I am so sorry with how long it took for this chapter to come out. I really have no excuse, other than just procrastinating on it. I will try to be more consistent with updating this story, because I really like writing this, but I really make no promises.

0o0o0

It didn't take Serena long to get to Santalune City, despite the fact that there were a few Trainers along the Route. Most of the Trainers were children much younger than her, three being preschoolers and one a student. Although they were easy to beat and she did earn a few Pokédollars, she did feel a little guilty for winning against them. She was beginning to regret not giving them more of a chance to battle.

While she was walking down the Route, though, she was lightly pushed aside by an older teenager on roller skates. Serena had been warned to move out of the way by the teenager who had zoomed past her. She hadn't been shoved out of the way, but she was confused as to why the teenager hadn't just gone around her instead. Serena didn't dwell on the thought for a long time.

Serena, once she saw the entrance for Santalune, relaxed greatly. She walked into the city and then went straight into the Pokémon Center. Due to her battles on the way to the city, her Pokémon needed to be healed up. They could have lasted another battle, maybe two if they were lucky, but she figured it was better to be safe. Plus, she had to meet up with Shauna, Tierno, and Trevor in there eventually.

The young Trainer walked inside, not at all surprised by the automatic doors. She had read somewhere that all Pokémon Center's doors around the world had to be automatic in case of emergencies. She had seen Trainers of all ages running into and out of the building easier after the change had been made in Mauville. She assumed that it was because of that reason why the doors remained automatic.

Serena also wasn't surprised to see other Trainers in the Center. They were lounging around, talking to one another, and drinking some water. One was waiting by the counter, like they were waiting for someone. Almost immediately, she felt out of place. Whether it was because she was mute or because she was a new Trainer, she had no idea. She suspected it was a mixture of both, but it didn't stop her from reaching for and clutching her purse strap. She took a few cautious steps forward and soon heard the door open behind her. Serena turned around, tensing up for a brief moment before she saw that it was Tierno.

"Hey there, Frostbite." He said, grinning. She smiled back, taking her hands off of the strap of her purse. "Are you here to get your Pokémon healed, too?"

"Yeah, I am. I was going to explore the city after I was done." Serena signed.

"Pokémon Centers sure are great, aren't they? You can talk to the lady behind the counter and have her heal your Pokémon quickly. And you can even deposit Pokémon you've caught in that PC!" He said. Serena's grin soon formed a confused frown once she heard his last statement.

"I never understood that. How do Pokémon you've caught go to the PC, anyway?" She signed. Tierno shrugged, looking as confused as she felt.

"All I know is that they're sent there when you've caught more than you can carry. Trevs, the professor, or the guy who updates the PC system in Kalos could probably explain it better than I could. But it would be very technical." He briefly paused, looking around the small building as he did. "In certain regions, like Kalos and Unova, Pokémon Centers and Poké Marts are combined together so that access to the items at the Poké Mart is easier to get to. So it's a good idea to stock up on items there whenever you have the chance to."

"The Poké Mart is usually on the right hand side of Pokémon Centers. On the left, there's a place to change your clothes. Further down on that side, there are rooms for Trainers to rest up for the night. Of course, you'd have to ask the lady at the counter if you can have a room key. To be guaranteed a spot to sleep, you should get here before ten, when the night rush comes in."

"There's a night time rush?"

"Yeah, and it's absolutely horrible." Tierno shuddered, like he was remembering something unpleasant. Serena briefly wondered what it was, but decided not to ask. She had learnt that there were some things in life that just didn't need to be answered. "I think that's all you need to know about Pokémon Centers here in Kalos." Serena smiled at him again.

"Thanks, Tierno."

"No problem."

0o0o0

After she healed up her Pokémon and told Tierno that she'd meet up with him in an hour – apparently, it was just after six in the evening – Serena went to go explore Santalune City. She had been told that there wasn't much in the city, but she didn't care. She wanted to at least have a good idea of her surroundings before the next day. There would be no point in trying to get to a good area to train if she didn't even know the way around the city.

She knew from earlier when she entered the city that there was a hat store to the right of the Pokémon Center. As she walked to the main center of the city, Serena noticed how many shared houses were around. There were quite a few of them on the street where the Pokémon Center was located, and even more on the street behind the center, as well as two restaurants. In the city's center, there was a large Roselia fountain with seats nearby. Behind the fountain, there was a building with a maroon coloured roof, and it was much bigger than the shared houses. Curious, the blonde haired girl walked up to it and read the sign posted outside of the building.

Kalos Pokémon Trainer School, open between 9 am and 4 pm through Monday-Friday.

The new Trainer nodded, making a mental note to come back on the 14th, when it next opened. She then turned to her right, wanting to know if she would find the Gym if she went down that path. A few more buildings lined the path, considerably less than by the fountain. Serena walked past a few people, all of them heading towards the center of the city. After a few more moments of walking, she saw a large, towering building in her peripheral vision. She turned around to face it, surprised to see a girl standing in front of it, and stared at both her and the building for a moment. Noticing a sign beside the building, she jogged up to it and read it.

Santalune City Pokémon Gym. Leader: Viola, the camerawoman who never lets a single smile escape her focus. Open daily between 9 am and 5:30 pm, closed on holidays.

Looking over at the towering building, Serena tried to absorb the details on it. The building itself was a golden colour with two floor-to-ceiling windows in the front. It had a green, metallic roof that reflected some of the remaining sunlight from the setting sun. The building had a few columns, supporting the roof. On the left side of the roof, closest to her, there was a Pokéball shaped object made out of some metal. The stairs leading up to the large glass doors had a golden colour, matching the building. The girl, who seemed more familiar now that she was looking at her in more detail, was standing in front of the closed doors.

Her arms were crossed and she was leaning against the door. Her black hair was tied into two low ponytails and her eyes were a dark brown. She wore a white tank top, yellow helmet and shorts, black elbow pads and kneepads, and white rollerblades. If Serena could guess, she'd say that the girl was roughly five foot seven. The girl noticed her then and waved her over, suddenly standing upright.

"Hey there, stranger! Isn't cruising around town on your roller skates the best thing ever?" The girl exclaimed. Serena, who had just walked over to her, gave her a perplexed look. She had always wanted rollerblades, but had never been able to actually buy a pair. Though, whenever she and her mother could, they went to the rollerblading arena in town and learned how to skate. The girl noticed Serena's look and appeared to be shocked at it.

"Wait, do you not own a pair of roller skates?" She asked, sounding just as shocked as she looked. When Serena nodded, the black haired girl grinned. "Then how about this: if you beat me in a Pokémon battle, I'll give you a pair. I can never say no to a contest, not me! So, how about it? Do you wanna battle?" Instantly, Serena grinned back at the girl for the offer and nodded. The two girls moved away from the Gym, not wanting to damage it, and onto the pathway.

0o0o0

The battle itself was short. The girl introduced herself as roller skater Rinka and had thrown out her Zigzagoon. Chespin had easily defeated it within two hits. Although Rinka pouted slightly when she lost, she stayed true to her word and gave her a pair of roller skates. Serena had no idea how the roller skates were her size, but she thought nothing of it other than a coincidence. Rinka had also given her 224 Pokédollars, giving her a grin as she did so.

After the battle, Serena decided to walk back to the Pokémon Center. She had yet to put on the roller skates, and dreaded the moment when she would. It had been a while since her mother had taken her rollerblading – about four or five years now – and she was fearful of what could happen when she put them on.

Besides, she liked walking to the Pokémon Center at night. It was peaceful and quiet in Santalune, something that she never had fully experienced in Mauville. The calls of Pokémon from outside the city filled the air, a small breeze blew her blonde hair back slightly and made the air smell like Santalune Forest, and, despite it being close to the middle of October, it was warm outdoors. Much less so than Hoenn, of course, but still considerably warm. She closed her eyes and smiled to herself, feeling slightly relaxed in the heat.

Quicker than Serena would have liked, she arrived at the Pokémon Center. The door automatically for her, and she walked inside. A gust of cold air greeted her, making her shiver and miss the warmth of the outdoors. She glanced around the Pokémon Center, looking for Tierno and the others. It didn't take long for her to spot Tierno, who was sitting at a table close to the PC with Trevor, and she begun to walk towards them. Trevor waved at her once he spotted her, and Tierno turned around and gave her a smile and a wave once he saw her. Serena smiled at them, waving slightly.

"Hey, Frostbite. How did exploring Santalune go?" Tierno asked, once she reached them.

"It went well. I found the Gym and I got a pair of roller skates." Serena signed. Trevor blinked twice, confused.

"Pardon?" He asked.

"There was a girl named Rinka who I battled. She gave me a pair of roller skates for winning." She signed. "The strange part is that they're my size."

"I see."

"Frostbite, you'd be okay with sharing a room with Shauna, right?" Tierno suddenly asked. Serena nodded, smiling slightly.

"Yeah, I don't mind. Shauna seems like a good person to be roommates with. Why, did you already get rooms?"

"Serena – I mean Frostbite – how long have you been here?" A sudden, bubbly voice interrupted. Immediately, Serena recognized it as Shauna's and her smile grew. "Tierno mentioned that you were exploring Santalune and said you'd be back before the night time rush." The blonde haired girl turned around to face her and was surprised to see that she was merely a few feet away.

"I've been here for a few minutes." She signed. "I take it we're roommates tonight?" Shauna clapped her hands, grinning.

"As long as you're okay with it! It could be just like a sleepover!"

"A sleepover?"

Shauna gaped at her, her expression quickly changing into shock. "Don't tell me you've never had one." Serena shook her head, mentally beginning to worry about where this was going. "Then we'll have to make this the best sleepover ever! Tierno, Trevor, if Calem ever arrives, tell him that I've arrived safe and sound and that Frostbite and I are having a girls night."

"You got it, Shaunee." Tierno said, giving her a thumbs up. Serena glanced over at him skeptically.

"Frostbite, follow me, okay?"

"Yeah, I'll be there with you in a moment." She signed, still worrying about what was happening. Shauna nodded and ran off to the other side of the Pokémon Center, leaving Serena with the boys.

"You better go follow her before she drags you off, Frostbite." Tierno said, almost offhandedly. "Believe me when I say that she's very stubborn when she wants to be." Serena nodded, though now even more worried than she was before. She begun to walk off towards Shauna, figuring there was no use in avoiding it.

"We'll see you tomorrow. Good night!" Trevor called out.

0o0o0

By 10 pm, Shauna had fallen asleep, leaving Serena to her own thoughts. The past day had been amazing – not only had she officially become a Pokémon Trainer, she had gained friends. Less than a week ago, she never would have imagined herself becoming a Trainer or making new friends. Smiling softly to herself, Serena felt something she hadn't felt in a long time – pride. In less than a day, she had caught three of her own Pokémon, gained seven friends, and had travelled by herself rather successfully. Now, even after only being a Trainer for one day, she felt confident to battle the League and, if she was lucky, win. She glanced over at Shauna, who was fast asleep on her own bed, and her soft smile grew.

Today had been a great first day as a Trainer.

0o0o0

I'm not entirely pleased with the ending of this chapter, but at least I got it done. Once I get some free time, I'll be spending time on this story just so that I get chapters out regularly.