First thing is first, I hope everyone here has enjoyed your holidays. Happy New Year to everyone and I hope this year is better than the last for everyone single person reading this. That and thanks for joining me on this next chapter of the story. I do apologize for taking so long to update. I had family visiting during the holidays so I just took a break from writing. But now that it's a new year, time to begin writing again. So here goes the first chapter of 2018.
A Path For You And Me
Bright and early, it was a beautiful day to travel the Kalos Region. Taking advantage of the beautiful day, the group of friends take off on their short trip from Santalune City. After Ash's victory over Viola, they spent the night in the local Pokémon center. They figured it would be best to rest up and travel the next day.
Even though their trip to Lumiose City would only take half a day, they had some time to get to know each other better. Thankfully, Viola had given then a nice memento of their time together in the form of a photograph. Two people in particular however, stood apart from the rest. Or in their case, closer together than the rest.
"Is there any reason why you're so close to Ash?" Shauna questioned her friend. Since they all had a copy of the same photo, they could all appreciate it on their own. In Shauna's case, examine.
Taking a closer look, Serena noticed just how close she is to her friend. "Viola did say huddle in close together" she defended herself. Considering how Ash was in the center of the photo, she figured it would be best if they all were close to their friend. Either way, her constant assumptions were beginning to annoy her. At first, she was okay with the teasing, but now it was bothersome. If only she knew who her mystery friend was so she could return the favor.
Arriving in Lumiose City around midday, the group of friends spend a short amount of time deciding their best course of action. "Do you feel like trying to take on the Lumiose City gym again?" Ash asks the Pokémon resting on his shoulder.
Wanting to battle more than anything else, Pikachu nods. He has been itching to help his trainer earn a badge already. Unfortunately for him, that honor was given to Froakie and Fletchling in the last battle.
By now, Serena and Shauna also wanted to watch Ash take on another gym. Despite a battle being more or less about brute force, at least in their opinion, Ash battles with style and grace. It was something they greatly appreciated, considering the battle always had them trapped in a feeling of suspense.
Fortunately for Clemont and Bonnie, the other three failed to notice their worried expressions. The last thing they needed at the moment was to have their secret known to everyone. Even more good luck was with them when Ash's stomach began to growl. "My my, looks like we're all pretty hungry" Clemont commented, hoping to distract Ash's focus from attempting to battle the gym.
"Let's find a nice place to eat and we can talk about what to do there" Bonnie added. Her brother's secret was also her secret. Hopefully with her being the youngest of the group, they will at least take her suggestion in consideration.
Finally paying attention to his hunger, Ash gives in to Bonnie's idea. After all, he himself was a big fan of eating. He begins to wonder the kinds of food they serve in the Kalos Region. "Does anyone know a great place to eat?" Ash practically drooled, thinking of the delicious foods he could be trying at the moment.
Being most familiar with Lumiose City, Shauna offers to lead the way. There was a spot she would hang out with when she was around her friend. Thankfully this place was somewhere anybody could go without worrying about prices.
Working on opening the Rocket Café, as the classic rocket trio named it, they received a rather large package. "You're the guys Giovanni sent, right?" Meowth asks, needing confirmation from the group of people who arrived.
The group of people nod their heads. They were all part of Team Rocket. "There's more coming in a bit" the grunt at the front of the group added.
"Awe perfect, we could use some more help" Meowth said, dividing the tasks at hand evenly between all the grunts. With more coming, they should be able to open the café by tonight.
With the crews working tirelessly, the place was coming together at a rapid pace. "Over here, we will build a stage for Karaoke" Jessie directed her share of the grunts. While many would question the idea of having a stage for karaoke, the more realistic the illusion of a legitimate café, the easier it will be for them to hide in plain sight.
"Uhh hey fellas, come check this out" James called the attention of both Meowth and Jessie.
Walking over towards the blue haired man, they see a trapdoor with stairs leading to a path underneath the building. "Any ideas where this leads to?" James wonder aloud. Obviously his two partners wouldn't know either.
"It's a bit dark, how about we get some light" Jessie struggled to see into the path. There was no way she would explore without being able to see. She has learned her lesson plenty of times in the past.
"Help up out Inkay" James let out his newly caught Pokémon. Thankfully the dark type was able to light the dark room.
Unfortunately, the sight before them only added fear rather than take some of it away. "What's with all these skeletons?" Jessie cried out. She hopes she wouldn't join them any time soon.
"Wobbuffet" Jessie's psychic type released itself from its Pokéball, nearly having everyone jump out of their skin.
"Do that again, and I'll leave you down here" Jessie recalled her Pokémon, doing her best to control her breathing.
"Talk about skeletons in the closet" Meowth commented, after calming down somewhat. Normally he would move any sort of obstacle out of the way, but the fact that there was nothing but skeletons as far as the eye can see, it would be best to leave the remains in places. That and he would risk the chance of disturbing any ghost Pokémon, if any lived there.
Having searched for some relevant information, James found something of interest on his tablet. "It says here this place is called the Lumiose Catacombs" he stated. "This place was used to leave the remains of people from a war here in the Kalos Region, centuries ago" he explained. "While now it has been sealed off to the public, every now and then, people do find entrances that lead to other places here in the city" he finished reading.
It was obvious, finding an unsealed entrance to the catacombs would become useful. With the ability to quickly travel from one point to another undetected, they could easily get to where they needed in the city without drawing attention to themselves. "Let's send a crew to map out the place" Meowth said, closing the door to the entrance.
Leaving the café, satisfied by their meal, the group of friend head towards Professor Sycamore's lab. Ash needed to return the Pokémon he was given to have Serena pick as her starter. Serena also wanted to thank the professor personally. Once again, both Clemont and Bonnie would let out a sigh of relief. At least they wouldn't have to mislead their friends again.
With Professor Sycamore's lab being a short distance away, conveniently, the group took no time at all to arrive there. The first thing Ash noticed were the doors. "Looks like the professor fixed the doors…sort of" he saw the doors hanging on by a few screws.
They knock on the doors cautiously, due to their insecurity over the damaged door falling over. Hearing a creaking sound and watching the doors move on their own, the group stand back. Looks like its falling over. "Oh hey there everyone, please excuse these doors" Professor Sycamore greeted them, opening the doors himself. There is a certain way they needed to be opened and closed to avoid falling over.
Once everyone was inside, they all returned the greeting. "I see the door is now hanging on by a thread" Ash comments. Taking a closer look, they see the damage is much more than just the doors. Since the doors were blown off, the wall holding it in place was crumbling as well.
The professor explains he has people working on a fix. For now however, they will remain the way they are.
"Hey professor" Serena gets the older man's attention. "Thank you for giving me my starter" Serena showed her gratitude. She would also like to thank her for reuniting her with an old friend of hers, but that is best left unsaid.
Hearing his friend thank the professor for giving her a starter, Ash remembers, he needs to return the other two Pokémon. Taking out the cylinder holding the other two Pokémon, Ash hands them over to the older man.
The professor releases the other two Pokémon. "I see you have chosen Fennekin as your starter" Professor Sycamore noted.
With that, Serena releases her Fennekin as well. "I sure have, we're going to become great friends, aren't we Fennekin?" Serena pats her fire type on the head.
"Kin" the starter leaps into her arms, wagging its tail.
Observing the bond the two are slowly forming, its clear Serena has picked a perfect partner. "I wish you two the best of luck" the professor says. One question however is nagging at the professor. "You're the daughter of the great Rhyhorn Racer Grace, is that your goal?" Professor Sycamore was curious about her goals.
"Actually, we still haven't decided what we want to do yet?" she gave a shy response, referring to herself and Fennekin. Her main reason for traveling was to explore the region with Shauna.
Thankfully, Shauna was also in the same situation. "Well, we are planning on traveling the Kalos Region to find something to work towards" Shauna added. At least, that was their original plan. With Ash in the picture, who knows if that has changed.
Before they had a chance to continue, another knock was coming from the door. "I'll get it" the professor walked towards the crumbling entrance. Normally he would let anyone answer. Since the entrance was damaged however, he preferred to answer, mainly to avoid any injuries. "Oh hey you two, thanks for coming" the professor led two teenage guys inside his lab.
Before even having the chance to greet them, Shauna immediately recognizes the twins. "Hey Calem, hey Salem" she casually walks over towards them, forgetting who was currently present. Seeing her friend Calem would always brighten up her day in an instant.
Looking at the twins, the group see they are nearly the same appearance wise. One of them was dressed in a simple lavender button down shirt with the sleeves rolled up, black pants and black sneakers. The other twin however was a bit more dressed up. He wore khaki pants with a button down white shirt. Over it, a black sweater covered the shirt so only the white shirt's collar was visible. Both had the same facial appearance and black hair. By the initial appearance, it was easy to see the two were quite different, despite being each other's look alike.
Serena however noticed the change in Shauna's mood. Throughout the day she was neutral for the most part. They would have their normal conversation as usual. With the arrival of her two friends, she seemed closer to Calem than the other twin. Suddenly, the gears in Serena's mind began to turn. This must be her friend she has been hiding for so long. "Geez Shauna, you could at least introduce me to your friends before ignoring me" she walks over towards the trio. Unfortunately for the Kalos native, this plan backfired nearly in an instant.
While the less dressed twin always liked to meet new people, the other had a unique way of approaching people he liked. Seeing a beauty he has never thought possible, Salem admires the stranger that wishes to know them. For once, being friends with Shauna actually brought them good fortune for once. And here he was believing Shauna was simply after the other twin for his status in the Kalos Region. "There's no need for it Shauna" he cut in front of his friend. "My name is Salem" he went straight for Serena's hand. "And who do I have the pleasure of meeting today" he kneeled to one, attempting to kiss the back of her hand.
Frozen for a moment, the blonde teen was unsure of what to do. She didn't want to be rude and snatch her hand away rapidly, but at the same time this was a little too much. Even Tierno's declarations of love weren't this direct. "Uhm, I'm Serena" she slowly pulled her hand, sheepishly scratching the back of her head.
Although Salem quickly figured he was rejected, he refused to give up so easily. While the dressed up twin was doing his best to win over Serena, the rest of the group noticed how uncomfortable the teen was. She was doing her best to kindly let Salem down, but he was too persistent.
Having seen enough, Pikachu decides to do something about the situation. He runs to Serena's shoulders, hoping to comfort her as best as he can.
"Aww this Pikachu must be yours" the twin stated, not paying attention to where it came from. Slowly walking towards the electric type, he attempts to gently pat Pikachu on the head. He figured if he got along with her Pokémon, getting to Serena would be much easier.
It was clear to the electric type what the twin's intentions were. He was having none of it. "Pikaaaa" he began to let out sparks from his cheeks.
With Pikachu being very protective of his trainer, Salem decides to back off for the time being. Looks like he would slowly need to work his way towards Serena if he wanted to get past the hostile Pokémon.
Watching his brother, Calem simply sighed out of disappointment. Once again, his twin manages to push someone away by being too direct. Only now however, there was an angry electric type, ready to zap him.
Serena was slightly uncomfortable with the fact that Pikachu was letting out sparks while standing on her shoulder. Still, at least it was keeping Salem away, which she greatly appreciated. Either way, Serena made a mental note to properly thank Pikachu when she got the chance.
"Come on Pikachu, that's enough" Ash scolded his starter. It wasn't necessary to threaten anyone, despite how uncomfortable Serena appeared at the time.
Hearing his trainer's voice, the small electric type ran back to his usual resting spot. It was obvious someone needed to do something about the snobby teen talking to his friend. Thankfully he was able to save his trainer, or anyone else for that matter, the trouble of a confronting the arrogant twin.
Observing the yellow Pokémon run back towards another trainer, Salem hadn't noticed the other teen nearby. He appeared to be the same age as him and his brother. Perhaps this was Pikachu's trainer instead of Serena as he originally thought. Either way, his Pokémon was the reason as to why he was unable to continue talking to Serena.
"I'm Ash, sorry about Pikachu there" the Kanto teen gently smiled while extending his arm out. He would need to have a talk with Pikachu later, that's for sure.
In his mind, Salem wondered if this guy truly knew who he was. "Whatever" he shook his hand as well, giving Ash the cold shoulder. "And who are your other friends" he turns towards Shauna, asking about the siblings.
Shocked by the twin's rude greeting, she shakes off his immature attitude. "This is Clemont and Bonnie" she introduced the siblings to the twins. Calem warmly greeted the siblings, Ash, and Serena. Salem meanwhile greeted the pair the same as his brother. Ignoring Salem's rather awkward greeting for the moment, the group continue to introduce themselves to the other twin.
"Hey Calem, you said you decided you're going to take compete in this year's Kalos League, right?" Shauna asked. She already knew the answer, but she was hoping she could help start a friendly rivalry between her friend and Ash.
The two trainers gave each other a stare. There was an unspoken rule. When two trainer's eyes meet, it was common courtesy to battle.
"There's a space perfect for battling" the professor said, knowing the two would eventually battle. Without wasting time, the two follow the professor leading the way.
Standing on opposite ends of the improvised field, the two trainers know there is a lot to learn from each other with a simple battle. That and this is also a great way to forge a stronger bond with your Pokémon. "Froakie, I choose you" Ash let out his Pokémon first. He wanted to show the professor just how close they have grown in the short time they have known each other.
From the sides, Salem laughed at Ash's choice. Clearly this guy would be at a severe disadvantage, considering who Calem would probably use.
"Let's go Quilladin" the Kalos teen revealed his Pokémon. From the start, if anyone where to only pay attention to the type advantage, Calem clearly had the lead. However, how he would use that advantage was up to him.
"Ash doesn't stand a chance" Salem laughed. He still couldn't get over the fact that his Pikachu was responsible for disrupting his chances with Serena. Hopefully with Ash losing, that should embarrass him in front of the blonde he was after.
"I wouldn't be quick to count Ash out just yet" Clemont responded. "Ash is very unpredictable to the point of type advantage doesn't matter to him" he briefly explained. Watching the battle should do a much better job of explaining what he just said.
Meanwhile, Serena finally had some time to get revenge on her brunette friend. "So Calem is this secret friend you have been hiding from us all these years" Serena nudged her friend. It was her turn to enjoy the over reactions Shauna would express.
"I only kept him hidden to not blow his identity" Shauna said, unable to reveal her friend's true identity. It's not like the guy was some superhero with an alter ego. He just preferred to keep a low profile, considering his status in the Kalos Region and his personal safety. "Besides, shouldn't you be cheering for your boyfriend instead of trying to get revenge?" Shauna reversed Serena's plan against her.
"Boyfriend?" she began to question back. Serena wasn't about to let Shauna get the upper hand. "I'm not the one hiding a guy secret for years now" she pointed out. Despite whatever her excuse may be, she doubts its anything as serious as she made it to be.
Not wanting to argue with her friend, Shauna did something Serena hasn't tried. Give her the silent treatment. Instead, she went on to focus on the battle.
"Battle begin" Professor Sycamore started the battle.
"Let's start this off with Bubble" Ash was the first to make his move.
The water type unleashed a barrage of bubbles, hoping to hit the grass type.
Despite being a slow Pokémon to begin with, Calem knew that bubble had the potential to slow down their target. He figures Ash may be trying to slow down his Pokémon. "Counter it with Seed Bomb" the twin said. This was his first battle with Ash, he wanted to win against their first encounter.
With one of the attacks being able to keep Froakie out of range for close range attacks, Ash figures that is his best option at the moment. "Go in using Pound" the trainer states.
It was easy to see that Ash was simply testing the waters as the saying goes. "Intercept with Bite" Calem had his grass type respond.
Quilladin caught Froakie's attack in his mouth. Unfortunately for Calem, Ash had it all planned out. "Now use Bubble" the Kanto teen continued with his attack.
Unfortunately for Ash, Calem was also well prepared for the counter. "Use Vine Whip to lift him up" the Kalos teen responded.
As Froakie was about to unleash a barrage of bubbles, Quilladin used his vines to raise the water type and turn the attack away from him.
"Does Ash serious think he will win with such a weak strategy?" Salem said, almost as if he was expecting absolute victory from his twin.
Although the way Ash was battling was quite different than what they witnessed with Viola, Bonnie knew her friend was unpredictable. "He may look like he doesn't know what he is doing, but just keep watching" Bonnie smiled, having confidence in her friend.
Turning back to see the battle, Salem sees that Quilladin has slammed the water type on the ground, while repeatedly attacking with its vines. "It shouldn't be long before Calem wins" he thought to himself.
Seeing how Calem tends to battle in a counteroffensive manner, Ash comes up with an attack to lure his opponent. "Now Froakie, use Water Pulse on Quilladin" he has his water type attack his opponent.
The Kalos teen knew Ash was up to something. However he would need to figure it out as he continues to battle. "Use Rollout to dodge" Calem has his Pokémon evade the attack.
With the attack missing its target, Ash was trying to use the field to his advantage. Like he did when battling Viola, he intended to make the battle field impossible for his opponent to use without him realizing until it was too late. "Now use Bubble" he had the water type switch attacks.
Still unable to figure out Ash's strategy, Calem sees an opening. He would take a gamble, as he was unsure if he was falling into a trap. "Quick, use Seed Bomb" Calem said.
While in its Rollout attack, Quilladin unleashed its grass type attack. Somehow, it managed to aim the Seed Bomb directly at Froakie and hit.
"Frooo" the water type fell back in pain. The attack was rather effective, considering its type advantage.
Somehow, Froakie managed to withstand the super effective attack. "Ready for this again?" Ash asks his Pokémon.
Froakie prepares himself, standing up. He wasn't going to let type disadvantage play a role in the outcome of the battle. "Froakie" the water type lets out, signaling he has just started.
"Let's do this" Ash is fired up.
While battling Ash, Calem sees something quite surprising about Ash and Froakie. As the battle dragged on, the two were more and more into it. It's as if they wanted to continue battling, despite their disadvantages. Taking a closer look, the Kalos teen sees a blue aura flare up between Ash and Froakie. It's as if the two's feelings were synchronized.
Even Salem took note of the change in mood. Like his brother, he saw the blue aura that both Ash and Froakie gave off. To the untrained eye, it would appear as if Froakie's ability, Torrent, activated. However, the trainer normally doesn't have the ability to use Torrent either.
"Froakie, go in and use Pound" Ash said.
With Calem distracted, he failed to notice the incoming water type.
"Quill" the grass type cried out in pain, finally gaining his trainer's attention.
"Sorry about that Quilladin" Calem apologized. Looks like Froakie hits much harder while in this state. "Use Seed Bomb" the trainer was hoping to hit Froakie again.
"Use Pound again" Ash said, confident his Pokémon could get in close, without taking a hit.
As the water type approached his opponent, a glowing shape appeared in his hands. With the object made out of some strange energy in his hands, he cut through the incoming Seed Bomb attack, as if nothing was there.
"Now use Water Pulse" Ash called out, with the water type in point blank range.
"Frooooakie" the Bubble Frog Pokémon unleashed his attack.
"Quilladin" Calem yelled out. He could only hope his Pokémon would withstand such an attack.
Salem had to admit, Ash did indeed surprise him. Although the battle wasn't officially over, it was obvious who would win. "Quilladin is unable to battle, Ash and Froakie win" he heard the professor announce the final results. Despite having a negative view of Ash, he had to admit, the trainer was unpredictable as Clemont mentioned. Taking a look at his crush, Serena, Salem could clearly see she was paying close attention to Ash. "Looks like I have a rival too" Salem sighed.
With the battle over the group approached the two trainers. The two complimented each other in a wonderful battle. "Well nice going Ash, you convinced me" Salem turned toward the Kanto teen, getting his attention. "After watching this battle, I can see that you will be a worthy rival for my brother" he compliments the teen. Although he still has a slightly negative view of Ash, he had to give the trainer credit for doing, what in his mind, was the impossible.
Ash returned a cheeky grin. "What about you though?" the trainer questioned. He liked battling Calem. If the other twin is anything like his brother, surely he could have two rivals.
Salem took a glance at Serena. He returned his eyes back towards Ash. He made no effort to hide his actions. "Of course we'll be rivals" he said aloud. Clearly however, the group knew what he was implying by rivals.
Without hesitation, "I won't lose" Ash responded.
Much to Serena's surprise, the very thought of Ash fighting Salem for her was more than enough embarrass the teen. "Gee Serena, save some for the rest of us" Shauna teased her friend.
"Shut up" she quickly fired back.
"I'll see you two at the Kalos League" Ash said to the twins. Clearly he thought Salem meant something else.
The group had some trouble understanding Ash. Did Salem's implications go over his head? "Well at least he is focused on his goals" Shauna did her best to look at the glass half full.
Hanging out for some time, night fall has finally set in. "As always professor, it's always a pleasure to visit" Calem let out. He always found something new at the lab, and it never disappointed. "Anyway professor, I'll have someone over tomorrow to fix this door way" he stated.
As if on cue, the damaged wall collapsed entirely. "Oh shoot" Professor Sycamore laughed. At least he didn't need to worry about the demolition work now.
Shauna, along with Salem and Calem were preparing to leave. "So Serena, are you going to come with us or have you decided where to go yet?" the brunette questioned. In fact, they haven't even discussed their traveling plans, something they meant to do earlier in the day.
With all eyes on Serena, she nervously mumbled. "Uhmm, I'm not quite sure" she looked down. She made it this far and had no plans. She figured something would've come up by now.
"If I may" Salem began. "Travel with us, I can promise you an experience of a lifetime" the teen offered. He figured if Serena agreed, he could win her over after spending some time with him.
The blonde teen was still unsure of the offer. She wanted to continue traveling with Ash, but she didn't want to be pushy. Unless anything changed, she would try to meet up with Trevor and Tierno if nothing else. "Well I" she let out before being interrupted by Ash.
"Why don't you come with us" the Kanto teen let out. It would be great fun to get to know his childhood friend, all over again.
Both Bonnie and Clemont were happy Ash threw out an offer. With someone else joining them on their journeys, they had more chances to create great memories. "Yes, come with us" Bonnie ran up to the teen, holding her wrist. "It will be lots of fun traveling together" she smiled. The thought of Serena being around permanently was more than enough reason to celebrate.
"I think that's a great idea" Clemont added. Seeing how Serena and Bonnie got along, there is no doubt they would become great friends as time goes by. Not only that, Bonnie can enjoy the experience of having an older sister figure around.
"You also helped me out with that last gym battle" Ash admitted. In all honesty, the Kanto native finds inspiration in anything. "And it would be great to travel with someone I was once close to again" the teen calmly said. After remembering how great it was to have Serena as a friend, he wanted her around so they could become great friends once again.
The Kalos native was surprised to say the least. The thought has never occurred to her until just recently, but she would love to travel with Ash, Clemont, and Bonnie. Although it shouldn't matter, the best part is she was warmly invited by the three of them. "Sure" she winked at the group. "How could I say no after all that" she smiled. She was pulled by Bonnie towards their group. It wasn't anything too big, but to Serena, it meant the world to her.
"Don't worry bro, there will be others for you later" Calem did his best to cheer up his brother. Little did he realize, Salem had other ideas.
"It's not over just yet" Salem replied. Until anything was official, he still had a shot, at least in his mind.
Shauna sighed out of annoyance. Although Serena has yet to be honest with her true feelings, its obvious to her that the twin after her friend had no chance. "Well looks like you should let your mom know about the changes in our traveling plans" Shauna walked over towards the group. After saying their good byes to the group, Shauna left with the twins.
Once outside Professor Sycamore's Lab, the twins, along with Shauna, began heading towards Camphrier Town. One thing about battling Ash bothered Calem however. He wondered if the other two saw it as well. "This may sound a little crazy, but did any of you notice something odd about Ash when we were battling" he asked, hoping he wouldn't seem nitpicky.
Sure enough, the other twin noticed it as well. "You mean an aura between him and Froakie" Salem began wondering that as well.
Although Shauna hadn't seen it herself earlier in the day, she felt as if she has seen it during his gym battle. "I was hoping I wasn't the only one seeing things" Shauna added. At least she could rest easy, knowing she isn't losing her mind.
Hearing the other two confirm his suspicions, Calem began wondering about the legend that was passed down through his family for generations. "Do you believe the legends are actually true?" he began questioning. If they were, it seems Ash was the focus of the legends this time around.
"As much as I hate to admit it, we may need to get the Ninja Village to look into this" Salem supported his brother's question. Although he still had a negative view on Ash, mainly due to him trying to win over Serena, he still had his duties to tend to.
"I have a feeling something interesting is about to happen" Shauna repeated Serena's favorite saying. She found it hard to believe her friend's predictions were usually correct. And here she was thinking it was something Serena would constantly say out of the blue.
At Professor Sycamore's lab, Clemont offered Ash and Serena a place to spend the night, considering he lived in Lumiose City. After agreeing to sleep at the siblings' place, Serena had a call to make before they could head over towards Clemont's for the night.
"I hope she isn't too mad at me" Serena thinks to herself. She had Fennekin by her side. Having her Pokémon next to her was somehow comforting, despite not meeting too long ago. Seeing her mom pop up on the screen, Serena sighed. Here goes nothing. "Hey mom, nice to see you" she smiled. Hopefully her mom wouldn't be too angry.
"Hey Serena, how's it been" her mother asked. Quickly however, Grace figured her daughter called for some reason. She normally wouldn't be in an overly cheerful mood when calling.
"Good thanks for asking" she replied. Its now or never in her mind. "So I decided to travel with Ash, Clemont, and Bonnie" she blurted out, mentally kicking herself. She meant to have a nice small chat before giving her mom the news.
"Well what happened to Shauna, Trevor, and Tierno" the mother asked, waiting to hear a little more details before intervening. "I thought you were going to meet up with them" she reminded her daughter.
One thing Serena hated was never being decisive. She took too long to make choices. By the time she had finally picked an option, the opportunity was gone. Not this time however. "Remember the talk we had before I left home" the blonde gained her mother's attention. "I want you to know I made this decision because I believe it is what's best for us two" she motioned towards her starter Pokémon.
To Grace, this conversation was a bit more interesting than she could've imagined. "Why's that?" she wanted to know more.
She would hate to admit it, but there was only one reason why. "I don't have a goal to work towards" she admitted. The whole reason for leaving was to find something she would love to work for. "I feel that travel with Ash, Clemont, and Bonnie will actually help me find a goal" she stated. Seeing how driven Ash is, how caring Clemont it, and how free-spirited Bonnie is, she is bound to find something she enjoys, simply being around them.
Grace wasn't too surprised her daughter had no idea what she wanted in life. It was obvious the moment she decided to travel the Kalos Region. "Well sweetie, I think its great you want to find a goal to work for" Grace began replying. She knows her daughter more than Serena knew. "I just wanted to make sure you know what this journey is about" she added.
Serena was shocked to say the least. She was expecting her mother to demand her return home. "So I can travel the Kalos Region with them?" she asked, wanting a solid answer.
The older woman laughed. Despite Serena's rebellious attitude, she was a sweet daughter when she wanted to be. "Enjoy your journey Serena, and I'll be rooting for you all the way" she reassured the blonde.
"Thanks mom, I knew I can trust you with anything" she joyfully let out. Having her mother's support meant the world to her. "You hear that Fennekin, looks like we're going to make lots of friends" she nearly cheered.
It was rare to see her daughter this happy. Always being home wasn't going to get her anywhere. With Serena being as cheerful as she was at the moment, Grace decided to tease her daughter a bit. "Of course, I'll be waiting for the day you and Ash make me a grandmother" she teased. That's just one perk of being a mother.
Serena instantly turned towards her mother. There was an obvious blush across her face that she made no effort to hide. "Mom, it isn't like that between us" she sternly replied. Besides, why would her mom say something like that.
"I'm just joking" she laughed at her daughter's expense. "Anyway, I hope you enjoy your journey" she said her goodbye to the blonde.
After the conversation with her mom, Serena only had one goal in mind. "Let's go Fennekin, we need to find our path as well" she was more determined than ever to find her calling in life.
At the Rocket Café, members of Team Rocket were surfacing from the trap door below. "Did you guys find anything?" James greeted his partners while helping them up.
Earlier in the day, the rocket trio sent a group of Team Rocket members to explore underground. Thankfully they had the bright idea of mapping the area. "We found a few places of interest such as entrances near a lab, cafés, and the Prism Tower" the grunt began showing him a map.
Meowth studies the map carefully. "It seems like ya ran into some obstacles" he noticed how close the Prism Tower was to them. Surely they wouldn't have taken so much time If the map was accurate.
"The Prism Tower has very tight security on the inside" the grunt mentions. They were attack by a Magneton and Magnemite before running into a strange robot. "There were also some people in orange suits claiming to be security" he added. "But it seems like they were lying as they were unable to get passed the security themselves" he reported his observations.
To Team Rocket, the Prism Tower was becoming a point of interest. There had to be some sort of significance to the tower if it was well guarded. "First thing tomorrow morning, we go in and explore the Prism Tower ourselves" Meowth began planning.
Well guys, I hope this first chapter of 2018 was a good one for you. To me, I felt I could've done a lot better. I could've done a better job introducing both Calem and Salem. By the way, for anyone wondering, Calem in this story is the same protagonist from the X and Y games. Unlike the original, I decided to make his brother a twin (Lazy writing I know right lol). As far as OC's, these two and Red will be the only permanent OC's in this story and even then, Red and Calem aren't true OC's since we've seen them before in the games. So don't worry about keeping up with too many OC's.
Anyway, let's see what the readers have to say
Amourshiper35 - I'm glad you enjoyed the battle chapter. Hopefully I can come up with more chapters like that in the future as well.
Ooobserver - Hey man, I know that feeling of falling behind. I see that you updated your story twice since the last time I last read it. I'll be sure to read it as soon as this holiday madness is over with lol.
Why lie to you lol. As a fellow writer, you can clearly see where some plot points are being set up for later. I won't spoil anything right now since it isn't the time. But I have no doubt you'll see it coming. And thanks about that gym battle review. I was hoping I could write it an a way readers could understand it. Thankfully they can.
PersonaQeminod1 - I really won't have mention his past friends unless he needs to. Don't worry though, most of them will be in this story, but much later.
Rajiv A. Rajaram - Great to hear from you again. Thanks for the kind review. Believe it or not, I got the tape idea as I was wrapping Christmas gifts myself. I was eating a lolipop and dropped it on the gift. I just put tape over it to cover the sticky area lol. I introduced Alain a few chapters ago, sort of. I still have yet to truly include him in the story, but I will once the time is right. I'm just dropping hints every now and then. And sorry to disappoint if you where expecting Trevor and Tierno this chapter lol.
ultimateCCC - I do realize in the anime they hinted about it here and there, but after a episode, they pretty much abandoned it. I'm not sure how I could implement something like that, but I do have plans to experiment with it. Whether or not it shows up in a chapter is another thing.
Guest #1 - Thanks for the suggestion. I'm always trying to read stories for ideas.
Guest #2 - Like I said to Guest #1, I'm always trying to read other stories and listen to people for ideas.
Guest #3 - It was more a victory for those two than anything else. Pikachu and Charizard would've joined, but I decided to leave that bit of detail out instead.
Guest #4 - I'm also looking ways to merge some of the manga into it. If you haven't read it yet, I highly recommend it since it has some pretty mature stuff in there. I'll do my best to make the gym battles exciting. As far as a sequel goes, I'm going to stay away from planning one of those. I want this to be my main focus.
Guest #5 - Serena will be participating in showcases. I have a brilliant way of introduce showcases other than having someone just mention it.
Guest #6 - Yes, different chapters will focus on different characters. I've been focusing too much on Ash and Serena up until this point. But thankfully, the next chapter will strongly focus on Clemont. And I do plan on adjusting the Team Rocket motto to fit the situation whenever possible.
Guest #7 - I am planning on doing a chapter to showcase the different patterns of Vivillon. I just don't think Team Rocket would be a great addition to it. And since Floette was a big part in the game, I do plan on including that into this story as well.
Guest #8 - All I can say is I hope I can write to exceed your expectations. I will include Pokedex entries into this story after Ash and Serena acquire their Pokedex too.
Wow guys, whether all those guest were different people or the same, it seems you guys are quite since it is a new year, I might as well give you all a preview of whats to come, similar to how the anime did their previews for the coming year.
Team Rocket vs Team Flare: Retaking the Lumiose Gym - Ash and co. will meet Team Flare along with Team Rocket. They must fight together to retake the gym.
The Great Rhyhorn Race - Serena will demonstrate her exceptional skills in Rhyhorn racing, while revealing she has no clue as to what she truly wants to work for. They will also encounter Korina and the two Lucarios here.
The Parfum Palace Twins - The twins, along with Shauna, will make a return in this chapter. The twins are hosting a grand party to reveal something big to the Kalos Region. Trevor and Tierno will also make their first appearance in this chapter. This will be a very heavy amourshipping chapter.
The Pokemon Poacher - A wild Chespin is desperate to escape. He runs into Clemont and Bonnie as the group fends off the poacher after him.
Alain - Alain will finally be introduced. He will meet Marion as well as have a rematch with Red.
Grant, the Rock Expert - The group meet the gym leader Grant during one of Ash's training sessions.
Team Rocket vs Team Flare: Meeting Yveltal - Serena meets Yveltal as the group team up with Team Rocket once again to push back against Team Flare.
Rocking the Cyllage Gym - A simple Ash vs Grant gym battle.
I will be posting these chapters up on my profile with a better description if you guys are interested to know about what's to come.
Well guys, I hope everyone here has had a great holiday celebration. I hope everyone has a better year than the last and many more to come. I'll look forward to writing and listening from you guys as well. As always, thank you all so much for the support.
Until next time.
