EDITTED: I've changed the ending of this chapter on September 8, 2016.
Chapter 2: Old & New Bonds
Serena paced herself along the narrow hallway. Her fingers fumbled between the golden button that enclosed her maroon colored blazer. It was only the first day of school and her mind was already jumbled with tasks that she had yet to complete. The week before, she received a newsletter detailing a few, near future events in which she had to lead with the preparations. Not only that, she had to train extra hard to obtain her princess keys while maintaining the perfect grades to please her mother – the woman who wanted to follow in her footsteps to become a Rhyhorn Racer.
The worried teen turned on her heel before retracing her steps. She took a deep breath as an attempt to calm her nerves from her future endeavors. Right now, she had to focus on telling Headmaster Redwood about the minor change she made to the school assembly happening in the afternoon – the battle between the Kalos and Alola Champion. Headmaster Redwood already had a lot on his plate, Serena didn't want to bother him at all for the school year, but she had too.
"Are you that nervous because he's here?" asked Alain who was leaning against the wall with his arms crossed behind his head. He had his eyes closed, and looked very much relaxed. "I thought you were over him."
Serena stopped in her steps, taking a moment to process Alain's comment. She slightly turned her head to look at the door labelled 'Professor Sycamore's Office'. She could hear a few garbled voices coming from behind that door, and one of the voices belonged to Ash, her very first crush. Suddenly, Serena's face turned a deep shade of red. "Wha-WHAT!" She stammered, slightly angered by Alain's accusation. "I wasn't thinking about him at all! I was thinking about what I was going to say to Headmaster Redwood." She flailed her arms out in the air.
A smirk formed upon the Kalosian Champion's face. He slightly opened one of his eyes to witness his friends behavior. "Then why is your face so red?" He teased.
"It's not!" Serena lifted her hands and pressed her palms against her cheeks. "It's from the stress!"
Alain chuckled before standing up straight and resting his arms against his sides. "You were pretty sad when he left, Serena," he said in a serious tone. "Don't tell me that all that effort has gone to waste." He paused before hesitating to speak again. "Don't tell me that my effort went to waste."
Serena shrugged, unable to meet Alain's eyes. She dated Alain for two months in the past. Not because she liked him, but simply because he offered to be her distraction from the raven haired Champion, the Champion she could not get over after his departure to the Alola region. She initially rejected his offer, but he was pretty adamant on getting Ash out of her mind. She supposed it was some kind of thanks for calming him down after the death of his younger sister, Mairin.
Still, she found it unbelievable that she kept the so called relationship with Alain going for that long. If she could change the past, she would have ended it sooner. She didn't want to be in a relationship that was being kept together by her own selfish reason of looking for a distraction from life. Without the experience though, she wouldn't have gotten to know Alain, and her heart would probably still crave for Ash's attention. Somehow, she cherished the so called relationship and even considered it something special.
"That's all in the past!" Serena crossed her arms over her chest. "How about you?" She shrugged. "You haven't properly battled in two years! How are you going to battle Ash in your condition?!"
Mairin's death has taken quite a toll on him, and he hasn't been able to fulfill his duties as Kalos Champion since then. Instead, an AlainBot, created by Clemont has been taking his place, which has angered quite a number of trainers who were able to defeat the Elite Four. He was currently facing the council's suggestion of stripping him of his title and reinstating the former Champion, Diantha as Kalos Champion. Alain simply told the council to do whatever they wished if a trainer were able to defeat AlainBot, which has yet to happen.
"I told you." He scoffed before placing a hand on her shoulder. "I'm fine when you're there."
Shaken by his words, Serena's heart slightly fluttered. Her cheeks turned a rosy shade of pink before she raised one of her hands, intending to ask him what he meant. He always seemed to say things like that whenever he was caught in some kind of complication. It confused her, but Alain was a complex individual. She supposed that it was because she was the one who helped him cope with Mairin's death, and he just happened to link her as some kind of savior whenever he was feeling troubled.
"Hey guys!" Ash slung the door wide open, startling the two from their serious conversation. He began sorting out a few documents in his hands. "Professor Sycamore just gave me my schedule. I'm so excited to get started! Aren't you, Pikachu?" Ash glanced over to his left shoulder to look at his electric mouse Pokemon.
"Pi! Pikachu!"
"He even informed me of the battle arena, so I don't get rusty. Do you think you guys can show me the arena? I want to check it out!"
"There are more important things you have to do," said Serena. "You have to get your uniform, get settled into your room, and find all your classes... If you do all that, then I'll show you the arena!"
"Aww man." Ash sighed. "I forgot that you were the one who always kept me on schedule. If only you came with me to Alola, I would have finished Professor Kukui's requests much faster."
"Well now you're attending school, and I'm going to make sure that you do all your homework before battling all the students."
Ash chuckled. "It's good to have you back in my life, Serena."
Alain took his hand off of Serena's shoulder and let out a quiet sigh. He plunged his hands into his pockets as he turned his attention to the Alolan Champion. "I'm going to get my own schedule. I was told to pick it up from Brock, one of the Pokemon Breeder instructors."
"Brock?" asked Ash, tapping his finger on his chin. "Why don't we go together? I haven't seen Brock in ages. He's one of my closest friends from Kanto!"
"I'm good." Alain shrugged before walking away.
Serena watched as the ebony haired Champion placed a hand on the knob leading outside of the building. She was very much concerned about her friend, and wanted to make sure that he was going to be okay. Why couldn't he just open up to her more?
As if he read Serena's mind, Alain slightly turned his head, giving the pair a once over. "I'm looking forward to the battle." He then focused his attention on the honey blonde, a small grin forming on his face. "Don't worry about Headmaster Redwood. I'll inform him of the change," he said before exiting the building.
"This place is ginormous!" The Alolan Champion marveled as his eyes darted from left to right.
Serena tucked a tress of hair behind her ear before raising her hand to her face. Using her fingers, she slightly covered her mouth as she stifled a giggle. So far, Ash seemed to be the same bright, positive boy she knew from when she was a kid. He seemed to have slightly matured, given the fact that he insisted on postponing the battle that he was about to have with Alain at the school entrance. The Ash from her childhood would engage in a battle no matter what the circumstance. Of course, he only seemed interested in postponing it after Serena interrupted the whole thing from happening. Still, the vibe he was giving off made Serena feel like Ash really did grow up.
"Why did you want to attend this school, Ash?" asked Serena with curiosity.
"Well, you see." The raven haired Champion began rubbing his nape. "I have a lot of friends who attend the school. They all PokeMailed me their experiences and I found it awesome how they were all becoming friends with one another." He threw a fist in the air to show his excitement, making Serena think about the friendship she created with Dawn and May. "They made me want to experience life as a student. Brock then PokeMailed me a newsletter about how boys were being welcomed into the school, and I applied right away. In only a few days, I got an acceptance letter, and I couldn't wait to become a student!"
"Pika Pikachu!"
"Ohh." Serena smiled as Ash's enthusiasm filled her with energy. "That's great!"
"But that's not all," continued Ash. "You see, I may be a Champion, but I still feel as if I'm not a Pokemon Master. I came to this school to learn Pokemon from a different perspective. Not just from me catching them, or training them, or watching them in the wild. I want to learn about what makes them different, why they function a certain way... I want to learn everything, and only then, I will consider myself a Pokemon Master."
Serena slightly gaped before glancing over at Ash who was busily examining his school map, looking up every so often to take in his new surroundings. She smiled to herself, thinking about Ash's never ending amount of enthusiasm and undying determination to become a Pokemon Master. It was making her feel extra determined to become Kalos Queen.
The honey blonde pulled on the metal handle of the glass door that led to one of the newly, remodeled dorms. She hasn't set foot in the building since they decided to change the place to suit the boys. "We'll just drop off your things, and I'll show you the battle arena."
"Thanks, Serena! You're the greatest!" Ash replied with a huge smile plastered across his face. He extended his free arm towards the girl, and draped it around her shoulder, pulling her closer to him. "My room is 7B."
"7B?" she questioned, eying his hand that was resting a little off her shoulder. He's never made any kind of physical contact like that when they were kids.
"Yeah, what of it?" The two took a turn around the corridor.
"That was my room during my first two years here, until they decided to remodel it for the boys."
"Really? That's so cool! Knowing you, the room is most likely in great condition."
The two finally came to a stop in front of the room that had '7B' painted in large black letters beside the door. As Ash's hand plunged into his pocket in search of the key to his room, Serena's eyes rested upon the two black plaque's that were hanging on the other side of the door. In bold, white letters Ash Ketchum was engraved in the top plaque, and below it was the name Gary Oak.
Serena's eyes widened at the name that was engraved in the material. Gary Oak? She thought to herself. Gary was the boy who bullied her during her time at Professor Oak's Summer Camp. She thought that that was going to be the last time she was ever going to see him. She was wrong. About six months ago, Gary came to the academy to see what the place had to offer, and Dawn somehow got into a quarrel with him. The two ensued in a battle and Gary somehow managed to get Dawn to bet that if she lost, Serena would have to go on a date with him. She accepted without any hesitation (given the fact that her pride wasn't on the line). After Dawn's lost, her and May hid Serena for the remainder of his visit, and she didn't have to deal with his persistence... until now.
"Did you want to come in?" asked Ash as he pushed the key into the keyhole. "Did you want to see what your room looks like now?"
"Uhmm..." Serena sounded nervously as she heard the click of the door, followed by a creak.
"Hey Ketchum!" The familiar voice sounded out. "Late as ever. I already got all my stuff set up."
"Why do you have to be my roommate?" Ash groaned as he kicked one of his duffel bags into the room.
"Because I'm awesome."
Ash sighed before turning his attention to the honey blonde who hid behind the door, trying to shield herself from the nuisance that resided in that room. "Did you want to come in?" He asked once more. "Maybe you can help me unpack."
"I'm sorry, Ash." She replied in a high pitched tone. "I-I have a few things to do. I have to talk to Headmaster Redwood."
"I thought that Alain was going to take care of that." A frown began to form upon Ash's face. "I haven't seen you in years. I thought this would be a nice time to catch up."
"Pika..." The electric mouse Pokemon flopped its ears, sharing its sad feelings with its trainer.
"Who are you talking too?" Gary's voice sounded.
Serena could hear the footsteps of the brown haired nuisance nearing the door. "We have all year to catch up, Ash!" She said in a quick tone. The second Gary lays his eyes on her, he would bring back that stupid bet, and force her to go out with him.
"I guess you're right." Ash said as he rubbed his cheek with his index finger. "I'll see you later then."
Without giving Ash the chance to say goodbye, Serena turned on her heel and bolted out of the building.
Out of breath, Serena heaved as she trudged up the cemented staircase that led to her own dorm. She blew on a tress of hair that was sticking to a bead of sweat that came from her forehead. She forgot that Gary was going to attend the academy. A shiver creeped down her spine as Gary's final words replayed in her head when she hid behind a bush as May and Dawn sent him off. You're going to be mine, Serena!
Serena shook off the unwanted chills as she entered the building. She really wanted to see what one of the newly renovated rooms looked like. Her and her former roommate, Miette used to stuff notes containing inspiring quotes or secrets in hidden spots of the room to see if they were able to find them sometime in the future. When news came out that their dorm was going to be renovated, they shared the same unhappy expression. They hid over a hundred notes in that room. It was a shame if they weren't going to be able to find a single message.
This was going to be the first semester where Miette wasn't going to be her roommate. It felt kind of weird, but Palermo wanted everyone in the Performer's program to become good friends, so she issued a change in roommate every semester.
With her key already in her hand, Serena turned a corner before reaching her room. She looked up at her name that was engraved in the purple plaque located by the door. Under her name was supposed to be the name of her roommate, but as of now, it was still a blank, purple plaque.
That's weird... Serena thought as she pressed her ear up against the door. She could hear the trickle of water coming from the shower head in the bathroom. She stood up straight, shrugging her shoulder as she shoved the key into the keyhole. She supposed that the plaque just wasn't hung up yet. Not like it mattered too much. She was just curious to see who she was rooming with for the semester.
Serena slowly opened the door to see what was once an empty side of the room, was now a fully furnished area that was almost entirely covered in pink. There were still a few suitcases, presumably containing clothes, at the foot of the bed. Other than the wardrobe, it seemed that her roommate has already decorated her side of the room, and covered her mattress.
Looking at that side of the room, a sense of nostalgia overcame the honey blonde. As her eyes glossed over the floral prints on the duvet cover, she swore that it looked all to familiar. It wasn't the print that was catching her attention, it was her stain of purple nail polish at the center of the one of the flowers. There was only one person who shared the memory of that purple stain.
Serena shook her head, thinking that it was possibly a coincidence. She then walked to her side of the room and sat at the edge of her bed, facing her roommates side of the room. She looked up at the portraits that were hanging above her roommates desk. They all contained a pink background with a giant black ribbon glued to each one. Each ribbon was tied with different textured black fabrics, and sequins. There was only one person who just absolutely adored black ribbons with a pink background.
The honey blonde's eyes continued to eye each object on her roommates side. Hanging on a hand shaped jewelry stand at the edge of her desk was a bracelet that confirmed Serena's guess. She stood up from her bed, and walked over to her roommates desk. She squinted her eyes before reaching for the chain linked bracelet that contained a few trinkets on it. She examined each trinket, some looking familiar, and others not. She remember that it was a gift given by Alain just over a year ago.
"Uhm... Excuse me...?" Serena could hear a voice call out from behind her.
The honey blonde whipped around with the bracelet in her hand before her eyes settled, and laid upon the figure in front of her. It was Shauna.
A/N: Hi guys. Sorry for the late update. Been very busy. I'd say that this chapter isn't as boring, and that most of the main characters and love interests have been introduced. That being said, the main kind of pairs happening would be AlainxSerena, AshxSerena, GaryxSerena. That doesn't mean that she will be involved with all three, but rather, all three will have a crush on her. There will be other pairings, but Serena is the main focus.
Also, my laptop broke, so the editing might not be as great. Sorry about that.
Anywho I'd like to give thanks to Frostburn243, MoonfallExpress, espeon44, Bluejack222, FantasyLover88, Guest, LittleLitten, The Crazed Shipper, Red G, PillsburyDB11 for giving their thoughts with the first chapter.
If you have any questions or suggestions feel free to PM or REVIEW.
