Disclaimer: You're reading a Fanfiction about Pokemon, therefore, it only makes sense that I'm not the one who owns Pokemon. Credits go to original creators.
AN: I think typing this chapter killed me. I know it doesn't look like much, but you should know it typed this pretty much in an entire day. At least allow me to have my own pity party. Please, enjoy the story I donated my blood and sweat into. Oh, and you better enjoy it, slappy.
When Serena woke up the next morning she dreamt of delicious homemade omelets, fluffy clouds you could practically sleep upon, and the pristine smell of Autumn leaves. Naturally, she instead woke to something entirely different: a petite girl hovering inches above her face and a willowy boy leaning against the frame of her door cooly. It took all off her energy not to slump back and snuggle into a better reality.
Hypnotic pale-green eyes peered down at her with curiosity, as if a human sleeping was a complete foreign subject that needed to be explored. Calem, meanwhile, tried his absolute best to not glance around the room; he kept his eyes glued to the back of his hand.
"Checking out your new manicure, Calem?" Serena gigged mischievously as her body slumped onto the floor.
The blank mask of his face didn't even mold into even a hint of an expression, something that could make a person angrier than a smirk or a frown ever could.
"Nice to see you finally get up at 9:13 A.M." His voice was almost robotic, like being in the same room with her was worse than anything else he could've spent his day doing. She rolled her eyes back at him.
Serena slowly watched the numbers of the clock fall together, and it indeed read the time Calem claimed it did. A dramatic sigh escaped her throat. How could someone not sleep in after four consecutive games of Monopoly ("It will be fun, Serena!")?
"Why are you guys here, exactly?" Serena questioned. People didn't just take evening strolls through one's bedroom. Or, at least, Serena certainly never did back in the Kanto region.
Shauna's jaw opened before Calem could even release a breath of syllables, "Well, you see, Calem and I wanted to invite you to Aquacorde Town! It's completely beautiful, and you don't have to own a Pokemon to get there! We were thinking of showing you around Kalos."
A loud bang was heard downstairs, in which the overenthusiastic voice of Serena's mother shouted back a perky, "I'm okay!"
"Ahahaha… are you OK, Serena?" Shauna chuckled nervously.
"Oh, um…" Serena trailed off. Her teeth chomped into the fragile skin of her lip. It was an awful habit of hers, dating back from when her father would bite down on his own lips after encountering a hard project from work.
In a quick second, Shauna looped her arm through Serenas, dragging her body up to where Calem was still standing.
"Let's go! To Aquacorde Town!" Shoving Calem out the doorway, Shauna left her to change out of her nightgown. Minutes later, she opened the door and Shauna immediately skipped down the stairs.
While tumbling downstairs, Serena risked a quick peek up at Calem. She seemed to realize how surprisingly stylish he was; dark laced-up boots covering what appeared to be a rich shade of blue jeans faded after months of wear. A somewhat wrinkly high-collared blue and white jacket was tied around his waist, leaving a plain black T-shirt to cover his torso. It somehow both didn't and did fit his appearance at the same time. How could everyone (even someone such as Calem) in Kalos be as glamorous as 10 people in Kanto combined?
"We already met your mother, you know," Calem interrupted as his feet tip-tapped down the wooden steps.
This caught Serena's attention.
"Oh, really? What embarrassing things did she mention about me now? Did she whip out the 'ole Serena's-first-steps-resulted-in-her-falling-down- the-steps story? Heard that one gave most a good chuckle."
"Nothing of that sort, particularly. She did seem really excited to see us, like you'd never brought anyone over before," he said. Two thin brows scrunched together with a mixture of skepticism towards Serena.
"Y-yeah? I guess she gets really enthusiastic over visitors."
Calem stared at her for a long moment, but quickly dismissed it to stop near Shauna.
Serena's mother looked back from the kitchen and brightened. She raced over to them at a speed Serena had never seen in someone that age.
"Ah, Shauna," she started before wiggling her eyebrows towards Serena, "and Mr. Prevot." (Serena did her best to hide the peachy warmth crawling up her neck.) "Glad you finally woke the Snorlax up. See you later!"
Bobbing her head, Shauna pushed open the door, pulling them both along with her.
The lovely aroma of flowers tickled the tip of Serena's nose.
"C'mon, this way!" Shauna pointed towards a large gate to her right. They followed her up towards it.
"Um, Shauna, d-do you really want to go r-right now?" Serena whispered. Her stomach bubbled with uneasiness.
Shauna stared back at her as if she was the crazy one. "Of course, let's go now! No better time than the present!"
Serena reluctantly pressed her palms against the blue gate. The joints slowly creaked open, letting out a piercing screech. Ahead her lay a straight trail through a forest of trees, Aquacorde Town not far in the distance. Orange leaves fluttered into the air as a cool gust of wind blew by.
In a quick moment, Shauna flew by her and into the vast path. Serena exchanged a glance with Calem, who strolled along after her. She jogged to catch up with him.
"When we went up to your room, I noticed something…" he said, distracting himself with the golden leaves soaring above their heads.
"What?" He didn't spot her stuffed animal collection, right? Oh boy, please don't let it be that.
"Your room… well, you finally unpacked," Calem explained, "all the boxes were empty, but, the thing is…"
"Oh, just tell me already!" Serena cried. The suspense was literally killing her!
"You have no photos," he stated in a tone matter-of-factly.
Serena's eyebrows etched together, "Wait, what? Why does that matter?"
Calem seemed to be very fascinated in the tips of his charcoal laced-up boots. "Most people after moving… they bring pictures of their old friends with them. To cherish the memories they shared with each other, or something lame like that. You didn't. Which leads me to believe...you didn't have any friends, did you?"
Her steps froze on the bumpy pathway.
"Even if I didn't have friends," Serena replied sharply, "it wouldn't be any of your business, now would it?"
Calem's knowing eyes read back into her, making Serena feel see-through and bare. She despised how he could read people like open books. No, she despised how everyone could read her mind so easily, probably even poor clueless Shauna.
Chomp! Serena's sharp teeth collided with her lips once again. Remorse swirled in her stomach like a thick wave of Sleep Powder. She couldn't help but think of Shauna as the odd-one-out, but perhaps that was exactly what Serena herself was.
"We're almost there, guys!" Sang someone in the distance. Shauna waved her arms back and forth, beckoning them forward. Her face wore an expression that flooded happiness and was kept oblivious. Serena could only let out a sigh of relief.
"I know what you're thinking," a low voice whispered past her, "you think she didn't hear our conversation, right? I suggest you stop underestimating her intelligence. I learnt it the hard way."
Calem whisked ahead, leaving Serena feeling even worse than before and questioning how opposites such as Shauna and Calem could ever be friends.
"T-This is Aquacorde Town?" Serena choked as the trio stopped under a rounded arch made up of sandstone bricks. It wasn't just the arch itself; the entire area was decorated with light brown stones up to the tiny sparkling fountain spouting water in the heart of the city. Cafés cluttered up wall-to-wall with different sets of chairs and tables, almost competing with each other to provide the best outside-dining experience. Pokemon quietly chomped down on berries while their owners scanned bold menus for a decent lunch. It was a picture Serena had never seen before in her entire 15 years of life.
"Pretty, huh?" The short brunette smirked proudly beside her. Even Calem's dead-fish-eyes seemed to be one shade brighter as he watched the city breathe of life.
A shaggy four-legged creature barked suddenly, dashing after a rubber ball soaring towards them at an impressive speed. Serena nearly tumbled backwards onto the hard ground before Calem grasped her arm tightly.
"A Furfrou," he explained while steadying her. Two dark pupils appeared to be focused towards Shauna, in which Serena could only rub her stinging bicep with confusion.
"Yeah, whatever," Shauna spoke in a very un-Shauna-like tone. Surprisingly angry, she stormed ahead, arms folded to her vibrant pink shirt. Serena glance at Calem as if to say, what's with her? He shrugged with exasperation, but Serena had a sneaking suspicion he knew exactly what was going on. They had no choice but to, once again, hound after her side-by-side. Perhaps it was just Serena, but this seemed to make Shauna flare forwards even more.
"Um, Shauna, where are we going exactly?" Serena questioned in hope of cooling down her temper. Her shaky knees felt like buckling underneath her weight. Calem peered down from his towering height at her, possibly waiting for exactly that to happen.
"A surprise," Shauna answered slowly, "It's going to be a surprise." Thanks for clearing things up, captain, Serena sighed bitterly.
Thwack! Her nose squashed into the curve of Calem's back, who had promptly stopped in front of her (somehow she suspected this was done on purpose). Shauna had also discontinued her power-walking to awkwardly overlook a bundle of Café tables.
Due to the skyscraper of a human that blocked her view, Serena peeked around Calem's side to see what the problem was. Throned on a cushioned chair, a massive boy bearing an abnormal haircut (that suspiciously resembled an Oddish) sat huddled over a newspaper. Hidden beside him was a contrastingly tiny boy, possibly around the same height as Shauna, with long ginger hair that barely covered his earlobes. Both of his flamboyant blue eyes peeped up from an electronic device before he quickly jabbed the other boy in the ribs. Oddish-hair-guy looked up with surprise.
"Shauna, Calem!" He bellowed loud enough for the flock of Pidgey's to flap away with shock. Ginger-kid seemed to being watching Serena herself. A slight urge to straighten her mane of fluffy hair tickled Serena's senses.
Shauna, with a renewed burst of excitement, bounded towards them while dragging an unenthusiastic Calem along with her. This left Serena to somewhat trail after uncomfortably.
Like a shadow, Serena watched as Shauna invited herself to sit and gushed out a long conversation. Ginger-kid tapped away on his device, Calem studied Serena curiously, and Serena watched the massive boy's hair bounce up and down along with his jaw. Feeling out-of-the-loop, she stretched up to Calem's ear to whisper, "Who is that guy and why does his head look the spiky leaves of an Oddish?" Perhaps mistaken, she swore he let out a quick snort of laughter. A smile crept on her face as well; it was nice someone acknowledged her existence at the moment.
"—so Trevor smashed right into him, but only reached the height of his waist, then the guy asked 'What is this child doing out of trainer school?' and, oh, you should've seen the look on Trevor's face!"
"Shauna, Tierno," a deep voice uttered. It took a moment for everyone to realize it was Calem speaking up.
"Huh, what's up, Calem?" Shauna chirped while thumping her stylish fingernails on the table. She looked eager to start up the conversation once again.
Calem jerked a thumb towards Serena, who blushed a pale pink at the sudden spotlight pushed upon her. Shauna, the newly-named Tierno, and whom Serena assumed to be Trevor, gawked towards the now visible girl.
"Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry!" Shauna yelped, "Trevor and Tierno, this is Serena!" Trevor stared uncomprehendingly while Tierno rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly.
"Sorry, Serena, I didn't notice you… wait a second! This was the person you were talking about, Shauna?" Tierno gasped.
"Uh-huh!"
"Oh, I see!"
Was she the only confused one here? Serena peered over at Calem, but he sat as expressionless as usual.
"Tee-hee, Serena, here's the surprise I was talking about!"
Tierno stood still for an awkward moment before scrambling for something near his worn out sneakers. He lifted up a glass capsule containing three plain Pokeballs. They bumped into the air slowly as he set them down on the table.
"What… what are these for?" Serena asked aloud. Everyone (excluding Calem) let out stifled giggles. Her eyebrows furrowed with annoyance; how would she understand anything if nobody would tell her what was going on?
"You see, Serena," Shauna started, "all three of us are getting our first Pokemon!"
A silence in which you could hear a pin drop formed. Serena blinked at the small girl. Her, receiving a Pokemon? She took a double-take; even Calem looked absolutely stunned by this news. It was almost comical, seeing him look aghast. Serena then thought about herself, wondering if she wanted this, too. How would her mom react? Disappointed she was not following in the footsteps of a Rhyhorn racer? Could she really explore such a vast region she barely even knew?
The lanky fingers that belonged to Calem then tapped her shoulder. She wondered if he was thinking the same thing as her. In fact, she opened her jaw to thank him, maybe even ask him if he would come along with her to explo—
"—you have a grain of sand on your arm," he deadpanned while brushing his fingers along her shoulder to shake it off.
"..."
I'm gonna murder you in your sleep, Prevot! Serena snarled viciously.
Just as her thin fingers were inches from Calem's throat, Tierno spoke up, "Here, Serena. You choose first." She stumbled over to the Pokeballs, feeling suddenly on-top-of-the-world.
"The first is the Grass-type Pokemon, Chespin, and it continues right to Fennekin, a Fire-type, to finally the Water-type, Froakie," Trevor finally spoke. Serena nearly jumped at his sudden reappearance.
"H-Huh? Well…" Sheesh, weren't they going to at least present them to her? Doing a quick round of eenie, meenie, miney, mo, Serena's finger landed on the middle Pokemon, which she recalled as Fennekin. Her sweaty palms plucked it from its spot and she released the button as shown on TV. Serena could feel the gaze of everyone burn holes into her back.
Pop! A large beam of light formed before her, slowly molding into a tiny yellow-coated creature with pointy features. Long-rounded ears stood out from its small head, attached to a short stout. The Fennekin balanced on four elegant legs, and a curved body. A giant fluffy tail with a pointed end dipped in a rich orange wiggled with excitement. Orange eyes peered up at her curiously, before closing tightly after the Fennekin released a sneeze of bright flames.
"Serena…?" Shauna asked cautiously when she stood in silence.
"I-It…"
"It?" Tierno inquired.
"IT'S ABSOLUTELY ADORABLE!" Serena screeched like a boy-hungry schoolgirl. Shauna, Tierno, Trevor, and Calem quickly shoved their fingers into their ears as she picked Fennekin up and twirled.
"Your name shall be Trixie! Aw, look at what a cutie you are!" Serena gushed. Trixie snuffed out another round of flames, this time missing Calem's eyebrows by mere centimeters.
"I love you even more!" She cooed once again, making the Fennekin's expression rather smug.
Serena dashed around to hug Shauna, who let out a wave of nervous laughter, to Calem, who awkwardly let his hands hover above the crook of her back, and finally to Trevor, who, unfortunately, was in her way and therefore got squeezed the hardest. Trevor's cheeks turned a brilliant shade of red. The entire café watched as she stumbled around, unable to continue reading their novels at the noise.
Minutes later, Serena slumped back into her chair, Trixie perched on her honey-colored bushy hair. Everyone seemed at a loss for words.
"I guess I'll take this one, then," Calem broke the silence to reach for the far right, the water-type Pokemon titled Froakie. He clipped the ball to his belt, somewhat afraid to let it out in Serena's presence.
"Ahahaha… I'll take the last one!" Shauna chirped. She, too, didn't dare take it out just yet.
"I GOT MY FIRST POKEMON," Serena continued once again, "TAKE THAT, AMBER! YOUR STUPID METAPOD IS NO MATCH FOR MY SUPERB FENNEKIN! Ouch! Stupid palm!"
"Xerneas… I daresay that is the child you've chosen?" Yvetal asked dryly, as if he had been sucking on sour grapes.
Xerneas observed the young human as she pranced around with a newborn Fennekin. The noble beast couldn't help but burn with embarrassment.
"In given time, Yvetal, she will be ready. In given time…"
Yvetal, etched with skepticism, cut his mental connection with Xerneas in a heartbeat. The rainbow Pokemon couldn't help but feel this would be their last conversation for quite awhile.
AN: In the glamorous meme of Buzz Lightyear: "Subtle hints, subtle hints everywhere." That's probably my favorite part of reading stories: piecing together the small hints. Whatever. I'm tired.
Oh, and thank you random citizen (user LeTantris) for pressuring me into writing this chapter with your high expectations.
What a slappy.
I kid, I kid (?)
Review if you're a nice person who appreciates the effort put into writing.
Kidding...
Review unless you want to end up like Calem. (Beaten-up in his sleep due to his trolling.)