So, last chapter seems to have given plenty of people the wrong impression, so we sort of want to clear this up now: we realize and knew Dawn was OOC when we wrote the chapter. It was an intentional move on our part and was, in no way, meant to make Dawn look bad. Can't say much more beyond that to try and clear up the misconception. For now, we hope you can still enjoy Chapter 7!
Chapter 7
A Date of Ruins
Serena felt like an absolute mix of emotions, really running the gamut. Well, it was more that this cruise had decided to wreak havoc with her sense of feelings (she was pretty sure that even her capacity to blush had been played with at this point), even if she didn't tell anyone else. But there was one thought she felt most distinctly upon returning to her room that night: utter happiness. She tried to keep it underneath, but that joy kept bubbling to the surface in unadulterated waves. She hadn't felt so joyful since…well, since she'd kissed Ash on the escalator. Even now, that event seemed like a complete dream to her.
So did whatever was going on with Dawn and Ash.
From that thought alone, the myriad of emotions was completely ushered back into her mind. She hadn't wanted to say anything for fear of offending Ash in some way, but Dawn was far different from what she had expected. Sure, sometimes he had talked about all of his old friends, but from Serena's estimation, Dawn had been a very kind girl. Lively, energetic, a brilliant coordinator and kind to a fault (unless it was early morning, apparently). She'd even gotten that estimation of the girl when they'd first met on the ship boarding in Hoenn.
Now, however, while a little worried that perhaps Ash had left some details out about his and Dawn's, for lack of a better word, relationship, Serena was more convinced that something else was going on. After all, even Miette had said so. Much as the girl annoyed her to no end, she appreciated the sentiments given. Pausing outside her shared room with Lisia, Serena looked down the hall and noticed Dawn stalking at its opposite end. She looked really angry, prepared to burst at anyone, no more evident than when a stray Furret ran by and she appeared to screech at it, though Serena was too far away to comprehend the words.
Thankfully, the rather manic coordinator didn't catch sight of her and Serena was able to enter her room in peace. Lisia wasn't there, most likely off doing something else on the cruise now that her time was more free. Serena took that chance to flop upon her bed, glancing across the small space to a chesser and the tiny pearl situated upon it. That warm feeling returned, though by now, so many were coursing through her she wasn't sure which was the most prevalent.
"Don't give up," she muttered to herself. She wasn't sure why she needed to mutter this to the silence around her, but delighted in the fact that she could give encouragement and let that one memory bring a smile to herself. If she could do that, then maybe her future actions would also bring smiles to others. Satisfied with that, Serena let off a yawn and felt herself drifting off into sleep. If there was anything between Ash and Dawn (which seemed less likely the more Serena stared at the pearl), she'd deal with it tomorrow.
Dreaming of that brush of her own lips against his in the airport, that silent confession that he'd yet to understand, and of the time they'd spend together the next day, Serena fell asleep content. It was such a deep sleep that Serena had never heard Lisia return…or perhaps she had never returned. Serena really wasn't sure which, because the turquoise-haired Coordinator wasn't even there when she awoke, and her bed was as pristine as when she'd left it.
Letting off a yawn, Serena went and made sure she didn't look like she'd just rolled out of bed. Then, she unconsciously grabbed the pearl and left the room. Miette appeared to be waiting just outside.
"Sleep well," she said with the faintest of smirks. "Dreaming of Ash, were we?"
"I-I was not!" Serena protested, though her voice going up an octave pretty much said everything. Miette's smirk widened a little bit. "A-anyway, are you battling in the Tag-Team Tournament?"
"I am," Miette answered, falling into step alongside her, hands behind her back. "I was going to pair up with Sawyer again, but it seems like he's on guard duty. Think I'll just ask Clemont, since someone told me you've already paired up with Ash."
"I am," she responded proudly. Now that she thought about it, the way Miette made it sound was like they were already a couple. Of course, as much as Serena wished that were so, she was also happy to simply have what she could. Being in such close quarters with Ash, and him still being Ash around her, was the greatest joy she could ask for. The kiss might not have moved them too much forward, but at least it hadn't set them back. The same couldn't be said for whatever was happening with Ash and Dawn when the two girls entered the dining hall.
"Dawn, I teamed up with you yesterday!" Ash was yelling, drawing some eyes onto him. Though there were some that were averting their eyes, namely Clemont, who looked embarrassed. Bonnie and her friend Viggo were, meanwhile, glaring at the bluenette opposite Ash. Brock was over with Lisia, something Serena had decided to not be surprised about after the first few days on the cruise. "Besides, I already asked Serena to team up with me for the tournament."
"Of course," Dawn said scathingly. Her tone was low and Serena decided to hang back, not wanting to be caught in whatever crossfire was resulting from these two. "It's always about Serena, huh? You just never shut up about her. Well, did she help you when Paul kicked your butt? Did she help you become a better trainer?"
"What's that got to do with anything?" Ash asked, folding his arms angrily. Serena glanced around and noticed Pikachu and Piplup having backed away, looking a cross between mortified and terrified at their trainers' actions. "Dawn, I thought we figured this all out last night."
"All right, you two, stop arguing. People are staring," Jasper said, a bead of sweat rolling down his forehead as he tried to placate the two. Ash had the decency to look embarrassed, but Dawn was anything but. She was seething, and Serena found herself shrinking.
"Well, fine. If you didn't want to see me, you should have said so Ash Ketchum!" Dawn snapped. "I won't be taking part in the tournament today, so you can have all your fun with Serena. Thanks for the drink, Jasper."
"You're welcome. Any time," Jasper said, his eyes narrowed just a little. Dawn nodded, like she'd take him up on that offer, before almost screaming and stomping away from Ash. Serena hung her head, letting her hair cover her face. Through the parting in her locks, she could see Dawn's lips twisted into a scowl. More importantly, she noticed the state of the girl's eyes; they looked completely beyond exhausted. It was almost like she'd just been staring angrily at a wall for the whole night instead of getting some sleep. She also wasn't wearing any shoes, the Performer noticed, and her toes looked a little roughed up.
"Sorry about that, guys," Ash said, chuckling as he rubbed the back of his neck. "I don't know what's wrong with Dawn. I mean, how many times do you apologize to someone for screwing something up?"
"Pikapi…"
"Lup…" Piplup said, gazing dolefully up at Ash. Serena finally straightened and pulled a chair out next to Ash, looking at how upset the Penguin Pokémon looked. Pikachu patted his best friend and Piplup nodded, hugging Pikachu lightly before waddling off after his trainer.
"Women. What can you do, Ash?" Brock said, tossing an arm around him. It seemed like this topic of discussion had actually entertained him. Serena looked over in time to see Jasper carrying plates of pancakes for her and Miette, the man deftly moving Dawn's glass aside so its lime-green contents didn't spill all over the place. He placed them down and offered her a nod, looking like he didn't want to talk about the outburst earlier.
"I don't think that's it, Brock," Ash said, poking around at his hash browns with a fork. Sucking in her breath, Serena reached out to lightly touch Ash on the shoulder. He jumped a second, but relaxed with a smile as he saw her.
"Just give her some time, Ash. Maybe something happened back in Johto and losing yesterday just made her feel worse. I could talk to her if you'd like, but…" Serena paused, her tongue sticking out a little between her teeth as she thought of what to say. "It's just like Snowbelle. You needed a break away. Give her a day."
"Yeah…" Ash said. He started nodding, like he agreed with the idea. "Okay, that makes sense. Thanks, Serena. You always know what to say!"
"Th-thanks," Serena said, fighting down the next blush that was coming. I think you're the one who really knows what to say…Pikachu looked between the two of them, smiling a little, but also shaking his head. The honey blonde just turned towards her breakfast; she was pretty sure Pikachu understood the meaning of her kiss more than Ash did. Heck, she was sure everyone but Clemont understood more. And if Bonnie's expression as she went down the escalator, along with her little schemes here, were any indication, she was more than determined to make something happen between the two. Serena hadn't the heart to tell Bonnie she wanted it to happen naturally. On her own terms.
"Great, this really fires me up!" Ash said, happily downing his hash browns now without a care in the world. Seeing the speed with which he was eating, Serena quickly started eating her own breakfast, having more than a good idea where this was going. Next to her, Miette arched an eyebrow, but Serena tried to pay her little heed, some syrup leaking out of the corners of her lips.
"You two really are perfect for each other," she drawled, almost like it was sickening. Ash didn't hear while Serena finished swallowing. To her surprise, she wasn't blushing. Normally, she wouldn't eat so fast, but she barely had time to finish wiping her mouth before Ash grabbed her hand. She felt it heat up, almost on fire, as he began to drag her off with a grin. Serena tamped down on her hat as they rushed along, briefly looking back to notice Bonnie grinning as Clemont chastised his sister about syrup dripping to the floor.
"All right, Serena! Let's win this whole thing!" Ash proclaimed. Pikachu skidded up behind him, having raced out of the dining hall with them. Serena took a moment to catch her breath, but gripped at one of her pokeballs.
"Yeah!" she said with a smile. Ash smiled back and looked at her. Pikachu stood between them, swiveling his gaze back and forth. Serena blinked a little, holding her gaze with Ash. She felt there was a connection there, the wind blowing across the both of them. Whatever scene had happened in the dining hall mattered little. It was just the two of them in that moment. Some of Serena's hair dipped in front of her eyes and the honey blonde watched as Ash seemed to move on autopilot, brushing her hair back behind her ears. She swallowed. "Ash, I…"
"Yeah?" he asked, his voice sounding just a little deeper, more serious.
"About Lumiose," Serena began to say, clutching at the ribbon on her chest. "It…well, what I wanted to tell you was that…" Inside, she was beginning to get frustrated, unable to get the proper words out. How difficult was it to tell the boy you were in love with that you were? It was maddening! "After our journey, you were so amazing, and you still are…always have been. That moment, I wanted to show you just how much you meant to me, and-"
"What do you mean?" Ash asked, tilting his head to the side. A small noise was heard behind her, and Serena turned to see Bonnie, Viggo and Miette poke their heads out from behind a wall, watching her.
"I mean that, Ash, I kissed you that day because I lo-"
"Miette, I thought you wanted to partner up for the tag battle, so what are you doing?" Clemont's oblivious voice seemed to break the spell held over them as Ash shifted his gaze to the quartet behind Serena. She breathed in, trying to steady her now fried nerves, but reaffixed a smile to her face. There was still time before the end of the cruise. It wasn't like they could avoid each other very well.
"Ugh, is your brother always this clueless?" Viggo could be heard complaining. "I swear, he's not observant at all."
"Tell me about it…" Bonnie said with a pout. "Well, whatever, let's go to the pool."
"But the Pokémon," Viggo said, pointing at the small group of trainers that had clearly gathered for the competition about to take place. Bonnie just waved them off, running towards the back of the ship. Viggo followed after, briefly hesitating by Jasper, who had come to the entrance of the dining hall to watch the gathering trainers as he dried his hands.
"Right, Serena, who are you going to go with?" Ash asked. Serena finished watching Bonnie and her friend disappeared before turning to Ash.
"I think I'll used Pancham," she answered. "At least…for the first round."
"Sounds like a plan," Ash agreed, Pikachu hopping onto his shoulders. Serena reached over and scratched the electric mouse behind the ears as the loud clomping of a cane was heard. Serena adjusted her vision and, as expected, saw Mr. Cecil standing prim and proper.
"Well, we have quite the modest amount of trainers here. Sixteen teams, thirty-two trainers…not a bad turnout. Well, guess we should get this underway," the older man grumbled, his monocle jiggling with the movement. "Ehmm! Attention all participants in the Tag-Battle Tournament! Our event for the day is about to begin, if you'll turn your attention to the screen."
Serena did just that, seeing the screen that had been used for the Contest Spectacular suddenly light up. She was surprised to find her and Ash's pictures already next to each other, almost like they had known the two of them would team up. It could have been random coincidence, or perhaps something passed through the ship's grapevine. Either way, she was glad to not have to fuss over it. There were other pictures on the screen as well, from Miette and Clemont, to Brock and Lisia (once again). Perhaps most surprising was the older pair on the screen of Captain Ryker and Jasper. Serena had to wonder if they had decided on this after talking with Ash the previous evening. Though at the same time, she noticed that Gary's face seemed to be missing, no doubt the very thing that accounted for Ash's crestfallen and confused expression. He didn't say anything, though.
"Now, the rules for the tournament are very similar. Each team will face each other in a double battle," Mr. Cecil continued on, making sure he had each trainer's undivided attention. "All trainers are only allowed the use of one Pokémon each. The winners of the match are decided when the other team's Pokémon go down. Naturally, there will be four rounds for a championship, but we'll only have the first two rounds today before we arrive at Temple Baca. Now, let the Tag-Team Tournament, begin!"
"Can't wait!" Ash said happily, bouncing up and down on the balls of his feet. It was like all that earlier aggression from the morning had faded away. The whole thing made him seem like a giddy schoolkid. Serena giggled behind her hand, glad to see him so happy. On the screen, the thirty-two pictures swirled around before aligning themselves. "Awesome!"
"That's certainly something," Serena said, eyebrow arching at just who they were paired up against.
"Yet another tag battle we're facing each other in, huh?" Brock said, and their own pair turned to the approaching Brock and Lisia. Ash smirked just a little and leaned forward, holding his fist up.
"Yup, and just like last time, I'm gonna win!" Ash proclaimed. Brock gave a hearty chuckle.
"Well, don't count our team out. Isn't that right, sweet Lisia? !" Brock asked, suddenly spinning around and getting down on one knee. It was like a combination of Bonnie and Tierno, and literally just as successful.
"That's right!" Lisia said cheerily, practically ignoring Brock (even if the older male didn't seem to mind). "We get to face off again, Serena."
"But this time it isn't a Contest battle," Serena reminded her. Lisia nodded, but didn't seem concerned about this. Suddenly, Serena felt Ash's arm hanging over her shoulder, his face so close to hers. She had to resist closing the distance.
"Which means we don't have to worry about all the fancy stuff. I can't wait to see how you've improved as a battler, Serena!" Ash said to her. She nodded her head, Pikachu sticking himself between them. There was a slight clanging and the two teams noticed everyone moving off of the battlefields to make way for the first teams. The Performer could instantly see that multiple battles would be running at once, no doubt to make everything move faster. Most interesting was that both the captain and Jasper were in one of the first rounds, their Watchog and Manectric on guard against their opponent's (some trainers named Bruce and Trent) Sawk and Braviary.
Next to her, Ash looked beyond excited at the battles around them. Serena just watched him with a smile a moment before joining him in the event. It had been a long while since she'd attempted a tag battle; not since Anistar City, and it was a lot of fun seeing all the combinations. It was excellent material for the Contest Spectaculars she would take part in for the future. Most in particular was watching Ryker and Jasper battle. One could have easily thought they'd constantly battled by each other's side. Between Hypnosis followed by a very accurate and well-placed Discharge or using Electric Terrain to obscure Watchog's movements for a Super Fang, they mopped up their first round quickly. It served to get Ash all the more excited for when their match was finally called.
"Noivern, I choose you!" Ash called, the second they were standing opposite Lisia and Brock. From the capture device emerged Noivern, who caught sight of Serena and flapped his wings, clearly happy to see her.
"Pancham, it's your turn!" she called, tossing Pancham out of his pokeball. The two Pokémon caught sight of each other and greeted one another with a cry.
"Your Noivern looks well-raised, Ash, but there's no way we're giving up," Brock said, smirking across the battlefield towards Ash. The raven-haired trainer didn't respond as Croagunk popped out of his pokeball to take the battlefield. "All right, Croagunk, let's win this thing. So focus on the battle and not my wonderfully budding-"
"Gunk…" Croagunk threatened, causing Ash to chuckle a little while Lisia predictably sent Ali out.
"Our budding partnership. Time to battle," Brock corrected himself. In that brief second that their referee lowered his flag, Brock's face shifted from smitten to serious, and Serena knew they'd have to pay attention every second.
"We'll take the first move. Noivern, use Dragon Claw on Altaria!" Ash cried. Serena narrowed her gaze to the field, and made a snap decision on how to handle the battle ahead.
"Pancham, use a Stone Edge, straight ahead!" Serena ordered. Next to her, Ash was grinning, filling her with a lightness. Pancham tumbled forward and slammed the ground. The line of stones raced out, parting the field in two and separating Croagunk from Altaria. At the same moment, Noivern reached its fellow Dragon type.
"Protect, Ali!" Lisia cried out. Noivern's green claws slammed into the blue shield, rebounding off of it.
"Now, Croagunk, aim a Poison Sting at Noivern!" Brock called. Croagunk, despite being separated by the row of stones, aimed his mouth upward and fired out small purple stingers towards Noivern.
"Blast them back with Boomburst!"
"And Pancham, use Dark Pulse!" Serena said. The two both threw their hands out, fingertips lightly touching one another as their Pokémon leapt into action. Noivern spun in midair, twisting in order to point his ears right at Croagunk. Then he sent the soundwaves cascading out, scattering the stingers. Pancham, meanwhile, called the swirling dark-purple energy to his hands before shooting it out at Croagunk.
"Dodge it and use Brick Break on the stones," Brock called. The Boomburst impacted with the ground and left a small indent in the dirt field while Croagunk ran. The impact of the Boomburst allowed a small air to push the Toxic Mouth Pokémon upward. The Dark Pulse followed right as Croagunk spun in midair and slammed his glowing fist into the rocks. The brief second allowed him to be nailed by the attack, but at the same time, the barrier was destroyed.
"Now, Dragon Pulse, Ali!" Lisia called. Serena flinched; she had temporarily forgotten about Lisia. It seemed, however, that Ash hadn't, grinning.
"Supersonic!" he yelled in triumph. Noivern barely even moved, but sent the soundwaves radiating outward. Altaria stopped his attack, cringing from the loud sound until Lisia ordered a Cotton Guard. Even that didn't seem to do very much, allowing a well-commanded Dragon Claw to come roaring in and across Altaria. Croagunk was also getting to his feet.
"Use Arm Thrust!" Serena called. Croagunk turned slowly towards Pancham as he ran at the opposing Fighting type.
"Poison Jab!" Brock commanded. Croagunk's fist glowed purple as Pancham reached him and he thrusted forward. So did Pancham, and their fists met, combating with one another as Altaria and Noivern circled through the air. Serena could hear Ash giving Noivern commands, the Dragon Pokémon circling around with a Dragon Claw before breaking off into an Acrobatics, maneuvering effortlessly. Even Lisia looked impressed. Serena was less impressive as Croagunk got a Poison Jab off into Pancham's chest.
"Ah! Pancham!" Serena cried while Pancham rolled back. "Use Stone Edge!"
"We won't let you split the field again, Serena," Lisia warned the pair of them. "Time for Draco Meteor!"
"Serena, have Pancham get on Noivern's back," Ash said, turning to her. She nodded, and quickly relayed the instructions to Pancham. The Playful Pokémon nodded as Noivern descended, lowering his tail for Pancham to climb aboard. Ali's body glowed brightly and the orange light coalesced out into brilliant streams. "Use your sound waves and get above it!"
"Vern!" Noivern cried, zipping through the air. Serena watched Pancham hold on for dear life as they zipped through all of the meteors until getting above it. Suddenly, Serena saw just what Ash was planning.
"Pancham, now spin down at Croagunk with Arm Thrust!" she cried.
"Noivern, you use Acrobatics!"
"Cham pan cham!" Pancham complied, suddenly leaping off of Noivern and spinning in a freefall through the air, his fist glowing white hot. Croagunk prepared himself for the attack with another glowing, pulsing purple fist. At the same time, Noivern's body was bathed in turquoise as he zipped downward with his body aiming right for Ali, who was just finishing his attack.
Pancham finally got within range of Croagunk, who jabbed forward. The attack grazed Pancham, and then Pancham's first fist struck out, knocking the rest of the fist away. Simultaneously, Noivern slammed right into Altaria's body. "Now, Dark Pulse!"
"And Dragon Claw!" Ash screamed with a grin. His hand threw itself out, managing to clasp onto hers. She was so caught up in the heat of the battle that she didn't notice, only seeing the nexus of swirling dark energy form and slam right into Croagunk while Noivern tore across Ali with his Dragon Claw. There was a brief moment, and then Ali fell, right on top of Croagunk.
"Altaria and Croagunk are unable to battle! The winners are Ash and Serena!" the referee cried, and Serena watched as their pictures moved on to the next round.
"Yes!" Ash cried, raising his fist in the air, Serena attached to it. She suddenly realized how intertwined their fingers were, but couldn't deny how nice it was. Still, her own joy bubbled up and caused her to jump up and down with joy at having won a battle. "We made a great team, Serena! You guys did great, too, Pancham and Noivern."
"Vern!"
"Cham!" Pancham responded, thumping his chest. Brock and Lisia approached from the other end of the battlefield, prompting the trainers to call their Pokémon back and leave the field. Brock slung an arm around Ash, causing their hands to disengage.
"You deserve every bit of that runner-up title, huh?" Brock said, almost ribbing his best friend. Serena thought it was a nice sight to see as the four returned to the back of the field. Lisia departed to get some food from the three cooks (their stock looked much lower than there were trainers, though, and Ash hadn't eaten yet).
Brock and Ash turned to chatting, but Serena focused on the field, watching Clemont and Miette battle it out with some trainers. It wasn't quite as good as her and Ash's team up, but was perfunctory enough to work with. Though, it was no surprise that they moved on to the next round, which started shortly after, Ash and Serena being up in the first set against the Honedge trainer from the first day of the Contest Spectacular and a girl with a Ledian.
Serena had to admit that it was strange how confident she felt facing off against them with Sylveon while Ash used Talonflame. Perhaps it was the infectious enthusiasm that Ash held, or maybe it was that they were standing side by side with one another, but Serena was more than happy to battle it out, and take their ultimate victory in the second battle (finished with a powerful Fairy Wind and Flame Charge combo).
"You guys are really strong," their opponents said in awe of the two of them, causing Ash to scratch the back of his head.
"Well, you just gotta train hard!" he told them and they quickly took his words to heart. Serena watched him with her hands behind her back, smiling softly. Of course, she was so caught up in watching him, she didn't realize he was speaking to her. With a blink, she focused her attentions back on his words. "You wanna get ready to go out?"
"G-go out?" Serena stuttered, cursing herself slightly for doing so. For all of the courage and bravery that her kissing him had offered, she still had those moments where he caught her completely off-guard. "Oh, yeah. I'll just get some food for us, okay."
"Awesome!" Ash exclaimed, him and Pikachu both throwing a fist in the air in triumph. With that, he seemed to run off towards his room. "Let's meet here on the deck, okay, Serena?"
"Sure thing!" she yelled back, turning a few heads.
"Ooh, a date…" Miette said sultrily, practically purring in her ear. Serena jumped a little while Miette laughed, patting her on the back. "I'm only joking, Serena. You two should have fun. Just make sure you find a more appropriate place to lay one on him than as you're riding down an escalator."
"What? !" Serena screeched a little, going so high in her voice that Chespin, who was walking alongside Clemont, had to cover his ears. Miette laughed gaily. "Who told you that?"
"Doesn't matter. I'm going to tan by the pool, have fun!" her rival said with a wink in her direction. Serena's hands just gripped at her dress, trying to stop herself from steaming inside.
"You okay, Serena?" Clemont asked, Chespin looking up at her with a tilted head as well.
"Just fine. Thanks, Clemont," she said, offering a smile and then walking away. There was no doubt she'd left the inventor confused, but her mind was too flustered from Miette's comments. There was no doubt in her mind that Bonnie had been the one to say something, likely encouraged by her friend, Viggo. Those two had been a whole host of trouble so far.
Not that it had mattered much. She still hadn't been remarkably plain and straightforward with Ash, and he was still…well, she wanted to assume he was still dense. It didn't bother her too much, however, and she shrugged the issue off to go and get some food for their trip into the ruins, which she could now see approaching while the final teams for the day finished. The matchups for the next day were up on the screen already, and somehow, Serena wasn't surprised to find they'd be up against Clemont and Miette.
"Here you are," Jasper said, winking at her, having returned to his duties after his battle. Serena blinked yet again and noticed the basket of food in front of her. "For your day."
"But I didn't…" Serena started to say before laughing a little. By this point, it was useless to question Jasper and his psychic ways of predicting their food consumption. Either way, Ash would be happy.
"And here comes another hungry customer," Jasper commented. Serena looked down to see Piplup, all on his lonesome, coming up to the chef. Serena bent down and picked Piplup up. He turned to her and smiled, a much better state than his master was currently in. "Guess your trainer needs some food, huh? Got a specialty right here."
"Lup lup!" Piplup said gratefully. Serena took the plate containing a sandwich and the closed glass of what she presumed was lime soda before also taking Jasper's package.
"Why don't I help you, Piplup? I have a few minutes," Serena told the Penguin Pokémon. He beamed at her, hopping out of her arms to the ground and waddling forward, leading the way forward towards Dawn. Serena could admit to being a little apprehensive about approaching the girl who had been so…well…she'd been rather loud, Serena supposed. But still, she kept a smile on her face as she walked down one of the halls and towards a closed door. Piplup pushed on it and opened the door, revealing the bluenette, seated upon a bed tying knots out of ribbons.
"Luplup pip!" Piplup announced their presence, making Dawn look up from her repeated activity to see Serena there. The two girls looked at each other silently before Serena held up the plate.
"Brought you some food since you practically missed breakfast," the honey blonde said. Dawn said nothing at first, but then nodded, surveying her carefully. Serena moved a little closer, placing the plate near her and stepping back. On closer inspection, Dawn really did look exhausted; it was a possible explanation for her behavior the last twenty-four hours. "Um…so…"
"Don't you have a date to be getting to?" Dawn asked. Serena swallowed at the harsh dullness in her tone. Not that Dawn seemed to care how she sounded, ripping open the plastic on the plate and beginning to eat and drink at an alarming pace. Serena frowned, thinking of the words to say.
"Dawn, I don't want to be in the middle of you and Ash's friendship," Serena said, her hand subconsciously traveling to her ribbon. "He used to talk about you and how nice of a person you were, and you really are. Can't we be friends? At least so we don't drive Ash crazy?"
"Maybe," Dawn said indifferently, polishing off her food and downing her drink. Serena watched her, worried she would start yelling at her, but she ended up doing no such thing. Her eyes widened a little though, like she was in realization of something.
"All right," Serena decided to say, realizing they would head nowhere at this rate. She stopped on her way out the door. "We're stopping at the temple ruins soon. You should come with all of us. It can't be any fun cooped up in your room all day."
"I'll think about it," Dawn answered, rubbing at her eyes just a little. "Right now, I'm pretty thirsty. Jasper must have put peppers into that sandwich. We'll talk later, Serena. No need…to worry…" The bluenette trailed off a moment, like the words tasted foreign on her tongue, but she shrugged it off and just sprung from her bed, pushing right past the Performer and into the hall. Piplup raced after her, leaving a befuddled Serena behind.
Hitching her and Ash's lunch with a shaking head, Serena decided to follow the very strange girl out of the halls and back onto the deck. The area was a little more packed than before, everyone wearing some modicum of traveling outfits, ready for their adventure. Ash was nowhere to be seen yet while Clemont looked to be working on something she heard being called a "Ruin Structure Examiner". Bonnie and Viggo watched him with bored expressions. Serena continued to look around for Ash and caught sight of Dawn inside the dining hall, drinking something at the counter and muttering under her breath it seemed. Jasper appeared to watch her with amusement before barking at his three chefs, who almost looked disappointed that they couldn't go slinking off on the trip. On the other side of the boat was Sawyer, the green-haired boy casting his gaze around with interest, and a slight worry, as he checked a small pocket watch he'd been given, a frown on his face.
"Hey, all set!"
"Pipika!" Pikachu confirmed, telling Serena that both Ash and his best friend were there. He looked no different from before, besides wearing a slightly fuller backpack and looking refreshed for the adventure ahead. The honey blonde Performer smiled at the pair, and they both turned to their incoming destination: a small island with vine covered ruins, a gate placed at the entrance into the strange structure. The closer they got, the more Serena could see, and by the time the ramp was lowering to the island, she could tell it was multitiered, almost like a pyramid that was almost pearlescent in the sun's glow.
"Aah!" Serena suddenly vocalized as all around her the different tourists on the ship began to move in a wave towards the ramp. Clemont, Bonnie and Viggo were among them, and Serena could swear she caught sight of a Brock-less Lisia (though she was far less sure of that). They all disappeared in the mess of the crowd. She felt her body jostled around a little bit until she was held firm by Ash, smiling at her. He then tentatively reached down and placed his hand around hers.
"Maybe we should hold on to each other so we don't get lost," he suggested with his usual grin.
"Sounds like a good idea," Serena agreed, and the two stepped off the ship and down the ramp to the jungle-esque forest below. Numerous people were passing through the entrance gate while still others hung slightly back. Owing to that, Serena had enough time to take a brochure before they had approached the woman at the gate and gotten a stamp on their hands to let them through. Still holding onto Ash's hand, Serena opened the brochure with her other hand to peruse it. "This is interesting…"
"What is?" Ash asked as the two passed under the archway into the ruins. Some of the walls had crumbled a little, letting light stream in and illuminate the vines draped over the walls. There were the depictions of some drawings on the wall, but Serena was too interested in the brochure. Even Pikachu was looking in to examine it with her.
"Apparently, this temple is one of two," Serena pointed out. "Temple Baca, which reached into the expanses of space; and Temple Arvum, whose details were lost to time. I guess they were both places of worship in ancient times, though Temple Arvum was soon lost, vanishing in the mist at sea."
"Sounds pretty cool," Ash admitted, continuing to aimlessly lead them along through the ruins' twists and turns. It seemed he was just following the path where the light led in order to constantly know their direction. They came to some stairs and began to ascend. As they rounded the corner up them, Serena thought she saw a flash of blue, but ignored it.
"Yeah, they used to offer something called the Clavis Initus and it would bring much blessings upon their tribes…or something like that. They claim Arceus had something to do with it and their ensuing bounty," Serena continued to note. She looked up from the brochure, suddenly noting the warmth that came from Ash's hand. He looked back at her, his eyes lighting up with an idea.
"Maybe they used to place it somewhere inside the temple. Wanna take a look?"
"Sure thing!" Serena stated confidently, and they increased their pace. Once more, there was a flash of blue as they turned a corner, mixed in with a familiar flash of pink. Shaking the thought from her mind, Serena kept pace with Ash as they broke out into sunlight on an upper level of the ruins. "Oh, wow…"
Sprawled before them was the true Temple Baca, glimmering in the bright coastal sun. Without even thinking, Serena let go of Ash's hand and fished out the pearl in her pocket, holding it up to the sun. The temple and the pearl in her pocket both shined with the same hue, as if illuminating a path forward. Ash's knees were bent a bit as he stared out over the ruins. Finally, he pointed towards something on the lower level, shrouded in trees where some of the tourists were gathering and taking pictures.
"That must be it!" he said before looking around and finding more stairs that would take them down. Of course, it turned out that they had to go back first, and Serena turned with him to take the stairs. Both of them paused.
It was just a brief moment, but Serena's unfortunate suspicions were proving correct. They had seen Dawn staring at them, watching them just below, not saying a word before she vanished behind the wall. Ash ran forward a little, but looked utterly confused once he'd reached the spot where Dawn was...or had been. "Um…I'm not crazy, am I?"
"No, I saw her, too," Serena said, stepping forward slowly. "I went to talk with her, but I thought she didn't seem interested in coming."
Ash folded his arms and shared his thoughts with a, "Well, she doesn't need to hide from us. We may have argued this morning, but she's still my friend."
"Mine too…or, I'd like to think so," Serena noted, joining up with Ash as they made their way over to the set of stairs they wanted to get to. "I mean, we both like Pokémon and fashion and…well, isn't that what matters?"
"I think so," Ash said, his face taking on an uncommon thoughtful expression. "But she's still been acting really weird. I mean, trying to feed me is something I wouldn't even let Pikachu do…"
"Pikapi, chu pika cha!" Pikachu instantly chastised his friend, causing a giggle from Serena. In truth, she felt more elation than amusement; that Ash felt as uncomfortable as the scene was to watch made her feel a bit better. For another second, she contemplated reasserting her feelings, but chose against it. Instead, they aimed for the brightening passage to the stairs.
Serena continued turning her head, looking around and once more catching sight of the disconcerting bluenette staring at them from behind a wall. She also thought she caught sight of Viggo running into a darkened corridor, but he was gone before she could confirm it. Just before they reached the stairs, she heard the sound of loud footsteps.
"Ash! Serena!" yelled Bonnie's voice, and the two turned to see the lemon-blonde approaching. Clemont was huffing and puffing behind her. "Have you two seen Viggo? We lost him in the crowd and can't seem to find him."
"Oh, I think he went down that corridor," Serena pointed out. Bonnie instantly whizzed off after him, leaving Clemont to catch up (and to catch his breath).
"We've done…nothing but…look for him…" Clemont wheezed out before straightening. He looked past Serena with a curious expression on his face. "Uh, was that Dawn I saw?"
"Yeah, for some reason she keeps following us but doesn't say anything," Ash told him. The confused, and concerned, look didn't leave Clemont's face. Serena breathed in, deciding to say what was on her mind now that Clemont was here with her.
"I'm a little worried about her," she voiced honestly. Ash turned to her, surprised. "Well, you said yourself, Ash, that she's usually more social than this. I certainly don't mind having her around, and I know she's one of your best friends, but she keeps avoiding us…"
"Maybe she's just tired?" Ash suggested. "Like you said, Serena, maybe she just needs some time to work through something." Serena nodded, but didn't even believe her own words; had Dawn not been practically stalking them since their time in the ruins, she would have agreed, but as it was now…Then again, Ash, too, looked a little disconcerted, but had no time to think about it.
"Come on, Clemont!" screeched out Bonnie's voice, the little girl coming into view. "I haven't found him yet, but if Serena said he's down this way, then let's go!"
"Coming, Bonnie…" Clemont sighed out, offering a very small smile before chasing after them once more. Serena and Ash watched him go before shrugging and continuing on their own way. As they proceeded through the nature-filled and open interior of the temple, Serena noticed there were far less tourists there than she thought, replaced with some wild Bellsprout and Zigzagoon that were skittering away. The three drew closer to the dais that appeared to be in the middle of a walled area (yet still covered in the telltale vines).
"This is pretty cool, huh?" Ash noted, running up to the top of the dais. Serena was right behind him and saw what looked like a dull, gray spire sticking up from an elaborate setting. It was hard to truly describe what it looked like as so much had eroded with time, but she had a feeling that this one spot at some point held much power. In her observations, she caught sight of a small patch of grass under a tree, and in the shade of the wall, that looked perfect for a picnic.
"What do you say about having some lunch, Ash?" Serena asked, holding up the basket of food. Ash's eyes lit up and Serena was the one to take the initiative this time in grabbing his hand and pulling him over to the shade of the tree and wall as they sat upon it. Serena wasn't surprised at the eclectic variety of food, nor over Ash's enthusiasm towards it. Jasper had even packed plates for them! They both quickly took food on their plates and Ash wasted no time in eating.
Serena watched him a moment, glad to be able to have this time with him. It struck her that one could certainly construe this as a date, something she'd refused to admit even with Miette's teasing. Either way, as she began to eat, it made her happy. At least, she was happy until she once more saw Dawn watching them. That unsettled her appetite a little.
"Something wrong?" Ash asked and she looked at him with a shaking head.
"Just not as hungry as you, I guess," Serena answered, not wanting to share the worries on her mind with him. "Thanks for this, Ash."
"For what?" Ash asked. Without thinking, Serena leaned forward and kissed his cheek. There was a very brief second where she felt she'd done something wrong until Ash's hand was somehow on her face, his eyes looking into hers with a mixture of clouded confusion and inexhaustible softness. There was a sharp noise, like something cracking, and Ash's eyes widened. "Move!"
"Wha-?" Serena shouted before she felt herself pull away just as a large chunk of the wall crumbled away, smashing into their picnic spot. Serena swallowed, realizing she was on top of Ash, but twisted her body to see just what had happened. The wall appeared to have crumbled, though not by force or from old age and decay. Serena had to wonder just what had happened when Ash's stomach growled.
"Aw, man…that was our lunch…" he said, grabbing onto Serena once more and helping her up. The second he let go of her, however, her ankle buckled and she found herself falling into him. "You okay?"
"I…I think my ankle is sprained. Nothing serious…just hurts to stand," Serena admitted. Ash nodded while Pikachu looked between them with worry. For a moment, Ash looked to be thinking before clapping his hands together. He dragged his bag out and dug in it before pulling out a handkerchief. Well, it wasn't just a handkerchief, and Serena was certain he knew that.
It was confirmed when he knelt down, tied it around her ankle and said, "Pain, pain, go away! How's that?"
"Much better," Serena laughed out, recalling their old memory.
"Think you can make it back to the ship?" Ash asked, quickly taking her arm and slinging it around him. Their bodies pressed up against each other, and Serena couldn't help her blush this time, hoping Ash wouldn't see it and mistake it for a fever.
"I can manage. Shame we couldn't explore more of the ruins though…they sounded really interesting. Makes me wonder what that Temple Arvum would have been like…or any of them in their prime," Serena said as she tentatively limped forward with Ash supporting her weight.
"Yeah…but you're more important than some ruins," Ash told her, making her wonder if he had truly said something that sounded so…romantic. He didn't follow it up with anything, though, and focused more on making sure she didn't fall again before they finished navigating the ruins once more and were passing the gatekeeper to make their way to the boat. Thankfully, Ash caught sight of Brock (having likely returned, if he'd indeed left at all) treating some Pokémon from the Tag-Battle Tournament on the deck. "Hey, Brock! Serena's hurt! Think you can help us out?"
"I can try," Brock called over as he finished spraying some potion onto a Furfrou. Ash helped Serena over to a bench on the deck and sat her upon it while Brock finished approaching. It was a strange sight for Serena to see him all business instead of gushing about Lisia. The older male kneeled down and held up Serena's ankle. He then reached into his pack and pulled out a bag of ice, placing it there. "Hold this for about an hour or two and you should be good."
"Thank you, Brock," Serena said gaily. Brock winked at her.
"Anything for Ash's girl," he chuckled out. Serena knew he was most likely joking but couldn't help the flutter in her heart at the sound of it. Ash, meanwhile, was too busy getting food from Jasper to hear it, though he did return with some ice cream and soda. Pulling her leg up, Serena got comfortable and watched the waves roll back and forth.
"Did you have some fun?" Ash asked her after a little while.
"Mmhmm, lots of it," she told him. "Like I said, thanks for this."
"Well, you're important to me," Ash admitted, rubbing his nose a little. "And…uh…I really like spending time with you. Just the two of us. Well, Pikachu, too, I guess."
"Chaaaa…" Pikachu cooed out, too busy with his ice cream. Serena wasn't sure what to say, so she said nothing, just taking Ash's hand and tentatively deciding to lean her head against his shoulder. To her surprise, he didn't stiffen like he had with Dawn, but allowed her to ease into it. That gave her some relief as her ankle began to feel better.
Sooner than later, the passengers for the ship began to return in droves, including a secretive Dawn, who tried to act like she hadn't been following them creepily through the ruins (though she disappeared to her own room seconds after arriving). This was no more noticeable than when Bonnie's group returned, the young girl seemingly pouting at her good friend.
"We spent the whole time looking for you, Viggo!" Bonnie was complaining as she tromped up the ramp and onto the deck.
"Well, I was spending the whole time looking for you guys!" Viggo admitted, to Bonnie and Clemont's groans of exasperation, particularly Clemont's.
"And here I wanted to examine the ruins…" he said sadly, but still continued with ushering them off to get some food. Serena perked up a little at that, deciding to try her foot again. Ash helped her immediately, and she tested her weight. Everything seemed to hold correctly and she breathed in. The foghorn went off and Serena saw the ramp retracting once more, the ship pulling back out to sea. Ash's stomach rumbled again.
"Man, I'm hungry. Wanna get dinner?"
"Sure thing," Serena responded and the two made their way towards the dining hall. Only, Ash stopped at the sight of Sawyer, running towards them, looking just a little frantic.
"You okay, Sawyer?" Ash asked as his green-haired rival turned to look at him with wide eyes.
"You guys haven't seen Gary anywhere, have you?" he asked in trepidation. "Was he in the ruins or…?"
"No, we haven't," Serena told him, bewilderment settling on her features. "And I'm pretty sure we were one of the first ones on the boat. Why? What's going on?"
"He was supposed to report to guard duty a couple hours ago," Sawyer answered her, his hands kneading at each other. "But he didn't show…and he's not in his room...I didn't even see him at the Tag-Battle Tournament. Plus, you guys said he didn't leave the ship. And...Guys, I…I think Gary is missing."
Author's Note: Dun dun dun! What is this? Gary is missing? What nefarious plot could be at hand? A lot of you thought something would happen at the ruins last chapter...well, we fooled you. However, there was quite a bit of fun to be had this time around, from explorations to tender romantic moments. Even to Dawn being a creepy stalker. "Ugh, not this horrible OOC Dawn again?" you must be thinking. But you must also realize by now...well, at least please realize we know what an in-character Dawn looks like. And lastly, yes, we didn't show you much of the Tag-Battle Tournament. Why? Because it really wasn't important.
potat lasaro: Everything is starting to happen now! Why in the world would Gary be missing? Well, you'll have to just keep reading to find out. As for Dawn, like Epicocity said, we know what an in-character Dawn is like. So take that as you will. As for the rest of the chapter, Ash and Serena seemed to have a really fun day. First they beat Brock and Lisia and then they explored the ruins together and had a nice time alone. Though, wonder how they'll be able to overcome this wrench in their little vacation…
So, before we hop off, let's thank everyone making this story a pretty great success: AxemKnigh0, LuchaKingGoodra, Montage17381, ThePersonalOne, ZavLovesFanfics, cruzcartoon, johnpeter123, 5522, ChaosSeiroFreedomfromrulesnin, jaffw, LeonidassonofNike, and ModernErasmus for following; and this big thanks to the massive list of Jayfeathers Friend, Cottonmouth25, Girlgamer98765, Djiprad, FantasyLover88, Nightshock5, AmourshippingCanon, AdvancedAlto, phantomorion, PurimPopoie, CommanderAwesome3, Q-A the Authoress, aliensinnoh, TheAztecKing, Cato Yugi, TheSilverScrub, Nexxus176, StarMaidenWarrior, anthonysoras, PandasInMittens, kar'taylir darasuum, MossDeepThinker, Xiaolin Dinosaur Master, Shameful Metaphors, c00k33s, ChE clarinetist, sunshineisdelicious, RenegadeReviewer, ultimateCCC, StillPushingTheTruck, WaterStar45, UptownFunk, AMOUR WORSHIPPER and 1 guest for reviewing. Thanks for your thoughts and concerns so we could, hopefully, elate them. Until the next time, please Review and Dare to Be Silly.
