over a flier he had found. "It's to help promote a new tourist attraction in Dubayy City. They're hosting an open invitation tournament for all who are interested. I've heard only the best trainers are showing up for this."
"Did you hear that, Pikachu! A tournament filled with the best trainers around! We just have to go and compete," the raven haired trainer told his best friend as they looked over the flier. Thanking the duo Ash made his way back to his friends, hardly able to hold in his excitement.
"What was that all about?" Clemont asked as he started to clean their table off. They still had a long way to go if they planned on making it to Gloire City for Serena's Master Class competition.
"Some place called Dubayy City is hosting a tournament for anyone to come and compete in. It sounds so awesome," Ash explained as he handed over the flier.
Everything that he had explained was on the flier, although there wasn't much information to begin with. All the flier told them was that a tournament was being held in Dubayy City in exactly one week.
"Dubayy City, why does that sound familiar?" Serena muttered as she stared at the flier. She couldn't remember exactly, but something about the city reminded Serena of something from her past. Pulling out her travel guide, Serena searched the city to see why it was familiar.
"Of course! Dubayy City is Kalos' number one tourist attraction. It's actually a city built in the middle of a desert."
"Why would anyone travel to a desert for fun? Sounds like a waste of time," Bonnie joined in as she looked at the travel guide.
"But, the city isn't in the desert. You see, they built a huge city filled with anything imaginable being there. Shopping districts that run for miles, the region's best restaurants and even a Pokémon battling arena home to some of the most intense matches ever seen. It even says here that they have a new museum exhibit opening up about the history of the city."
"Wow, Serena, you seem to know quite a bit about Dubayy City," Clemont responded as he looked at some of the pictures of the city. Serena had been right about everything as the city appeared to be encased in a glass dome, preventing the harsh weather of the desert from affecting the city.
"Well, I may have gone there as a little kid," she answered sheepishly before playing with her ribbon a little. "You see, before my mom retired from Rhyhorn Racing she had a race out there. Of course, I was too young to remember any of it but from the pictures my mom took it was beautiful."
"I wish I could go and see it..." Bonnie muttered as everyone took a turn to look at the pictures of the beautiful city. "There must be so many cute Pokémon living there."
"Well, why don't we all go then?" Ash asked as he stood up from his seat.
"From what your map is showing, Serena, we have to head that way anyways. Instead of taking the left at the fork, we'll go right and arrive at Dubayy City. It might throw us off a little for reaching the Master Class though."
"That's alright," Serena said as she put Dubayy City in as their current destination. "It could be a good chance to relax a little before the Master Class. Plus, I might get some inspiration for a performance from your battles." Of course, she also had another idea about stopping there.
For Serena, she hoped that being in a city as beautiful as Dubayy would allow her to finally confess to Ash all of her feelings she had stored up. How she wished to just tell him how much she liked... no, loved him. At first it had just been a small schoolgirl crush from when he saved her when they were younger, but after traveling with him for so long, that crush had blossomed into full on love for the raven haired trainer.
"Oh, come on, Serena, you have to join in the fun and compete," Bonnie nudged the Pokémon Performer as she tried to convince her. "How many chances do you have to enter a tournament being hosted in Kalos' number one tourist attraction.
"I... I don't know about that Bonnie. I'm not exactly the best battler. What if I mess up and one of my Pokémon get hurt? I would feel awful if that happened."
"But it won't happen," Ash answered truthfully as he placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. The feel of it alone made Serena stop worrying about messing up. "As long as you have fun and give it your all then nothing will go wrong. So, what do you say?"
Serena just stared at Ash and his brown eyes, sometimes she could just get lost from staring at them. But she knew better than to do that right now. Shaking her head to clear her mind, the honey blonde performer opened her mouth to finally answer.
"I guess I'll give the tournament a chance. Like you said, it could be a fun time. Plus, it'll be something different that I might be able to apply to my performances for the Master Class."
"That's the spirit, Serena! How about you, Clemont?" Ash asked excitedly as he slung his arm over the inventor's shoulders. "Are you entering as well?"
"Actually, I was planning on entering this tournament. I decided that it could be a good chance to see just how far I've come since going on this journey. When I left with you, Ash, I promised myself to grow as not only a trainer but as a person as well. And what better chance to test myself out than here."
"Alright, Clemont!" Bonnie hollered as Dedenne and Squishy popped out of her bag to join in. "Next stop Dubayy City!"
"But not until we clean up everything," Clemont continued as he took another plate off of the table. "And besides, I think it would be best if we waited until tomorrow to head off. It should be getting dark out real soon."
"That's fine by me," Ash stated proudly as he took his own dishes off of the table. "This way I'll have some extra time to train for the tournament!" Reaching for his four Poké Balls, Ash opened them all up as his four other teammates appeared before him.
"Alright everyone, we have a tournament coming up. I figured it could be a good chance to get some extra training in before our next gym! Plus, it'll allow Noivern to compete in live battles!"
Ash's Pokémon all reacted in the same manner as he had upon hearing of the tournament; joy. Raising their hands and wings into the air from excitement, Ash's group of his five Pokémon and himself made their way over to a practice field.
"Are you excited for the tournament, Serena?" Clemont asked as the duo made their way over to a sink with the group's dishes. "I certainly am. My heart is racing at the thought of all the competitors that'll be there."
Serena just let out a nervous chuckle as she noticed Bonnie make her way towards them with the last of the dishes. "I guess I'm just a little bit nervous. Unlike you or Ash, this'll be my very first time battling in an official battle. Sure there were the times we battle Team Rocket, but those aren't the same as being in a stadium with thousands of people watching you."
"Trust me when I say this, but out of all of us, you should be the least worried about performing in front of people. You literally go on stage and perform in front of the entire Kalos Region. Just do as Ash said and give it your all. I'm sure you'll be fine."
"Thanks, Clemont, that really helped," Serena said as she finished drying off a plate. Meanwhile, the blond inventor had taken a leave of absence to go and pack up their supplies. He was hoping to make for an easy departure in the morning so that they could arrive early to Dubayy City.
Serena now worked alone in the kitchen as she cleaned the last of the dishes... Or at least she thought she was alone.
"So, are you going to kiss him when you win?"
Jumping at the question as her face turned bright red, Serena looked around for the source of the question. The voice had appeared from nowhere, but Serena still knew who it had belonged to. Looking around the kitchen area, the Performer found Bonnie standing behind a counter and watching her.
"And what is that supposed to mean, Bonnie?" Serena asked as she put her hands on her waist. It was no secret for some about her crush on Ash, but Serena had hoped that her friends she traveled with hadn't caught on yet.
"When you win... Are you going to kiss Ash silly," Bonnie said as she sat up on a nearby stool. The young child swung her legs back and forth as a smirk crossed her face upon seeing Serena blush intensely.
"You know you want to. And it would be the perfect chance to tell him everything. Picture this: You just won the final match against him, he's coming to congratulate you on a great battle and just how far you've come as a trainer compared to where you were when we all began this journey. Then in the moment you just let it all fly out, telling him 'Ash, I've loved you for quite a while now!' before kissing him in front of everyone."
"W-what!" Serena stammered as she tried to control herself. This girl could sometimes be too much to handle. "D-don't be silly, Bonnie. I wouldn't kiss him in front of everyone."
"But you were thinking of kissing him there. You never denied that part."
She had Serena now, and based on the grin that Bonnie had Serena knew that her own facial expressions had given herself away. Sighing before pulling a stool next to her, Serena looked the girl in the eyes.
"Yes, Bonnie. I've thought about confessing everything I've felt towards Ash. But, I don't know how to. What if he isn't interested in being more than friends. I don't want to ruin a perfectly good friendship over this."
"I knew it!" The young girl shouted as she jumped out of her seat. "I've had a feeling for the longest time that you've had some sort of feelings towards him, but I needed to hear it from you first. But now that I know, I can help you out."
"Bonnie! I already told you, I'll tell him when I think it's right!" Serena stammered again. There was no way she was letting a young girl, even one who was quite the romantic like Bonnie, help her confess to her love. "Right now I just want to worry about the tournament."
"Uh huh..." Bonnie merely muttered as she made her way to the kitchen exit. "Just don't come running to me for help if someone else swoops him up first!" She playfully teased before running out the door, leaving a blushing Serena behind.
"I thought ahead and packed everyone premade sandwiches and placed them in our backpacks," Clemont stated the next morning. They had all gone to bed fairly early to make for an early awakening and had gotten ready at a neck breaking speed. "This way we won't have to stop on the way there."
"Alright! Thanks a lot, Clemont!" Ash cried out while pumping a fist in the air. He couldn't wait to get going and reach Dubayy City. "So, Serena, how long do you think it'll take to get there?"
Serena however wasn't listening as she was instead off in her own mind, thinking about what Bonnie had said last night. "Don't come running to me for help if someone else swoops him up first!" Those words continued to play through her head as she pictured Ash with different women. She had heard about some of Ash's past companions and figured they may have had something for him as well. And then there was Miette, the self-proclaimed "love rival". It was no secret that tensions flared up whenever she was around. All Serena could now picture was the blue haired Performer with her hands wrapped all over Ash like at Monsieur Pierre's dance party. How she wouldn't give anything to have the chance to dance with Ash again...
"Serena? Serena are you alright?"
Ash's words finally broke through to Serena as she snapped out of her little fantasy of Miette and Ash. Blushing a little from the sudden realization that she had went off into her own fantasy land, Serena quickly looked at Ash.
"Sorry, I was just thinking about something," she answered while pulling out her travel guide. Opening up the maps function, Serena looked at the route they would be taking. "It should take us about three to four days to reach there if we don't stop to set up camp until nightfall."
"Let's get going then! Dubayy City won't get any closer if we just stand around!" Ash stated happily as he made his way out of the Center, Clemont behind him. Bonnie then trailed behind her brother as Serena brought up the rear.
"Thinking about Ash and Miette? They did look cute together at the dance party," Bonnie teased again. She wasn't enjoying being this harsh, but after seeing Serena's disappointment at the party she had to try and do something to help her get over her shyness for confessing.
"No I was not, Bonnie!" Serena lied as she turned her head away, hoping that the young child didn't see her worried expression. "If you must so happen to know, I was wondering what to do for a performance at the Master Class. And besides, it didn't seem like they even enjoyed themselves there."
"Keep telling yourself that..." Bonnie muttered as she sprinted up to the front of the line.
Serena just gulped as the image of Miette and Ash dancing played through her head once more. Although her thoughts were different than what actually happened, all she could picture was Ash and Miette dancing perfectly. Pushing those thoughts as far away from her as she could, Serena then picked up her pace as to make sure she didn't fall behind anymore.
The rest of the trip had been rather uneventful. From the average day of continuous hiking through the route to the routine sleep they all enjoyed at night before repeating the same actions the next day. Upon waking up on the fourth day and reaching the edge of the mountain ridge they had been hiking on, the group came to a surprise. Miles away from the mountain ridge sat a desert and in it appeared to be a city.
"It's so pretty!" Bonnie practically screamed as everyone's attention had been grabbed by the sight of a rather large town encased in what looked to be a glass dome. Skyscrapers filled the entire dome as the images of cars bustling down the streets could be seen from miles away.
"That must be Dubayy City," Clemont finally spoke as the literal oasis in the desert stopped capturing their attention. "It looks just as the images did."
"Yeah! And you know what that means!" Ash stated as he broke into a sprint for the city. "We're going to compete in that tournament!"
"Ash! Wait up!" Serena cried out as the others followed behind him. Even if it was a short distance for all of them, the thought of crossing a desert by yourself was still crazy.
As each member of the group stepped off of the mountain ridge, they all noticed that the cool breeze they had been traveling with was now gone and instead was replaced by the blazing sun. Feeling the intensity of the sun, Serena couldn't help but use her hat as a fan of sorts to cool herself down while they made the trek. While Clemont even got to the point of unzipping his jumpsuit just a bit.
After what felt like forever, the group of four finally made it to the entrance to the city and entered the glass dome. If they thought it had looked beautiful before, their original thoughts were destroyed.
The buildings that lined the streets looked to be made from only the best of supplies as they shined in the desert sun and gave off a majestic feel to them. Even the sidewalks appeared to be made from the same supplies as they matched the same stone that some of the buildings had used. Elsewhere, a large stream flowed through the city and one could only imagine where it ended.
People were bustling up and down the sidewalks, bags in their arms and the smells of delicacies filling their noses. Everyone appeared to be in some sort of rush as they all walked around the group as they looked awestruck by the city.
But, what really caught everyone's attention was the sight of the largest building right in the center of the city. It appeared to tower every other building in the entire city by a good fifteen feet and by its base was what appeared to be a circular dome.
"I wonder what that is?" Ash asked as he stared at the building with intense interest. He had never seen something like it before, but it also looked familiar to him.
"Why, son, that's the one and only Battle Resort," a nearby merchant said as he waved the gang over to his little shop. "It's the only hotel in the entire world to also house live tournaments in the dome right next to it. There's actually going to be a tournament starting in it tomorrow. Registration ends tonight." Hearing this reminded Ash of why the building had seemed familiar. He had seen a picture of it in Serena's travel guide before they left for the city.
"That's exactly why we came here," Clemont mentioned to the man as he pulled out the flier for the tournament. "We all decided to enter the tournament for a fun time and see how far we've progressed on our journey.
"Wonderful idea, youngster!" the merchant said as he sold a little trinket to another child. "This tournament is sounding like it'll be the best one yet. I've heard they're adding in a surprise twist to this one."
"Pardon me," Serena said as she interrupted the merchant's conversation. "But how do we actually get to the Battle Resort. The roads look to be kind of crazy." She wasn't lying either. The sidewalks appeared to veer off in all different directions as they led you to the different portions of the town.
"Why, just follow the river!" The merchant exclaimed with a hearty laugh. "Legend has it that they built the Battle Resort right in a spot where the river can flow to from any spot of the city. In fact, if you ever get lost just follow the river back to hotel and you'll be all set."
"Thank you so much for your help, sir," Clemont thanked the man for the entire group as they then made their way down the river and towards the Battle Resort.
"Those kids are in for one heck of a surprise," the merchant continued as he took off his work attire. "That should be enough for today. Time to get the committee together for tonight's opening."
Rushing through the streets, Ash was the first of the group to reach the Battle Resort and noticed a short line outside of the stadium, obviously for registration for tomorrow's tournament. Waiting for his friends to catch up before making his way over, Ash took a closer look at the stadium and resort. The stadium appeared to be in the shape of a Poké Ball but was all white in color. The resort meanwhile appeared to be all glass with the exception of smoothed stone lining the edges around the glass windows. Looking up at the top of the resort, Ash could make out what appeared to be a field on the top of it, or at least he thought so.
Looking around the area, Ash noticed that the resort had also been built right in the center of the major districts. Or they had built them all around the hotel, he wasn't exactly sure. Tourists packed the area as the sight of packed stores and the smells of delicious foods filled Ash's senses. During their stay here, they would have to be careful since it appeared easy to get separated due to the crowds.
But there was one thing he was sure about and that was the sight of his friends meeting him at the entrance. As they all caught up to Ash, the group made their way over to the registration table which was now lineless.
"Hello, welcome to the Battle Resort," the attendant said to the group as she pulled out what appeared to be registration forms. "Are any of you interested in competing in tomorrow's competition. It'll span exactly one week in time, but the experience will never be forgotten."
"All three of us are planning on competing," Ash answered truthfully as the lady handed everyone except Bonnie a clipboard with a registration form attached to it.
"Very well, you'll just have to fill out that form for us. Just include your name, hometown, and any Pokémon you plan on using. You can register a total of twelve for the battles.
"That's alright. I'll be using just my Kalos team," Ash thought as he wrote down all of his information. Finishing up, he double and then triple checked his writing to make sure everything was correct. There was no reason to be disqualified due to incorrect information.
"Thank you, Ash Ketchum. You are now officially registered for the tournament," the attendant stated as she typed everything over into her computer. Handing over a packet and a numbered card, the attendant started to speak once more. "Here is all the information you need for the tournament. Also, that numbered card is highly important and it is vital that you don't lose it no matter what."
Ash nodded in agreement as he looked it over. All the card had written on it was a number 11 on it. Ash thought it was odd, but placed the card into his pocket for safe keeping. Looking over at his friends, Ash waited as they finished filling out their information.
"Alright, Serena of Vaniville Town, you're officially registered for tomorrow's competition. As I told the others, do not lose this card at all," the attendant said as she handed over a card with the number 7 on it along with a packet.
Turning around from the booth, Serena noticed that Ash and the others were sitting near a fountain that they hadn't noticed before. The river appeared to flow off into a manmade lake of sorts that housed a golden Magikarp fountain in the center and then normal Magikarp fountains lined the outside of the lake. Making her way over to them, Serena couldn't help but feel excited for her very first tournament. All of her feelings of worry and anxiety were now gone as she was now overly excited.
"Are you all set, Serena?" Ash asked as the Performer sat down next to him. Seeing her nod at his question, Ash couldn't help but smile. He was glad to be competing, but knowing that his friends were going to compete as well made it even better. "We better see what the packet was about then."
"Yeah, I was wondering what they were for," Serena agreed as the three of them all opened their packets. Looking inside, the trio found folders that were filled with papers that talked all about the tournament. It actually appeared to be a little bit overwhelming at first.
"Look at all the papers," Clemont muttered as he looked through each and every one of them with precision. "They appear to cover the rules of the tournament. I think it might be a good idea to read them over before we do anything else."
"That sounds like a good idea," Serena agreed as she looked through her papers as well. One rule that really stuck out to her was the fact that every battle would be one-on-one meaning that it would be much harder for her than she thought.
The group spent the next hour reading through all of the rules as they tried to comprehend them. Some it appeared to be leaving information out by not describing everything in full details while others were just plain strange.
"Why do you think we need to head to the stadium for seven tonight?" Ash asked as he put his papers away. There was only so much reading he could do in one day and he had reached his limit. "It seems very strange since the tournament doesn't begin until tomorrow."
"I don't know. Perhaps they want to go over something important about the tournament," Clemont responded as he too packed up his papers. "Maybe some kind of sportsmanlike conduct agreement or just a welcoming speech to everyone."
Serena was the only one still reading the rules as some of them appeared to be interesting to her. In fact, one rule that caught her eye had been an imposed time limit of thirty minutes where if a winner hadn't been decided by the end, one would be chosen by the judges. Another stated that in the event of a draw, both trainers will send out one Pokémon each and the first to land a hit will be deemed the winner.
Noticing the others getting ready to receive their hotel room, Serena packed the rest of her papers away and stood up. She could always read the rest later tonight following whatever was happening at seven in the stadium.
Making their way across the street and towards the hotel, Serena couldn't help but feel like someone was watching her every move right now. Of course, she couldn't have been more right as at that moment a familiar trio of friends appeared. Standing before her was a large boy in a Vanillite T-shirt with black hair. Another boy in a green vest and white undershirt with orange hair. And finally a female in a pink shirt with brown hair.
"I assumed you would be here, Ash," the largest of them stated as he did a little spin move before stopping in front of the trainer. "As soon as I heard of this tournament I figured it would be good to train for the League."
"Tierno!" Ash cried out once the larger boy stopped talking. "And Trevor and Shauna! Are you all competing here?"
"Yeah, between getting ready for the League and meeting all new Pokémon there was no way I'd miss this," Trevor explained as he took a picture of the hotel. "You wouldn't believe all of the rare Pokémon I've met already."
"And I'm here hoping to gain some new ideas for performances. The Master Class is right around the corner you know," Shauna stated happily as she looked at Serena. "And I will be walking away as Kalos Queen."
"We'll see about that," Serena stated as she returned the stare. "But first we have this tournament which I plan on winning."
"So, Ash, did you already collect your eight badges?" Tierno asked as the group of now seven made their way into the Battle Resort. "Trevs and myself each just earned our eighth badge each."
Ash chuckled nervously as he rubbed the back of his head. "Well you see, I still only have seven badges. We were heading to Snowbelle City, but when the Master Class was announced I had postponed my gym battle until after it so that Serena could focus on it."
Tierno folded his arms over his chest and nodded as if he understood exactly. "I see. Well, I know that you'll have it in no time."
The gang then entered the resort to be shocked by a new sight, that of the trainers all competing. Looking around, Ash tried to see if he could make any of them out, but the lobby was too crowded to see anything. Instead, the group made their way over to the front desk and retrieved their room keys. After being handed one room for Tierno, Trevor and Shauna and another for Ash, Serena, Clemont, and Bonnie, the two groups made their way down the hallway.
"I guess this is where we go our separate ways," Shauna said as they reached the elevator to their rooms. Tierno, Trevor, and Shauna had been put on the 16th floor while Ash and the others were on the 20th. Getting into their separate elevators, the two groups bid farewell for the time being.
"Clemont, do you think we have time to go look around?" Bonnie asked impatiently. She had remained quiet during the time they had registered and gotten their room keys, but was now bored beyond relief. "I want to go and see the hotel a little. I read they had an indoor pool plus a five-star restaurant! We have to explore the entire place before leaving!"
"Bonnie, relax a little. Remember why we came here in the first place, to compete in the tournament. But, we'll visit as much as we can and I guess we have some time to spare for right now," Clemont answered as he looked at the clock. It was only 5:30 and they didn't need to be at the stadium for another ninety minutes. Truthfully, he too wanted to explore the area a little. "Ash, Serena, do you two want to come along?"
"Sure!" Ash shot up immediately. He was never one to just sit around in one place and he had been growing restless. The hotel room was nice, but there was only so much you could do in one room. "We can head right to the stadium from wherever we go."
"That's a great idea," Serena responded as she grabbed her hat and placed it atop her head. She too was starting to get a little stir crazy and getting outside of their room would be a good idea. Grabbing their stuff, everyone made their way to the room exit and rode the elevator back to the lobby.
Upon stepping out, Ash and the others were met with quite the surprise as this time they noticed familiar faces unlike before. Off to the side of the front desk looked to be Alain who was talking to a blonde haired girl who appeared familiar to the gang.
"Hey, Alain, and the Mega Absol trainer," Ash finally stated as Alain noticed Ash standing there. The older trainer acknowledged him with a simple nod while not breaking the conversation he was having with the girl. The Mega Absol trainer, likewise, acknowledged Ash and the group with a friendly hand wave and a smile which the group returned.
But Ash wasn't the only one to notice familiar faces. Although she wasn't known as herself right now, Serena could see through her fellow Performer's disguise. "Ariana is here," she muttered, pointing over to a girl with pink hair and glasses sitting in a lounge area.
"The person who helped you with your performances?" Ash asked as he noticed the girl as well. She didn't seem to notice them at all and continued on with reading her newspaper.
"Come on, enough with these guys, let's go explore!" Bonnie cried out as she ran right through Ash and Clemont, pushing them off to the side. Luckily Clemont caught his balance but Ash wasn't as lucky.
Falling to the side, Ash bumped into a man dressed in slightly ripped blue jeans, a loose gray T-shirt and who had short brown hair. The man appeared to be roughly Ash's height, but looked to be extremely pale in skin tone.
"Watch it," the man hissed out as he shoved Ash off of him. The guy didn't even wait for an apology or anything, instead just making his way out of the lobby.
"Ughh," Ash muttered as he held his head. He now had a slight headache from the confrontation and everything seemed to be spinning a little. "What was his problem?" He asked no one in particular as he sat there.
"Personally I'd stay away from him," a female voice said as Ash noticed the Mega Absol trainer extending a hand to him. "The name's Astrid. I don't think I ever told you it the last time we battled. But, from what I've heard from others is that he's extremely strong. Not someone you want to get involved with."
"Astrid was it?" Ash asked as the female nodded in approval. "Thanks for helping me up. But if that guy is really as strong as everyone says, then I hope to face him."
"But not before we get another battle," Alain stated as he stayed in his same spot. "I came to this tournament in hopes of facing all kinds of Mega Evolution Pokémon, but facing you is an added bonus. Your Greninja intrigues me quite a bit, Ash."
"Well, this time our battle won't end the same way! Greninja and I have been training real hard!"
"I hope you're right."
"Ash, are you alright?" Serena asked as she walked over to him. Seeing that he was talking to Alain and the other lady, Serena quickly apologized and explained how Clemont took Bonnie outside so that she wouldn't cause any more problems.
Noticing the time, both Alain and Astrid knew they had to get ready for whatever was planned for tonight. And so, the duo both excused themselves and went on their way. Ash however still didn't seem right and Serena seemed nervous about it.
"Ash, are you sure you're alright?" She asked while helping him over to chair to sit down. He hadn't seemed like himself at all since bumping into whoever that guy was. "You don't seem like yourself."
"Yeah..." He panted out. He even seemed to be at a loss of breath right now. "Just tired. I think I had the air knocked out of me. I'll be fine in a little." Yet what Ash wasn't telling Serena or anyone was the strange sensation that had overcome his entire body once he made contact with the man. As soon as his body collided with him, Ash had felt as though all of his strength was gone. He had no clue what had happened, but it wasn't worth scaring everyone.
"Well maybe I can help," a voice Serena did not want to hear anytime soon could be heard. Turning around, Serena saw none other than her blue haired rival. Not only was she a rival in Showcases, but for the boy right next to her as well.
Well, I hope the first chapter turned out well. Like I said before, this story is an Amourshipping fic, but that doesn't mean I can't include moments for my 2nd favorite ship. In case you didn't tell, I've recently grown to enjoy Poffleshipping even if there isn't anything to it. Just the scenes of the two together during the dance episode did it for me even though Ash didn't appear to have a fun time he still laughed off his misfortune and agreed without a second thought of going with Miette.
So, what exactly is going to happen at this tournament? We have friends, rivals and even some strange guy here. Well, you'll have to wait. Some people might question what Alain is doing is, but it'll be shown later on. (I say this a lot. Don't I?) And, I don't know if anyone caught it, but Dubayy City is a mix between the actual Dubai and a desert city. As the story progresses the city will be explored more than it was in this chapter
Also, the fact with Ash feeling tired will be addressed later on in the story when everything gets moving. Right now I was getting introductions out of the way. Hopefully you'll all enjoy the tournament as I've got a few twists set up for it. (Or at least I think they're twists).
Thank you to everyone who read the chapter and supports this story. Please leave a review letting me know what you liked and how I can improve the story.
