For the record, there is a little bit of geography I've changed around here and there to suit the story better, but it's not like the anime hasn't done it before, so just roll with it. And roll on to Chapter 10!
Chapter 10
A Girl
"Congratulations!" Glasses clinked against one another and Ash watched as Kukui tipped back to large mug and downed it all in what seemed to be seconds. The sun was setting outside the Pokémon Center, much to his surprise, and all around them, trainers were enjoying laid back dinners, if it wasn't for their rather noisy group. Over in a corner, all of the Pokémon were chowing down on their meals, with Pikipek and Rowlet having particularly large bowls (though Pikipek happened to share some with Chespin, to Rowlet's dismay).
"A battle against the Kahuna," Ilima commented, tapping his chin. "Not unusual for anyone who completes the trial, of course, but I wonder what kind of battle Hala will put up against you. He always scales for his opponents…or so it seems. When was the last time you saw him battle at top strength, Professor?"
"Oh…I have no idea," Kukui said. "I mean, he battled you at quite the level for being captain, and myself…but maybe…hmm…" The man appeared lost in a memory before he laughed it all off. "Doesn't matter. We'll all be there."
"You're certainly taking an interest in Ash's battles here, professor," Clemont commented. His eyes briefly looked over to his Pokémon snacking, Rockruff sharing a bowl with Pikachu.
"What can I say? I enjoy a heated battle! And I'm sure that with your first Z-Crystal, you'll get even more heated in battle," Kukui told them, winking at Ash a little. Finishing the dinner on his plate, Ash nodded. The man had said it so flippantly, yet something inside of Ash told him that there was a certain reverence to be held for the Z-Ring clasped on his wrist. It was likely something not to be used lightly. Knowing that, he stood.
"Just going to get some fresh air," he told everyone at the table. The others all seemed to watch him go silently before returning to their conversations. Ash continued to the outside, ignoring the looks of admiration that seemed to pass around the trainers there after the news of his victory. When he finally reached the empty battlefield, he kept walking until he was in the center of it, taking in a deep breath.
"Pikapi?" called Pikachu's voice and he turned around to see his faithful partner, along with Rockruff, standing there on the ground. The latter was wagging her tail excitedly. Ash bent down with a smile, scratching them both behind the ears.
"I'm all right. Just thinking."
"About the Z-Ring?" Ash looked up at the sound of Clemont's voice. The inventor was standing there, hands in his pockets and looking nervous. "You seemed to be pensive about it at dinner."
"Mm," was all that Ash could vocalize. He really didn't want to admit that he was unsure of how he would face Hala or answer his questions. Ash usually wasn't one to doubt himself, but the weight of the ring and crystal on his wrist made him think otherwise, for however brief a time. Clemont seemed to understand, sighing a little and walking up to him.
"You know, we've been traveling together for a while," the blond told him. Ash nodded, not quite seeing where Clemont was going with this. "Yet, no matter how much I see you battle, you always impress me. Always taking strides forward; you and Serena both, no matter how much you might doubt yourself in individual moments."
"So do you, Clemont," Ash insisted. His friend chuckled a little, wearing a smile on his face.
"I wonder…" he replied. Ash tilted his head a little, but Clemont responded by placing a hand on his shoulder. "Doesn't matter. What I'm saying is that you'll figure whatever is on your mind out. I truly believe that. Serena does, too, but you know her better than I do."
"Right," Ash said, answering both points. "Thanks, Clemont."
"Not a problem." Clemont raised his hand and yawned a little bit. Despite the evening still being young, they had exhausted quite the amount of energy today. "Well, guess I'll head back with Bonnie before she falls asleep." That was all he said before heading back to the Center's interior. Ash breathed in and raised his Z-Ring up towards the setting sun, Pikachu hopping onto his shoulder while Rockruff was near his legs.
"Pikachu, we're going to master this together…somehow," he said, watching the light glinting off the white surface. "We'll master Z-Moves and get stronger together. I promise." All Pikachu could do was agree to that and before long they were headed back inside for a good night's rest.
Serena woke the next morning to find Ash already awake and out on the battlefield. Not that it (or the fact he had already eaten breakfast) was all that surprising. In fact, it felt so normal; something she appreciated. Serena, therefore, leaned against the wall of the Pokémon Center, just watching him calmly as he and Pikachu were on the battlefield, stretching their bodies.
"Okay, Pikachu, let's try it again!" Ash said, bringing his arms into a crossed position and then to the side. Pikachu copied his trainer's movements as they repeated the same steps that Ilima had used yesterday during the battle. However, even as Ash brought his arms into the square position to close it off, nothing seemed to happen. "Ugh…nothing. What about you, Pikachu?"
"Pika…" Pikachu answered with a shrug.
"I guess I felt…something…" Ash commented to his partner before sighing. "Ilima and Hala made it look so easy, but it's gonna take some work. We'll figure it out, though, right?"
"Pi," was the earnest response. Serena smiled at their determination, accidentally letting out a light giggle. Ash appeared to hear and he turned.
"Sorry, I just couldn't help myself," she told him. "Having a hard time?"
"Yeah…" Ash admitted, chuckling a little as he and Pikachu made their way over to her. "I think we have the right moves, but there's just something blocking us. I'll ask Hala about it when we battle."
"Sounds like you have a plan," Serena said as the couple turned, entering back into the Center. Taking the opportunity to look around this time, she noticed that Kukui and Rockruff were nowhere in sight. Ash caught her looking.
"Professor Kukui already headed back to his lab. Something about hoping he runs into his assistant there. He left a note with Nurse Joy," Ash pointed out. That explanation was good enough for Serena and she pushed all the issues from her mind in order to focus on eating breakfast and preparing for departure.
Clemont and Bonnie soon joined them, and by the time the Center was beginning to fill up with other trial challengers, the quartet was dressed, fed and on the road. Bonnie seemed to be leading the group, happily traipsing along as they entered into a hilly area that seemed more akin to a mountainous road than anything. Checking her map, however, she could see it was the quickest way to the Melemele Meadow.
"If we keep on this path, we'll reach the meadow by tomorrow," Serena pointed out to her male companions, each of them nodding. Ash picked up the pace, but said nothing. This made Serena frown, but she brushed it off, thinking that he was still focusing on how to perfect Z-Moves. This very fact proved to be true at lunch when he and Pikachu got to practicing again…yet still with little success.
"This is getting boring…" Bonnie commented after his fifth attempt over lunch.
"Hmm…I wonder why they can't get it," Clemont noted. Serena crossed her legs as she thought about it. Ash mentioned that he felt like something was blocking them, but Serena could only guess at what it would be. The only explanation she felt would be the question that Hala had posed after his first battle, but she'd never known Ash to let stuff like that get to him. Eventually, however, Ash stopped.
"I know we can get it…" Ash said, frowning down at Pikachu, who shared his sympathies. "Maybe we just don't click for it? Like, because Pikachu isn't a Normal type?"
"Pika…?" Pikachu asked, clearly unsure, himself.
"Ah, I don't know!" Ash finally replied, eating some more food with a grin. "It's not that important. When we need it, we'll be able to use it, and that's what matters."
"Kachu!" Pikachu concurred and that seemed to be the end of that. At least, it was as far as Ash was concerned. Serena, as it were, turned out to be more concerned than her boyfriend was. She had complete faith he'd figure it out when he needed it most, but in some sense, she wondered if their "block" was a result of not having that desperation.
It's probably nothing, she thought to herself, and continued to convince herself of that even through the rest of their journey into the night. It didn't stop her from lying awake that night as Bonnie snored with Dedenne on her chest. Mostly, she became worried about something she never would have thought possible: that perhaps Ash wasn't truly used to the normalcy of training again. After so many life or death battles, so much pain and hurt, that maybe a part of him resisted the use of the kind of destructive power that Z-Moves held. Is that it…Is he scared to use that kind of power after seeing what it could potentially do?
It was such a silly thought, but one that occupied her mind even into the morning. Ash happened to finally notice her state of trepidation as they walked.
"You all right?" he asked, nudging her a little. Serena jumped slightly, but passed it off with a giggle, adjusting the straw hat on her head. Best to not say anything. I don't want to assume, and he always works his problems out.
"I'm just fine. Come on, the Meadow is up ahead!" she said, grabbing his hand and pulling him forward. Ash nodded with a little grin and Pikachu clung to his shoulder as they ran. Small flower petals began to fill the air, along with puffs of pollen, and the closer that they got, the more Serena could see various, circling Pokémon. Some distance past the meadow was a long twisting patch of mountain, no doubt the long way to Kala'e Bay and Iki Town. Someone did seem to be running up that area, a Pokémon next to him, but Serena was far more interested in the sight they were soon to be approaching.
"Ah!" Bonnie's gasp came when she and her brother caught up. "It's so pretty!"
"Dede!" Dedenne agreed, the two having their eyes shining.
"What a beautiful sight…" Clemont observed. Serena felt Ash's hand grip hers a little tighter, squeezing it as if to say that he agreed with the notion.
There was no possible way for Serena to disagree. Stretching wide before them was a meadow consumed with yellow flowers. Cutiefly flitted back and forth across the entire area and a small dirt path wound its way through the patch of gold. Lifting her hat a little, Serena could see just how far the expansive meadow went, sloping down a hill gently to a large body of water that looked small from their distance: a clear shortcut to Kala'e Bay. It would probably take them most of the day to get there, but to walk through such a beautiful place, it was worth it.
"The guidebook wasn't lying," Serena said, turning to her boyfriend with a brilliant smile. "This really does look like the perfect place for a date."
"Rotom agrees," Rotom said, floating forward a little into the meadow. "The meadow is a beautiful place filled with many Bug types, marauding Spearow and Cutiefly that release pollen to make people sneeze."
"What is wrong with you?" Bonnie questioned, glaring at Rotom. It just smirked at her, proving that it was playing with her head.
"Well, I'm all for it," Ash admitted. "We can have an awesome picnic lunch!"
"I'd rather not be there for that," Clemont coughed out, looking slightly embarrassed to be in the middle of the couple's activities. "I think I'll just tinker on my inventions…"
Serena smiled, ready to apologize to Clemont for making him feel so awkward around them, and so suddenly. However, there was a sudden crunch of footsteps on gravel, no doubt the traveler that Serena had seen ascending earlier. Said footsteps stopped with a very audible noise and all three turned to face the newcomer as Bonnie had already run off after Rotom and thrown herself into the flowers.
"Ash?" Serena blinked at the boy before them, taking in his ripped clothes and blond hair. Next to him was a strange-looking Pokémon. All of that seemed like nothing compared to what he had just said, though. Appearances aside, the fact that the first word out of the boy's mouth was her boyfriend's name was beyond mind-boggling. Or, it was, until she looked at Ash and saw the recognition in his eyes.
"Ah, Gladion, right?" he asked, disentangling their hands and waving at the boy. Serena turned back to him, making sure to memorize his features and those of his very odd looking Pokémon. Said boy, Gladion, folded his arms with a stern expression.
"So, you remember me," he commented. His hand reached up and he flicked his hair a little, drawing attention to his green eyes. "I'm surprised, considering we've only met, what, twice?"
"I make it a point of remembering friends," Ash said, throwing his hands behind his head with a smile. Gladion stared at him while both Serena and Clemont looked between the two very different boys.
"Since when are we friends?" Gladion asked, his arms remaining folded, defensive. Ash's smile dropped a little, like he wasn't sure how to answer the boy without coming off the wrong way. It appeared to be a tense situation, so Serena affixed a smile to her face and stepped forward.
"I-I'm Serena," she said, drawing Gladion's attention onto her. "I'm Ash's girlfriend."
"And my name's Clemont," the inventor spoke. He then jerked his head back towards the flowers. "The one playing over there is my little sister, Bonnie."
"Little sister, huh? You must be close," Gladion stated. However, his arms were still folded, showing that he didn't want to come out of his defensive shell. Clemont nodded and while Serena looked into Gladion's eyes she saw a rather foreign emotion; one she couldn't quite understand. "Must be nice…but…what are you doing here, Ash?"
"Ah, I'm on my Island Pilgrimage," Ash told him, lowering his hands as Pikachu dropped to the ground. He ran over to Gladion's odd Pokémon, but the Pokémon looked away, as if spurning him. "Just completed Ilima's trial the other day."
"Sounds…fun," Gladion said, almost puzzled in the way he spoke. The puzzlement was soon replaced with a slight smirk. "So, does that mean you've gotten stronger since we last met?"
"Of course!" Ash insisted, pumping his fist a little. He walked forward, right up to Gladion. "Why don't we battle, so you can find out? Unless you're too busy this time."
Gladion looked at the hand that Ash was offering to him, observing it just a little. Then his smirk widened and, at last, he released his folded arms to grab Ash's hand. Serena's smile widened just a little. The defensiveness was gone, replaced with a willingness for a begrudging friendship. At least, that was how she saw it. "I've got a bit of time. I came here on my search, but I never thought I would find you. Now we can have that battle."
"Yeah. Three-on-three sound good?" Ash asked. Gladion nodded, causing the two to shake on it. The two males turned to look into the meadow and to a spot where there appeared to be a dirt patch that the flowers didn't touch. Gladion jerked his head in that direction, indicating that was where they should head. "Come on, Pikachu."
"Pi," Pikachu responded, backing up from Gladion's Pokémon and leaping back on to Ash's shoulder.
"I'll referee," Clemont told them. The two boys nodded and began walking into the meadow proper, right for the patch of dirt. Serena and Clemont both trailed after them. "Bonnie! Ash is going to have a battle!"
"Ooh! A battle! Let's watch, Rotom," Bonnie said, flipping back up without a problem before grabbing Rotom from the air. The Pokédex squirmed, but was unable to break free from her grip as she reached Serena. "Who's the guy?"
"Apparently a friend of Ash's," Serena answered the little girl. "His name's Gladion. I guess Ash must have met him before."
"He has a weird Pokémon," Bonnie commented. Rotom finally used its hand to slap Bonnie's arm, breaking free to go and scan it. It hovered there for quite a bit longer than usual before giving a response.
"Error! Error! Rotom cannot identify!" Rotom said, looking like its circuits were about to fry. Bonnie rolled her eyes and pulled it back from the battlefield while Clemont walked forward.
"Okay, this will be a three-on-three battle between Ash and Gladion. Winner is decided based on who takes the most wins," Clemont informed them both. The two eager combatants nodded their heads, almost grinning at each other (Ash more than Gladion). This was clearly a battle both had looked forward to, despite what seemed to be a rather brief introduction. "Begin!"
"Pikachu, I choose you!" Ash called, Pikachu jumping onto the battlefield.
"Null, it's your turn," Gladion called. Serena looked to the Pokémon at his side as it clopped onto the field, its claws ripping up the flowers around it. In fact, Serena noticed that the flowers behind it were all torn up, like it destroyed everything it touched. Null…a Pokémon that can't be identified even by Rotom. I wonder what it is… "I've been waiting for this battle, Ash. Ever since I saw you in action in Hau'oli City. You better give me a good one, or this trip up here will have been wasted."
"Don't worry. Me and my Pokémon will be giving it our all," Ash said, gripping his fist. "Pikachu, use Quick Attack!"
"Pi-ka!" Pikachu called out, rearing back a second on his legs before blazing forward. The white light surrounded his body and he beat up the dirt in his path to aim for Null. In just a few moments, Pikachu slammed into the beast's body. It moved slightly back on the dirt, but looked basically undamaged.
"If that won't work, use Iron Tail!" Ash called out. Serena looked away from him, paying attention to Gladion. The boy's arms weren't folded, which showed he wasn't guarded against Ash, but he certainly wasn't betraying his emotions in battle the way that Ash did. Pikachu sprang back before using his momentum to get into the air, spinning around. His tail glowed white and he brought it crashing straight down onto the helmeted head of Null.
"Huu!" it screamed out, the sound like an echo, as it recoiled from the attack.
"That hurt it," Bonnie said. Serena had to agree, especially when she saw Gladion's eyes widen a little. He certainly hadn't expected so much force from Pikachu. His foot shifted, and Serena could feel his entire attitude about the battle change.
"Crush Claw," Gladion said sternly. Null nodded and ran at Pikachu, its claw glowing a blood red. For just a moment, Serena felt a thrill of danger for Pikachu, even with Ash calling for him to dodge. Pikachu wasn't quick enough, and the attack ripped across him, sending him tumbling across the dirt.
"Pi…ka…" Pikachu breathed out, already looking roughed up from the single attack.
"You all right?" Ash asked. Pikachu nodded, pulling himself back onto all fours with a triumphant cry. "Great, now use Thunderbolt!"
"Pi…ka…chuuuuuuuu!" Pikachu roared, his electric sacs pulsing with electricity before sending it straight out at Null. The attack hit dead on, causing it to almost drop to one knee as the shock pulsed around it. For all the strange destructive power that this Pokémon had, Pikachu was doing an ample job of keeping up with it.
"Let's lower its defenses to make this quicker. Metal Sound!" Gladion raised his hand to his face, cracking his knuckles as he did so. Null hunkered down, and its mask began to quiver, sending out soundwaves that rippled the flowers in the area. Pikachu ceased his attack, pulling his ears down to escape the noise.
"Don't worry about the sound, Pikachu," Ash said, keeping calm. Pikachu turned, nodding. "Use Quick Attack and stay on the move around the field."
"That won't help. Iron Head," Gladion said, grinning a little. Serena shook her head. Not ten minutes ago, Gladion had seemed so aloof, uncaring about anything, and defensive. Yet within minutes of battling Ash, he had suddenly become invested in the battle, especially with Pikachu proving to be more than he expected. Just like Alain…how does Ash seem to draw these people in?
She had little time to contemplate it as Pikachu was using Quick Attack to jump around the battlefield. Gladion's eyes were flitting back and forth, as if trying to track Pikachu's movements. Null was doing the same, looking for any pattern. They must have found it, because Null finally pounced at the snap of Gladion's fingers. Its entire helmet shined with silver and it rammed forward, slamming into Pikachu.
"Picha!" Pikachu cried out in pain, being thrown out of the ring and into the flowers. Serena gasped, hoping that Pikachu was okay. Her gaze traveled from the grinning Gladion to Ash…who didn't look worried at all.
"Electro Ball!"
"Pika pika pika pika chu pi!" Pikachu cried and the crackling Electro Ball cut through the flowers, obliterating a line of them as it slammed into Null's body.
"What?" Gladion asked, almost surprised. Null was shaking its head as well, looking just a little tired.
"Pikachu and I trust each other, so I know when he's doing okay," Ash told Gladion. "And I know we can beat the two of you. Isn't that right, buddy?"
"Pikachu!" Pikachu said, coming through the scorched row of flowers and back to the dirt. Serena couldn't help but smile; that indelible bond between Ash and all of his Pokémon was manifesting itself again. Gladion, however, looked less pleased, almost gritting his teeth. It was almost like the boy didn't know how to have any fun.
"Null, use Rage!"
"Hoooo!" Null echoed out, body flaring to life with a red aura as it charged for Pikachu once again.
"Quick Attack, get around its back!" Ash commanded simply. Pikachu slid to the side, bursting with white light as he bounded around the battlefield once more. Then he raced forward, slamming Null in the side. Compared to the first hit from Quick Attack, this one was much more effective, slamming Null to the side. Gladion was continually gritting his teeth. Pikachu now dashed to the other side, just out of Null's view, and tackled into his opposite side, driving him back into the ring. To Serena's eyes, it seemed that Pikachu had become a veritable blur, blitzing around the area to strike Null, whose red aura appeared to be pulsing angrily.
"Strike now!" Gladion said. "Give it your all! We have to win this to grow stronger!"
Grow stronger? Serena turned, only this time looking to Clemont, whose eyes were wide. They'd both heard those kinds of words before, but from someone else. Someone who nearly drowned in his path. She had to wonder if Gladion was on that same path.
Null struck, its red aura reaching its zenith as it charged for Pikachu and practically impaled him on its mask, tossing him across the battlefield. Part of the dirt split, almost like the ground was cracking. Pikachu tumbled across from the force of the built-up attack, struggling once more to his feet. Null hadn't ceased its charge, though.
"Use Iron Tail, on the ground!" Ash called, grinning. He looked like he was having fun, a stark contrast to Gladion. Pikachu barely stood, hardening his tail and slamming it onto the ground. Clods of dirt flew up in a dust cloud and Null charged straight into it. Serena almost expected to hear the sounds of a brutalized Pikachu, but no such sounds came. She quickly saw why, as Pikachu emerged from the dust cloud, looking exhausted. "Let's finish this with Thunderbolt!"
"Crush Claw!" Null whipped around, claw glowing its blood red color again as it aimed for Pikachu. The Electric mouse summoned all the electricity he could and sent it in a raging arc out toward Null, whose procession didn't stop until he brought the Crush Claw down on Pikachu. The Thunderbolt exploded, covering the two opponents in dust. Serena stepped forward, as did Clemont. The two trainers remained where they were as the dust cleared to show that Null had backed off. It looked woozy on its feet, just as Pikachu did. Then it nodded in some form of acknowledgement and began to fall…as did Pikachu. Both hit the ground with a loud slam.
"Pikachu!"
"Null!" Gladion cried, rushing to his Pokémon's aid. Whatever anger or frustration he'd felt in the battle was now all but gone, replaced with concern for his partner. Both trainers reached their Pokémon at the same time and Serena saw Clemont digging into his bag for some potions. Ash quickly cradled Pikachu, who stirred in his arms while Gladion seemed to push Null up swiftly. "You all right?"
"Huu…" Null sounded, almost like it was disappointed. Gladion breathed in relief, and then looked up at Ash. He, himself, was taking the potion from Clemont and spraying it on Pikachu's wounds.
"Pikapi…" Pikachu said a little weakly. Ash smiled and hugged him close.
"I'm glad you're okay," he said. "We had a fun battle, huh?"
"Chu."
"Fun?" Gladion asked suddenly, standing as Null managed to get to its feet. Serena looked back at him and his perplexed expression. "How did you have fun? We tied that one and that can only mean you weren't giving it your all."
"Nah," Ash said, chuckling a little as Pikachu clambered on his shoulders, "just because we tied doesn't mean we didn't grow. Don't you feel a little closer to Null?"
"Huh?" Gladion took a step back, almost like he was surprised. He looked over to his partner, who appeared to nod. Then he smiled, even if it came off more like a smirk. "I guess so, though I don't like tying. Leaves a bad taste in the mouth."
"Then let's settle the score, huh?" Ash said, picking out another pokeball from his pocket. Gladion nodded, and moved his hand back to his own set of pokeballs, resting on his side pouch, when a ringing suddenly emanated from said pouch. The boy scowled, digging in and pulling out a small pager-device, holding it to his ear while a finger indicated that they should wait.
"What?" he said testily. The others watched the boy as he listened to the person on the other end of the phone. "You've got to be kidding me. Now? Why Akala?"
"Wonder what's going on," Bonnie said, kicking at one of the flowers idly. Gladion issued a large sigh.
"Fine, tell the boss I'll be on the next ferry to Akala, but you remind him that I don't like it. I was on my own time here in Melemele!" With those harsh tones, Gladion pressed a button on the phone-like device and buried it once more in his pouch, turning with a scowl to Ash. He quickly ran his hand through his hair. They all just stared at him curiously. "Sorry, Ash, but it looks like the remainder of our battle will have to be postponed. I got called in to work."
"Oh…" Ash commented, looking just a little disappointed. He quickly sloughed it off after looking at Pikachu. "Well, that works for me, but we'll be winning the next time."
"We'll see about that," Gladion assured him, holding his hand out. Ash grinned and took it. "Then we'll promise to battle on Akala. How's that sound, friend?" The final word almost sounded foreign on the blond's tongue.
"Sounds like a plan!" Pikachu agreed with his trainer, pumping a fist in Null's direction. It was hard to tell the other Pokémon's expression, but it almost looked like it was regarding Pikachu with immense respect. The two trainers separated their hands and Gladion began walking backwards, towards the exit from the meadow, waving at them with a smirk before beginning to run. Serena and the others turned to watch him and Null go, and before long, he had disappeared the exact way he came.
"Rotom found that battle most interesting! That Pokémon was unknown to Rotom!" Rotom said excitedly, practically bouncing up and down. "Rotom will record data!"
"Recording data sounds good and all, but can we find a place to stop and have that picnic?" Ash said. Serena looked towards him with amusement and a smile. Both he and Pikachu were clutching at their stomachs, clearly hungry from the battle they'd just fought, already putting the abrupt encounter behind them. Clemont let off a soft chuckle.
"That doesn't sound like a bad plan," the inventor assured them all before pointing to a spot somewhat down the hill that looked like a clearing of grass amidst the flowers; a perfect place for a picnic. Ash threw his fist into the air, clearly overjoyed at being able to eat lunch, and he took the lead in running for the spot, with Bonnie just behind him. Serena adjusted her hat and set off right after them, Clemont puffing along behind her. The dash through the flowers didn't take long, nor did setting up everything for lunch.
"All right, everyone, come on out!" Ash called, sending all of his Pokémon out of their pokeballs once they'd set things up. Serena and Clemont followed suit, with Grubbin diving right for Clemont as always; the inventor was growing quite adept at dodging him. "So, what's for lunch?"
"Sandwiches," Serena said, pulling out a box of delicious looking sandwiches for her and Ash to share. Clemont pulled out a similar set, already half-eaten through. The two culprits were easily seen in the flat expanse of flowers, Rowlet and Chespin struggling with one between them. Neither Pancham or Pikipek seemed amused, moving to berate the two.
"Cut it out, Rowlet," Ash said with a sigh, shaking his head. Rowlet, unlike Chespin, had the decency to look ashamed and let go of the sandwich. Bonnie appeared to take pity on the owl, taking a sandwich from Clemont's tray and walking over to Rowlet.
"Here you go. Now, everyone needs to play nice," she said sweetly. Serena smiled, placing her bag down as she walked over to Ash with the sandwiches and took his hand. She knew he was more focused on the food she was holding, but appreciated that he was returning the affection all the same until they were seated neatly upon the blanket that he had laid across the grass. Clemont and Bonnie, meanwhile, took a seat at a table near the Pokémon.
"This is nice. It's been a while since we could just have something kind of like a date," Serena admitted. Ash had already taken two sandwiches, stuffing them in his mouth, chewing at a rapid pace and swallowing them.
"Yeah, we've been real busy since we got to Alola," he laughed out. Feeling content from the two sandwiches, Ash breathed outward, laying flat on the blanket. He dragged Serena down with him and she found herself up against his side, surrounded by his body heat. On instinct, she snuggled into him a bit, not even embarrassed that their friends were but a few feet away. "Makes things feel normal."
"Yeah…we need normal, don't we?" Serena said. Her worry from this morning briefly resurfaced from those words, but she forced them from her mind at the feeling of Ash's rhythmic breathing in tune with her heartbeat. It felt peaceful, content, and like everything was right with the world.
For about a minute, until a loud and girlish scream pierced the air.
Serena and Ash shot upwards on instinct, their reflexes honed from all the intense battles they had fought in. The two of them were on their feet before Clemont and Bonnie could even leave their chairs. Both of their gazes were drawn in the same direction, trying to locate the source of the sudden scream. Neither of them looked for long, seeing a girl in a white dress and hat fleeing from the cover of a copse of trees that rimmed the area with a large drum bag flopping about at her side as streams of Spearow pelted after her…and something else unfamiliar.
"Braixen!" Serena called, dashing off of the blanket and for the girl. Braixen was already moving at her words, Greninja right alongside her. Both of their Pokémon quickly caught up to Ash and Serena while the two Lumiose siblings remained behind them. Flowers were kicked up as they ran, only Greninja not disturbing the plants as they drew closer to the girl. One of the Spearow broke off and aimed for the…well, it looked like a Pokémon, that was preceding the girl. Said girl appeared to notice this.
"No! Nebby!" she cried. Despite her footwear slipping off, she dove for the purple Pokémon, shielding it with her body as the Spearow all dove at her. "You won't hurt him!"
"Greninja, Water Shuriken!"
"Braixen, Flamethrower!" Serena yelled. Both Greninja and Braixen struck at the exact moment, the fire joining with the watery shuriken. Surprisingly, they didn't put each other out and instead steamed as they slammed into the Spearow like a Scald attack. The Spearow turned, as if wanting to fight them, but quickly noticed their Pokémon's fierce stance. Thinking better of it, one of the Spearow called out and they all took to the air, disappearing into the trees once again. "Are you okay?"
"Huh?" the girl said, not looking up from where she was huddling over the Pokémon. Serena approached her carefully, picking up the girl's shoes as she reached her and held a hand out.
"It's okay, we won't hurt you," Serena assured her. It was slow, tentative, but the girl finally raised her head, her green eyes wide and fearful. Ash came closer, kneeling down alongside Serena. The girl's eyes moved between them, still wide, but the fear diminishing, replaced with…recognition. "We chased off the Spearow. You're all right now."
"Oh…thank you," the girl said before looking down at what her body was covering. "N-Nebby, are you okay?"
"Pew!" came a sound from under the girl. Ash fell backward at the sound, his butt hitting the flowers. Serena could only watch, staring, as the girl sat back up to reveal the Pokémon beneath her. It looked like a purple and blue puff cloud, two little clouds extending from its happily smiling face. For such a little thing that had just been attacked, it looked beyond cheerful. "Pew!"
"Nebby, don't just act like nothing happened!" the girl scolded it, or rather, Nebby. She turned her head, bowing low, allowing her hat to touch the flowers on the ground. "Thank you for saving me and Nebby, Ash and Serena."
"Um, what?" Serena squeaked out. How had this girl known their names? Ash was blinking, too, though he seemed to be on the verge of recognizing the girl for whatever reason. Serena almost thought that maybe this was another friend from Ash's past that she hadn't known about, but the girl debunked the theory.
"Oh, I'm sorry," she said, straightening and placing a hand to her lips in apology. "Is that too familiar? It's just, I saw your names on the television and I thought…I apologize for presuming too much."
"No, it's okay," Serena said, hoping to console the girl who looked so upset by her presumptions.
"That's how you knew my name!" Ash said, clapping his fist on his palm. Serena looked at him. "I ran into her the same night that I ran into Tapu Koko, and she knew me. Now I know why! You saw the Honor of Kalos Ceremony on the TV, right? I didn't even know they aired that here."
"Y-yes, it was a very big event," the girl answered, smiling. She looked very pretty, her blond locks in braids down the sides of her face while the rest were in flowing tresses behind her, her smiling only serving to highlight her features. "I saw it while I was…protecting Nebby, once."
"So, his name is Nebby?" Serena asked. She reached out to poke the little guy, her finger pressing into its surface like it was a cloud. It smiled at her.
"Pew!"
"Well, technically it's called Cosmog…I think," the girl laughed out. She seemed to relax a little now, sitting on her knees as she wiped her brow. "But I think Nebby is much cuter."
"Pew pew pew!" Nebby responded cheerfully. The little one didn't seem to have any other attitude.
"I didn't think you'd actually come to Alola, though." Confusion once more settled onto Serena's brow at the girl's words. Said girl blinked and once more bowed in apology, realizing she'd clearly left out some important information in their discussion. "I'm sorry, I must sound so cryptic, talking about Nebby and knowing your names, I just…I'm overwhelmed."
"Well, why don't you start from the beginning?" Ash offered from his place on the ground. Tramping footsteps were heard behind them, and the girl, along with the two of them, looked up to see that Clemont, Bonnie and the group of Pokémon were all approaching, having clearly packed up from their spot for lunch.
"What a cute Pokémon!" Bonnie exclaimed immediately upon seeing Nebby. She dove in between them, reaching for Nebby, who dodged out of the way and into the new girl's arms.
"Sorry…Nebby usually doesn't like being touched by anyone but me…or at all. Not that he stays in the bag like he should," she apologized once more, though adding a tone of sternness at the end. Like before, recognition passed through her eyes.
"Nebby is such a cute name!" Bonnie said, reeling herself back in and sitting cross-legged upon the flowers. "He reminds me of…Squishy…"
"Bonnie," Clemont said, though it wasn't scolding. Rather, he sounded sympathetic. Bonnie shook her head though, indicating that she was fine, if obviously thinking about where Squishy, who had disappeared so many months ago, could be these days. "Anyway, who's this?"
"Don't know," Serena answered. "I think she was about to tell us before you showed up."
"Interesting," Rotom spoke out, cutting across Serena as it went to take pictures of Nebby. "Rotom does not have data on this one either! Why? ! Why has Rotom been incomplete twice in one day? ! Rotom has failed!"
"Calm down, Rotom!" Ash insisted, grabbing the Ghost type and pulling it down to his lap. The Pokédex struggled a bit, but eventually calmed down as the attention from all of them (Pokémon included) looked to the girl. She flushed a little bit at being put on the spot.
"Um, all right…" she began, gripping tightly to Nebby. "Well, my…my name is Lillie, and this is Nebby."
"You're Professor Kukui's assistant?" Clemont asked. Serena folded her hands; of course, the name had sounded familiar, and now the face did too. She had met this girl, Lillie, in the store at Hau'oli City before she'd run away. Pleased with recognizing her, Serena smiled.
"Oh, you're familiar with Professor Kukui?" she said, clapping her hands together in relief. "That makes this so much easier! I mean, not that I thought any of you were bad people. To receive an award like the Honor of Kalos, you have to be kind, right? But this just makes me feel even better."
"Lillie, you're rambling," Ash said, laughing a bit. Lillie raised her hand to her mouth again, once more embarrassed. Serena raised an eyebrow, wondering if this girl had had much social experiences, if any at all. Especially once she started apologizing once more.
"My apologies, I just…I feel so relieved!" the blonde said, wiping some tears from her eyes. "I remember seeing you on the television and feeling like you were all people that could be counted on."
"That's nice," Ash said, putting his hands on the ground while Pikachu jumped on top of his head, pulling on his hat a little. "But, why?"
"Oh, well…" Lillie looked a little distressed, like she wasn't sure how to say what she wanted, or if she really should. At Ash's question, she finally stood, and Serena took that as the prompting to stand with her, some of them coming to their feet. Nebby remained clasped in her arms as she turned to look out towards the bay in the distance. "I…sort of stole Nebby."
"You what? !" all of them asked at the same time, even some of their Pokémon joining in. Only Rotom didn't seem to care.
"I mean, it's not like it was a bad thing, I think!" Lillie said, a slight drop of sweat running down her cheek. "They were being really mean to him, and I just couldn't bear it, so I took him and I've been running ever since. At the time, I saw you on the TV and felt like you could help me, ha ha…I must have seemed rather delusional then."
Serena folded her arms, but smiled a little. Lillie was a little scant on the details, but from her words alone, Serena could tell she was a good person; not some random Pokémon thief like Team Rocket. Obviously, she had acted impulsively in taking Nebby away from the bad people, however. "Lillie, do you have any Pokémon to protect you, then?"
"Oh…no," Lillie answered. "It was very spur of the moment. I'm not a trainer, after all, but I wanted to help. Some of the details from back then are a little hazy so I don't remember much from the moment, but no…just Professor Kukui helping me out."
"Hmm…" Ash hummed out, looking at Lillie with discerning eyes. It was no surprise, really, to Serena at least. Ever since six months ago, ever since Michael, everyone's words had to be taken with a grain of salt. Lillie seemed like a trustworthy girl at first glance, and Serena wanted to trust that instinct, but her actions were almost suspect. "That was pretty dangerous of you. Sure, not everyone has a Pokémon to protect them, but doing something like that…"
"I know!" Lillie said, looking beyond mortified. Serena gave a start; she looked like such a small child in that moment, being scolded by a father. "I just…I really wanted to get him away from the bad people, so I wasn't thinking…"
"So, you don't remember who these bad people are?" Serena asked suddenly, hoping to dig a little into the truth. There was something about the way she had said "bad people" that indicated it was all a little more personal than she was letting on, though she also could have been reading much more into what were likely petty thieves. Lillie tensed up, shifting her gaze over to Serena, almost pleading in nature.
"I…I remember what they looked like and where they were six months ago or so, though not exactly who they were…but…I just want to keep Nebby far away from them. That's why I keep him in the bag…though he never stays put. It was that kind of stuff in the forest that led to the Spearow attacking us," Lillie said, once more adopting a tone of consternation. Nebby smiled up at her.
"Pew!" he cried happily before hopping out of Lillie's arms and heading inside her large round bag. Serena watched it a moment longer before exhaling with relief, realizing they weren't in a state of alert or needing to fight. Then she smiled. Nebby seemed truly happy to be by Lillie's side, proving that the act of "thievery" was just as she said it was. As for the "bad people" it was obvious that Lillie had gone to great lengths to protect the little one now inside her bag and to keep herself anonymous from whoever the likely thieves were. That gave Serena some comfort, knowing they wouldn't have to deal with that; the girl was smarter than she let on, traipsing about without a Pokémon.
"I'm sorry. I don't mean to unburden my problems onto you," Lillie said, sighing a little and hanging her head. Serena shook her own head, stepping forward. She could feel the frustration that Lillie was feeling, and so, she reached her hands out and took the blonde's. Lillie's head snapped up, looking at her in surprise.
"It's okay," she said. "It must have taken a lot of bravery to do what you did, and to hide like you have."
"Well, Professor Kukui has helped me a lot. Him and Kahuna Hala," Lillie admitted, laughing a little. "Thanks to them, I know the bad guys have no idea where I am, or Nebby. I'm pretty sure I can keep it that way. I don't think they even know who took him, and it has been over six months since then and they've probably forgotten about it or just don't care, so…"
"Works for me," Ash admitted with a laugh, springing to his feet. Lillie still wore a shocked expression at his statement, causing Serena and Bonnie to stifle giggles.
"You…you mean it?" Lillie asked.
"Of course! We run into people with problems all the time!" Ash explained, throwing his hands behind his head. "You seem like a really nice girl, too, Lillie, helping out Nebby like that. Listening to whatever's troubling you is no problem at all. Helps us to keep your secret!"
"Th-thank you!" Lillie said, tears welling in her eyes as she bowed low. Serena smiled, looking at the genuine drops falling from her eyes. Having now taken her hands, and despite letting go of them, Serena realized that there wasn't a single dishonest bone in the girl's body. Perhaps a frightened and scared one, but she was earnest and honest through and through. Like Bonnie, when she had taken in Squishy and saved him from Team Flare, Lillie just wanted to protect the precious little one that was close to her.
Serena looked to the others, each of them watching the girl shedding such pure tears. Eventually, though, she stepped forward, taking her hands once again to calm her down. Lillie looked up at Serena, blinking the tears from her eyelashes. "You okay, then?"
"Yes, thank you," Lillie said, bringing a light smile to her face. "I just feel so honored to meet all of you. The professor mentioned you, too, but…"
"If you're honored to meet us, then we're just glad to meet you," Clemont said. "I'm Clemont."
"Yes, I know," Lillie said with a little laugh. "And you must be Bonnie."
"That's right!" Bonnie chirped out happily. Behind them all, their Pokémon gave a loud cheer, making their own introductions to the girl. Serena let go of her hands and stepped away, folding them behind her back.
"It's wonderful to meet all of you!" Lillie said, brightly smiling. Her bag suddenly shook, as if Nebby was saying the exact same sentiments. "Though…why are you all here? N-not to sound rude, but like I said earlier, I didn't expect you all to come to Alola when you're such heroes in the Kalos region."
"Oh, well, I'm taking part in the Island Trials," Ash said, pointing to himself. Pikachu nodded his head in agreement. "Clemont's here to install something for the Pokémon League, and Serena is aiming to become the Ali'i ka Leilani by participating in the Leilani Ceremonies."
"We're actually heading there right now, to one in Kala'e Bay," Serena told her. Lillie blinked at her a moment, and then her eyes lit up with great enthusiasm, sparkling so brightly that Serena almost thought they were made of glitter. She stepped forward and this time initiated the hand holding.
"The Leilani Ceremony? I've always wanted to see one!" Lillie exclaimed, her voice going up an octave. "I never had the chance to as a child. You must be an extraordinary trainer to be aiming for the Ali'i ka Leilani!"
"Er…I guess," Serena laughed out modestly. She had never really thought about it, only focusing on training with her Pokémon rather than how good she was. Seeing Lillie so enthused about the prospect, though, the honey blonde knew there was only one real course of action to take, regardless of its suddenness. "Would you want to come and see one? I'm sure we'd be happy to have you along, and then we could protect you from those 'bad guys'."
Lillie's face flushed with excitement, and before she could stop herself, it seemed, she was jumping up and down, practically squealing. "I'd love to! I'm sure Nebby would love to see you perform, too."
"Pew!" Nebby's voice called out from the bag.
"Great! That's like two Pidgey with one stone," Ash said. "Welcome aboard, Lillie."
"Thank you!" Lillie said, the happiness practically seeping out of her pores. She stopped her jumping and Serena finally realized that the girl's shoes were sitting amongst the flowers where she'd dropped them during the conversation; they were not the kind of shoes made for traveling. She bent down to pick them up and hand them over to her. The blonde gratefully slipped them on, still wearing the smile of jubilation. It struck a chord in Serena. It's like another step to bring back those smiles.
"Yay! We have a new member to the little family!" Bonnie cheered. This prompted a confused look from Lillie, who titled her head and placed a finger on her chin.
"Family?"
"Of course! Clemont's like the uncle, and Ash and Serena are the mom and dad!" Ash suddenly coughed at Bonnie's statement, and Serena felt a blush creep up her neck. They certainly weren't ready to be parents! "You can be like the big sister, for however long you want to be with us."
"A big sister…?" Lillie asked, still confused. She seemed to quickly be warming up to the idea, though, as her eyes shined again. "Going on an adventure…it sounds so fun…and free…I just wanted to explore Melemele before Nebby caused problems in the forest there, but now…"
"Now you get to adventure with some friends," Ash said, changing the subject away from the topic of family all too mercifully and swiftly. Lillie nodded at his assertion. "All right, then. Welcome to the group, Lillie, and to our adventure!"
Placing his hand in, Serena quickly joined her own. They were soon mobbed by Clemont, Bonnie, Rotom and all of their Pokémon, leaving only Lillie. The girl watched them a moment before smiling brightly, like she'd never been offered such true kindness before. Then she slapped her hand into the center happily.
"Yes! I'm glad to be on this adventure to Kala'e Bay!"
"All for one and one for all!" Bonnie cried and they raised their hands to the air. With their pact complete, and their feet setting off again for Kala'e Bay (once they'd packed up their abandoned lunch, of course), Serena looked towards the happily humming Lillie, their new companion, and smiled.
Yes, this is what being a Kalos Queen, keeping that promise, feels like. And so, she wrapped her hands around Lillie's arm and dragged her forward towards the sea where her next Ceremony would take place; the Ceremony she now promised she would win not only for herself, but for her Pokémon, her family, and for the girl whose face had lit up at the mere mention of seeing one.
Author's Note: Lillie has joined the group! As anyone who knows me can attest, I adored Lillie in the Sun and Moon games, and thus it's that character which I'm replicating here, albeit differently. Now, quite a lot happened in this chapter, and I need to address all of it. 1) Ash's problem with Z-Moves. Is it Serena's theory that he's afraid of using moves that are too powerful? Or is it something else? This'll be explained in due time, but right now he's certainly having problems. 2) Ash vs. Gladion. Ah, the start of a sweet, sweet rivalry. Hope you enjoyed that battle because it was definitely there for a point. And also, the tie…well, for those who know the games, just realize what Null is.
And 3) Lillie. This was pretty much an exposition dump scene, which are always hard to get just right, especially with the kind of information I gave with her. Why are they not going after the "bad guys"? Why is Lillie not telling them? Why are they not pressing her? All probably questions that are entering your mind, and one that I've answered (I think) subtly. The simple answer: normalcy. I'll leave you to ponder that. Well, that and Lillie herself. In due time, it should be understood, but our heroes have their work cut out for them. Regardless, I hope you enjoyed and it all flowed correctly, because it was tough to work out.
Speaking of enjoyment, let me leave words of thanks for those who enjoyed and took the time to do a little extra: CyberNerd for favoriting; R3qu13m0f50ul5 for following; and that biggest thanks to Armorshippingfan, CommanderAwesome3, FantasyLover88, AdvancedAlto, Tenzalucard123, Cottonmouth25, Kagamine Arimonori, The Wind God of the Leaf, blue-analytic, nexxus176, AmourshippingCanon, aliensinnoh, potat lasaro, Vivian Graythorn, leaflame, ultimateCCC, jlogan2748, PandasInMittens, Djiprad and 1 guest for reviewing. I really appreciate the words and thoughts for this story. So, until the next chapter, please Review and Dare to Be Silly.