A/N: Hello my lovely readers! I hope you enjoy!
*Insert disclaimer about Pokemon being Nintendo's property here*
The first step toward change is awareness. The second step is acceptance. -Nathaniel Branden
Chapter 13: An Altered Perspective
The sun inched closer and closer away from view. Serena could see the sky beginning to turn from orange to midnight blue. She could see the sun being replaced with the moon, but she still had a few minutes before dusk ended. Fortunately for Serena, the house was within sight. Unfortunately for Serena, the house was several hundred feet away from her. She noticed quite of number of Pokémon and a couple of people standing in front of the berry field, seemingly waiting for her.
Alice was standing in front of the berry field near the house with her hand curled up against her chest. She seemed concerned. Serena was surprised to see her worried. Was she concerned about Serena herself or concerned that she would finish on time? The girl had no way of knowing from where she was.
Alice also had a Gengar, Froslass and Lupa near her. Lupa seemed much happier than when Serena encountered her in the cave. Lupa's tail started to wag upon seeing Serena. Her eyes were just as friendly as Lucy's. Serena was happy at seeing this change. That was a good sign. The Froslass seemed to be eyeing her cautiously. The Gengar seemed be very mischievous from how he was grinning.
Serena saw Gordo wasn't with her, but noticed that someone else was standing beside her with a Pikachu on his shoulder. The Pikachu jumped off his shoulder when he felt his trainer shift. The person immediately started to run toward her at a breakneck pace. Serena increased her pace as well. Wasabi, Lucy and Mew decided to go to where the rest of the Pokémon were.
"A-ash!" Serena was almost knocked down by the impact of Ash's hug. He'd run a little too fast and slowed down a bit too late to prevent a slight recoil, but held both of their balances. Ash hugged her with strength she'd come to expect from the Ketchums, but she welcomed the crushing feeling.
"Serena!" Ash said with relief with his voice.
He immediately kissed her briefly on her lips, then inspected her. He looked for any major injuries. He did notice several cuts on her clothes, but noticed her skin was fine. Ash narrowed her eyes seeing her clothes tattered. Meanwhile, Serena found herself feeling lightheaded in happiness. For that moment, she forgot Alice's presence and focused solely on the man she loved. She'd liked that he'd gotten more affectionate to her even when his grandparents were near. Ash then ended their embrace.
Serena noticed that Ash didn't seem scratched, but also saw that he changed clothes from before. He was still wearing the same hat, fingerless gloves and pants, but his vest and shirt were the same as the vest and shirt she picked out for him in Kalos. She wondered what happened to make him change, but decided to ask about it later.
"I'm so happy you're safe! I just got back a half hour ago myself. Grandma told me what she had you doing and I was upset when I found out what her actual intent of the trial was. However, I forgave her when I noticed she wasn't aggressively pursuing you in the cave despite knowing that you had one of Mom's strongest Pokémon with you to make the guardians not as threatening. I know that if she truly wanted to kill you, she would have laid more traps as you went through your trial and pursued you herself. She is a crazy good duelist, so if she had directly fought you… I don't want think about what would have happened. You didn't see Grandma in the caves, right?"
"No, she didn't. I…" Serena stopped herself and sighed. She decided to say, "Ash, your grandparents are crazy."
"I know, but only to psychics. That doesn't make things right, though." Ash admitted.
"I love you so much, but your grandparents make things hard to tolerate," Serena said with sadness. Ash was eyeing her closely as she said this. He was analyzing her every movement to see her emotions. It was clear to him that she was willing to get herself hurt to just to show that she loved him. Although the boy would do the same for her, he would rather not have that happen. He decided to say what he thought was best for her.
"Serena, would you like me to take you back to Kalos, then?" Ash asked in a low voice. Serena got a shiver with how seriously and easily he said that. She knew he cared about her, but hearing this shocked her. His eyes held no malice. Just sadness. Ash continued, "Give me the word and I'll make sure you're not so uncomfortable."
"Ash…" Serena was so surprised that she could only say his name.
"You just said they make things hard to tolerate. That's not a way to live. Why are you putting yourself through this? I'm not worth it." Ash argued. Serena immediately shook her head. Her eyes become determined as she glared at him. Ash was frowning, but showing no signs of changing his stance.
"Ashton Ketchum, you will always be worth it to me!" Serena said a strong voice. She immediately clutched his hands with a grip Ash wasn't used to. She was looking at him with those same determined eyes. Ash found himself blushing slightly at her proximity. He was also surprised that she used his full name while he was in control.
"Serena…" Ash had his mind blank out temporarily.
"Don't say that. I… don't like being near your grandparents, but I love you. I like being around your mom, too. If she was as bad as her parents, then I'd consider your words. However, with how nice you and your mom are, that's enough for me to be content to stay." Serena told him. Ash could feel himself getting annoyed by her. He forced her to let go of him. Serena was surprised to see him irritated at her.
"You shouldn't have to feel only feel content, though! Hearing that makes me upset. Don't accept unfairness for me. I want you to be happy, not sacrifice your happiness for me." Ash said as he clutched her shoulders with a firm grip. He still seemed annoyed, but it was clear it was coming from a place of concern. He continued, "I get that you want to earn your place in my family and I appreciate the lengths you went through for me. However, I don't want you to feel unwelcome or uncomfortable trying to do that.
"Hearing this from you do make me happy. Every time I'm with you, I know you manage to make me smile and feel warm. You care so much about me and I feel so grateful I managed to catch with you when I started my journey. Despite how mean your grandparents are, I'm grateful you're not like them." Serena said. Ash let go of her and sighed sadly. He wished she had a different impression of them, but knew that they didn't exactly help their case.
"Grandma isn't actually mean, though. I'll try my hardest to help you get through to at least Grandma." Ash said with a determined fist. He knew that Serena likely wouldn't listen to him, so he decided to try the next best thing.
"I'm not sure if that's possible." Serena doubted. Ash shook his head in gentle disagreement.
"I think it is. You know, I also forgave Grandma because she genuinely seemed sorry and was concerned about you." Ash revealed to her. Serena gasped.
"Really?" Serena said in shock.
"Yep. When I got home, she was pacing around like Mom does when she's worried. Let's see how she treats you now that you finished the trial. I feel like things will be different." Ash said honestly. Though he didn't want Serena to be unhappy in the Tree, he also wanted his grandparents to get along with her. He was hesitant, but he also knew that Serena could win over Alice. He only hoped that his grandmother was genuine in how she acted while Serena was in the caves.
"I'll trust you, but I'm not holding my breath," Serena said bluntly. Ash wasn't surprised and merely shrugged his shoulders.
"When I first got back, I was going to see if I could find you in the caves. However, Grandma told me I should wait until nightfall when you should be back. I'm glad I did. I got to see you trying your best training and being successful with it!" Ash said happily.
"Were you able to find your other two partners, anyway?" Serena wondered.
Ash smiled and decided to throw up two Poke Balls to answer her question. A jackal with sharp red out and a green reptilian with deep black eyes emerged. The blue and black jackal looked at her surroundings, then noticed Serena. She lowered her ears and went behind Ash, somewhat nervous. She eyed Serena cautiously. The gargantuan green Pokémon stared at his new home and then looked down at Serena. Serena made a greeting gesture. Despite his size, Serena wanted to show that she wasn't afraid of him or wanted to hurt him. The rock type showed no signs of acknowledging her. His eyes seemed distrusting and he was frowning.
Ash sighed seeing how they both reacted, but wasn't surprised. The boy wanted them to begin opening up to others and figured this would be a start. Ash gestured the timid Pokémon behind him to be a little less rude and say hi. With her ears still lowered, she slowly crept closer to Serena and then gave a greeting gesture. She then went back right back behind Ash. Ash smiled at the attempt. Ash gestured the giant Pokémon to do the same. The green reptilian raised an arm up in acknowledgment, then put it down.
Ash said, "Meet Lucario and Tyranitar. They've both not had the best experiences with humans, so I'm sorry about how they're acting."
"Is Lucario the same Riolu you mentioned spurring your aura in Sinnoh?" Serena asked.
"Yep. She's gotten a lot stronger since then, too! Lucario's naturally timid, but she can be a bit stubborn when following her heart. She was invaluable for me getting through to Tyranitar." Ash described. Serena laughed.
"I wonder who's also stubborn…" Serena said with a chuckle. Ash didn't seem amused.
"Oh ha ha. Says the sassy and headstrong girl," Ash's eyes turned to red immediately and retorted with a toothless grin. It was Serena's turn to be a little annoyed. She hated that Ash could switch to Ashton to bail him out and vice versa… because she knew Ash wouldn't have retorted that quickly.
"Ashton!" Serena hissed, but didn't deny him. Ashton laughed at her expense, but then quickly grew more serious.
"Tyranitar is way more withdrawn from humans, though. He's… been through a lot after I left Johto." Ashton said with saddened eyes. He told Serena what Tyranitar told her. Serena looked up at the rock type. She walked up to him and tried to touch his scales to see if she could comfort him. Tyranitar emitted a low growl that told Serena to move away. Serena complied and stepped away. She seemed sad for him.
"Tyranitar, don't do that!" Ashton hissed. The rock type looked at his trainer with remorse. Ashton said, "Sorry, Serena."
"Don't worry. Trust takes time." Serena responded with a sweet smile. Tyranitar could see the kindness in her eyes. Tyranitar suddenly looked a little spooked upon observing that, then looked away from the girl in slight guilt. Ash's eyes then turned back to brown.
While Ash and Serena were talking, Pikachu took the time to interact with the Pokémon Serena returned with. Upon noticing Wasabi, he immediately gave her a hug and started to cry. Wasabi made a sweet smile at the mouse and returned the gesture. She seemed to be holding in her tears. Wasabi whispered in his ear, "(I'm so glad you're well, Little Chu. I'm also glad that you breaking your original Poke Ball didn't have any negative repercussions on you. Aurora and I were worried about you.)"
"(I'm… sorry for running away like that. I… I had to get away… from him. I… didn't want… to get beaten again…)" Pikachu said in a desperate voice. He sounded so scared. Wasabi could feel his fear and started to rub his back to comfort him.
"(Marcus was a jerk. I completely understand.)" Wasabi said in a comforting voice. Pikachu broke their embrace and tilted his head in confusion.
"(Was? D-do you know what's become of him?)" Pikachu asked curiously, but his tone was still fearful. Wasabi decided to wipe his tears.
"(…Your old trainer died by Aru's hand a few years after you ran off. She was… distraught after you left and seeing how Marcus was, she was a little reckless in dealing with him.)" Wasabi disclosed uncomfortably once she made sure Pikachu's fur was dry. Pikachu looked down and his expression turned pensive. He closed his eyes as he accepted his old trainer's demise.
"(… I see. I'll never have to see him again, then. Thank you for telling me this.)" Pikachu said in a relieved tone. He seemed to be much more at ease.
"(Of course. Don't run out on your current trainer, though, haha.)" Wasabi winked. Pikachu immediately shook his head.
"(Never. Ash is leagues better than that old dirtbag. I will always be at Ash's side.)" Pikachu said strongly. Wasabi smiled at that.
"(I don't know anything about this Marcus dude y'all were talking about, but I'm… like super glad things turned out okay for ya!)" Lucy chimed into the conversation. She made a disarming smile and wagged her tail excitedly.
"(Thank you for the kind words. What kind of Pokémon are you?)" Pikachu asked curiously.
"(I'm a dawn form Lycanroc. I was born and raised in Alola, but on standby whenever Aurora needs me here in the Tree of Beginning.)" Lucy immediately responded. Wasabi decided to explain a little further about Lucy's origin.
"(Aurora went to the Alola region soon after leaving Johto, Little Chu. She caught Lucy after you left.)" Wasabi explained. Pikachu widened his eyes.
"(Oh, so you're an Alolan Pokémon. I wonder what others are there. I'm kinda hoping Ash takes me there at some point. Alola seems interesting.)" Pikachu admitted.
"(It's super chill in Alola. I know you would enjoy the experience.)" Lucy said with a smile.
"(I heard from Alice that Wasabi was protecting Serena from three guardians. Were you one of the guardians?)" Pikachu asked.
"(I was one of the guardians, but I didn't like… do anything major to Serena. I know a good person when I see one. I still tested her battling skills and although she needs work, I know she'll improve. It's strange to see a human not comfortable with battling after being with Aurora for so long, though.)" Lucy confirmed and said her thoughts.
Alice had listened in on the conversation of the Pokémon and could understand them clearly. She was a bit surprised to see Lucy regard Serena positively after seeing Lupa's state. Lupa also spoke of how merciful Serena was and how she tried to end their encounter as peacefully as she possibly could when she was teleported back. She looked at all the Pokémon in thought.
Alice noticed Ash and Serena beginning to walk back with a Tyranitar and Lucario behind Ash. Alice smiled and waved at them. Her brown eyes seemed much warmer than earlier. Ash waved back, but Serena was uneasy. She wasn't sure what Alice would say or do to her in response to finishing the trial. Her guard was raised.
Ash immediately noticed a blue canine-like Pokémon he'd never seen before. It looked really similar to Lupa. It seemed like the Pokémon was a bit nervous and looked away from him. Ash got on his knees and gave the Pokémon a comforting smile. Lucy wagged her tail as she grew a bit more comfortable near Ash.
"Hello there. Who might you be?" Ash asked.
"This is your mother's main partner from Alola. She's a dawn form Lycanroc nicknamed Lucy." Alice said. Lucy and Lupa decided to sit next to each other so Ash could inspect their differences. They both were smiling at him. Lupa appeared much older, but their main differences were their fur color, eye color and the fact that Lucy had more rocks on her neck.
"So… your Lycanroc isn't the only variant," Ash noted.
"Yes. There are four types of Lycanroc depending on when its pre-evolution, Rockruff evolves. Your mother has always been an early bird, so she evolved Lucy in the morning. I'm actually surprised that she followed the girl back." Alice replied.
"I dunno… I felt compelled to. I really like her a lot." Lucy said after Mew enabled her to speak with telepathy. Serena smiled at that.
"Compelled, huh? Hmm… I wonder…" Alice closed her eyes in thought for a few moments. Then she turned to Ash and said, "Ash, make sure that when you call Aurora, you have Lucy on the screen. Aurora is going to want to look at Lucy now that she's been exposed to the girl."
"How specific, but alright. I know you'd want to see Mom, right, Lucy?" Ash said to Lucy. He started to pet her. Lucy smiled at the touch and nodded.
Ash got off his knees and noticed Mew just observing everyone passively. He was a bit surprised to see her here and knew that she only really exposed herself if it was something important. From what his grandmother told him, he knew that the important thing was Serena.
"Mew… you helped protect Serena?" Ash asked the primordial psychic type. Mew immediately nodded.
"To a certain extent, yes. You know I don't make things easy." Mew acknowledged. Ash wasn't surprised at her not making things completely easy for Serena, but still frowned slightly. Upon seeing that response, Mew said firmly, "I made sure she wouldn't die under any circumstances."
"Thank you so much. I don't know what I would do if I lost her." Ash admitted. He closed his eyes as he tried to get the thought of losing Serena out of his head. Ash suddenly grabbed her hand. Serena was touched and gave a reassuring squeeze that she would be alright.
"Kiddo…" Alice said upon hearing the sadness in his tone. She could see her grandson wrapped up in love and wondered where the time went. Out of all the people to love, she questioned why he would love a hybrid. The thought felt wrong to her and went against everything she's been through in Hokori. And yet… Ash made it feel right. It made the elderly lady feel conflicted.
"Grandma, is there something wrong?" Ash snapped his grandmother out of her thoughts.
"You truly love her, don't you?" Alice said suddenly.
"Of course. I would do anything to protect her." Ash said immediately. He looked at her directly in the eyes and in their small interaction, she could see that he was challenging her to say something disapproving so he could prove his words. She noticed a small red gleam in his eyes and observed Ash's other side feeling the same way about Serena. Alice didn't know what to think about this.
"Ashton… the sincerity in your tone reminds me of how little you've changed." Alice said with a sigh. Ash was a little surprised to hear her use his full name with him being the dominant one out.
Ash's look was enough discouraging enough for Alice to look away. Though she looked away, she glanced back for a moment. Ash's attention was now on Serena and he was gazing at her lovingly. Serena was gazing at Ash lovingly as well. She was beaming at hearing his feelings her for. Alice couldn't sense any twisted intentions from Serena's smile. The old woman thought, "I finally see the spark between them. A living aurora… two beings connected as one. Ash, you're quite fortunate for finding her this early in your life."
Alice suddenly started to walk up to Serena. She showed no signs of what she wanted to say or do in her expression. The honey-blond teen grew nervous and sweat dropped internally. Ash couldn't read his grandmother's intentions, but he also knew she wouldn't attack Serena. When Alice was tense, he could tell because she would act colder than normal. The boy was relaxed.
Alice did something neither of them ever expected her to do: she gave Serena a heartfelt hug. Serena immediately tensed up in the embrace. Just like with Ash, the hug crushed her. She had a hard time speaking. However, she could feel Alice's aura envelop her. It oddly felt soothing. She felt Alice's sorrow over her treatment of her and was surprised by this.
"M-Ms. Alice…? Why are you hugging me? H-help…" Serena coughed. The girl knew Alice didn't know she was using too much strength. Ash decided to step in.
"Grandma, let her go," Ash said with a gentle voice. Alice immediately complied and apologized under her breath. She couldn't look at Serena directly.
"I'm… a fool. I'm so sorry for what I tried to do to you… Serena." Alice said from the bottom of her heart. Ash and Serena gasped. Ash never knew Alice to talk to Serena much as she explicitly avoided her. Serena was surprised even more so about this apology because of one thing.
"You… said my name," Serena said in shock. Alice nodded in acknowledgment and sighed.
"Yes… because you deserve to be treated like a human like me. I won't attempt something what I had done earlier again, but I understand if you stay cautious around me. I've not the best experience with psychics in my life. I apologize for acting so brashly and harshly against you. I was only being careful for Ash's sake." Alice admitted.
"I know. Mew told me about Ms. Delia wounded you in ways that I'm not sure I can fix. However, I do want us to have a good relationship. If I do anything to betray your trust, feel free to kill me." Serena said in a deadly serious tone. Everyone looked at her in shock.
"…!" Alice was surprised at how intensely she said that. She looked at the girl with unsure eyes. Meanwhile, Ash was looking at Serena as if she was a little crazy.
"Serena, don't say th-," Ash started, but the girl cut him off. She made an assuring smile.
"Ash, it's okay," Serena said soothingly. She made a challenging look at Alice as she said, "Ms. Alice, hold me true to my words. I want to show you how much I love Ash. So, if I ever do anything to make him hurt, then… d-do what you must."
"Serena…" Ash didn't know what to say. He hoped his voice could convey how extreme he thought she was being. He noticed her free hand was curled in determination. Alice seemed to weigh her words. Serena was staring at the aging woman intensely.
"I may not trust psychics, but… maybe I can lower my guard a little with you." Alice said with a relenting tone. Both Ash and Serena looked at the old lady excitedly upon hearing that. However, they both deflated slightly when Alice said immediately afterward, "That being said, I will hold you to your words."
"Grandma, I won't let you harm her even if she did betray me," Ash stated seriously. Alice suddenly gained a bit of playfulness in her eyes Serena never saw before.
Alice looked at her grandson with a cheeky grin. She shrugged her shoulders, "I know. Such a situation probably won't ever happen. If it did, maybe more actions could be done to enact forgiveness instead of the most gruesome outcome? Depends on what I see from her from here on in."
Serena never thought she'd be hearing Alice say this to her. She couldn't hide how happy she was that Ash's grandmother was giving her a chance. She never imagined Alice would be open to the idea. She was tempted to hug her, but knew that she didn't know the elderly lady too well yet. Things would get awkward quickly. She made a large thankful smile instead.
"Thank you for giving me a chance, Ms. Alice!" Serena said as she bowed in respect. Alice made a look in acknowledgment.
"Heh." Alice continued smiling mischievously, but it was playful.
"Thank you, Grandma. Seriously. I was so afraid you wouldn't be up to opening your heart like this." Ash also thanked. He gave her a hug happily. Alice smiled at seeing her grandson joyful. Her eyes glazed over slightly in content.
"Only for you, little one," Alice said as she broke off the embrace. Just like Aurora had a habit to call Ash, 'young one', Alice had a habit of calling Ash, 'little one'. It didn't matter to the elderly lady that Ash was now a head taller than she was, either. Alice continued, "As for your side, hold on to your special one tightly. Enjoy your time together and above all else, protect each other. All I ask is for you to be alright at the end of the day."
"Right!" Ash said while forming a fist in determination. Alice suddenly turned serious.
"I do have a warning, though," Alice said. Both teens gave their full attention. The greying haired lady said sadly, "Gordon is not as open as me about most things. He hates psychics even more than I do. It's to the point he didn't want to see Serena returning, so he's inspecting the perimeter of the Tree currently. I've only been exposed to bad psychics through Delilah. Charles wounded his heart even before we adopted Delilah. Delilah reopened the wound and it never fully healed. With your separation from Aurora, it only made him more absolute against psychics. Don't expect him to suddenly be nice."
"We can get through to him," Ash said confidently. Serena was awed by Ash's immediate response. She admired his confidence. Meanwhile, Alice shook her head.
"Little one, I'm not sure if that's possible at this point. Charles…" Alice looked like she was going to continue speaking, but she cut herself short. She instead said, "Well, let's just say they both wounded each other in ways I'm not sure is repairable at this point. I'll see if I can get him to be a little more respectful toward Serena. I can't promise you results, though. Gordon's always been stubborn."
"The fact that you're even attempting to do this is more than enough from me. Thank you from the bottom of my heart." Serena bowed in respect. Alice seemed hesitant to acknowledge the thanks and gave an awkward laugh in response.
"… No problem. I can't believe I'm doing this, but I do believe you deserve a chance." Alice said as her eyes suddenly turned light blue. The air around them started to turn cold, and Serena felt an awful shiver. Alice's hair started to freely around her freely. She glared at Serena viciously. Serena gulped. Alice said with a harsh tone, "Don't mess this up…"
"G-got it," Serena said, slightly in fear. Ash stood in front of Serena protectively with narrowed eyes. Alice seemed approving of the gesture. Her hair fell back into place and the air around them went back to normal. Alice started to smile warmly at the two.
"Now, I'd say it's time for Serena's reward for completing the trial on time," Alice told them.
"What's the reward?" Serena asked.
"A trip to the Hokori region. I'm going to the same place I got Happy from." Alice revealed.
"Wait… I thought Mom found Happy's egg in Viridian Forest." Ash pointed out. Alice suddenly looked amused.
"That's true. However, Eevee aren't indigenous to Viridian Forest. Who do you think left her egg there?" Alice chuckled. Both teens widened their eyes.
"Did you actually…" Ash and Serena started together, but stopped when Alice nodded in confirmation.
"Aurora had been so excited to start her journey that she ran off before I could give her my gift. Gordon had caught Wasabi before we moved to Kanto and gave her to Aurora since the two had been close playing together in Mufasa Fields. I wanted to give something to Aurora as well. Happy ended up being just that. To this day, I don't think she realized I gave her one of her Aspects." Alice chuckled at the memory.
"Does this mean you're trying to do the same for me?" Serena asked. Alice shrugged her shoulders.
"Perhaps. We'll see if any of the eggs at the place is compatible with you. If one of them is, then yes, I will gift you one of your Aspects. The chances are unlikely, though. I need you to come with me because I don't know your aura well enough like I do Aurora's." Alice said.
"Can I come, too?" Ash said with sparkles in his eyes.
"Normally, I would say yes. However, you are too much of a beacon, little one. Serena is already a risk to bring due to being a hybrid. If I brought a budding Ketchum with a hybrid, people in Hokori won't react too well. I'm sorry... I rather you not get hurt." Alice said while looking down. She seemed sad for him.
"Aww. I understand, though." Ash said with his signature smile quickly. Though he wanted to join, he also didn't want to cause any unwarranted danger.
"How are you going to hide the fact that I'm a hybrid to people? I feel like I'm just as much as a beacon as Ash is." Serena wondered.
"With assistance from Mew," Alice answered immediately.
"Oh?" Mew blinked her eyes in surprise. She wasn't expecting to get roped into the conversation.
"I need you to hide part of Serena's aura to allow her to appear fully guardian." Alice requested.
Mew seemed to be in a bit of thought. She seemed hesitant, but slightly afraid. Alice wondered what was wrong. This wasn't as severe as a request biological Ketchums could make. The old lady wondered what was going through Mew's mind.
Mew seemed to make a condemning sigh to herself. She didn't like the consequences she foresaw in doing this request, but decided to go along with it. She only decided to go along with it because it was the best possible path she could see. She showed no signs of using her foresight.
"Interesting request. I suppose I can humor you. Though I am more in tune with guardians than I am with psychics at this point, I will mask her aura to appear more like a psychic instead." Mew offered.
"How come you're masking her like a psychic specifically?' Alice asked.
"The Zurui is semi-aware of Serena's existence through her encounter of the DDD. Serena risked her life trying to save Aurora's partners and Pikachu back then. Before Serena could get taken, Raven cloaked Serena's aura to appear as a psychic to them and knocked them out. I wish to keep up consistency should someone recognize her." Mew explained.
"I see. I suppose we should be fine if we avoid the townsfolk." Alice said with a sigh.
Mew suddenly lifted Serena in the air. The girl grew nervous being in Mew's whim. Mew's eyes changed shape. They resembled Arceus's eyes. Mew gazed at her sharply. Serena felt even more nervous than before and remembered that Mew and Arceus are essentially the same being split apart. She made Serena glow pink for a few moments. After that, she brought the girl down gently. Mew's eyes returned to normal, but she looked slightly drained.
"It is done. Serena's aura will appear as a psychic to people for six hours. You must get back here by then. Fortunately for you, it is nightfall, so most people shouldn't be out. You should arrive in Hokori by the time it is dawn there. Be on guard, though." Mew said.
"Got it." Alice threw up a Poke Ball. Out came a large moth-like creature with six wings. Its blue eyes seem to be studying Serena closely. Every time he fluttered his wings, Serena could feel heat. Alice then returned the rest of her Pokémon besides the bug and fire type. Alice said, "Climb aboard one of my oldest partners, Volc. He won't bite. I promise."
The Volcorona nodded and patiently waited to be mounted. Serena noticed that every time he flapped his wings, a little bit of dust fell. It looked very pretty. It gave the Volcarona a bit of a mystical appearance. Alice jumped on top of the bug and fire type. Ash gave Serena a small peck on her cheek. Serena blushed at the affection.
Ash started to blush suddenly. His left eye turned red as well. Serena what was up with him to have both sides of him out. Ash said in tune with himself, "Whatever happens, I know Grandma will keep you safe. I can't wait to see your new partner! Maybe we can raise it… together…? Since it-it'll be like… a child… for us."
Serena could see why he was a little embarrassed now. She started to blush herself. She hadn't thought about it and the prospect of raising a child with Ash was… woah. Serena didn't want to get ahead of herself. She instead started to stammer, "O-oh, I… t-that would be nice."
Alice seemed to be amused, but didn't say anything. Serena said once her composure was back, "What will you be doing now?"
"I have to break an aura bead Mom gave me and call her. If you don't come back by then, then it's gonna be training and getting to know Tyranitar and Lucario better until you return." Ash told her.
"Typical Ash." Serena laughed.
"Little one, make sure Gordo teaches you something should we take a while. You follow your mother more closely in style, but also it's good to be defensive sometimes." Alice advised. The boy nodded.
Volc gestured Serena to get on. Serena looked at Alice, unsure. She couldn't forget what she just tried to attempt and felt hesitant. However, she noticed that Alice's demeanor completely shifted compared to earlier. Serena noticed Alice was avoiding her gaze. She seemed unsurprised at Serena's hesitation. Serena was surprised at seeing the guilt on her face.
"Serena, I understand if you don't trust me. I've given you no reason to. Mark my words, though. If I say I'm going to do something for someone, I'm sincere when I say it. You can choose to decline your gift and I totally understand if you do. After all, I did try to kill you preemptively." Alice started bluntly.
"Ms. Alice…" Serena didn't know what to say to that, but didn't make any signs to move. Serena was still looking at Alice wearily.
"I know I was wrong, but there's only so much I can do before saying sorry becomes redundant. You're probably thinking that I may take this chance to abandon you somewhere. Ash wouldn't forgive me… and I wouldn't forgive myself for harming someone innocent. I know now that you're not a bad person. At this point, all I can try to do is treat you like you should have been treated in the first place… like family." Alice continued.
"…" Serena gasped at that and looked down. She found herself tearing up slightly at that. She closed her eyes, deep in thought.
"I feel like if we are to get to know each other properly, we should give each other a chance. If you decide to give me a chance, I'll make things worth your while. I promise. Go ahead and change your clothes if you decide to come with me. Stay beside Ash if you decide not to trust me." Alice told her. She stood beside Volc patiently, eyeing Serena's every move.
Serena opened her eyes and looked at Ash for a bit of guidance. He gestured her to go on Volc and trust his grandmother. He looked just as sincere as Alice. Serena chucked to herself at the similarity. He gave her an encouraging smile. Serena sighed and decided to trust Ash.
Serena quickly went inside and changed her clothes. She wore an incredibly similar outfit to her normal one, with the blue ribbon gifted by Ash still at the crown of her chest. By the time she came back outside, she noticed both Ash and Alice giving her encouraging looks. The girl took a deep breath and stepped beside Alice. The elderly Ketchum made an accepting, but wistful smile and climbed on her partner.
Serena got on Volc and held on to Alice to best way she could. She felt a little awkward, but visibly didn't show it. Alice made a relieved, but surprised sigh. She thanked Ash under her breath for letting Serena give her a chance to trust her.
"Stay safe, you two!" Ash waved them off as Volc started to fly high into the sky. He kept waving until he couldn't see them.
Ash turned to his newly caught Aspects and regarded them with a grin. Lucario seemed a bit nervous as she still didn't know how Ash was like when his eyes were like this. Tyranitar also was a bit nervous because he didn't know what to expect from this point onward. He hoped he'd made the right choice going with someone of his past.
A/N: I enjoyed writing this chapter... a lot. I liked writing all the different interactions in general.
Serena appears to have gotten through to Alice, but not to Gordo. Unfortunately for Serena, Gordo is meaner and is less willing to let go of the past than Alice is. I wonder how things will be the next time he interacts with Serena... will he change? Who can say? How will things develop from here?
The next couple of chapters will focus on Ash. See you all soon!
Next Chapter: Hidden Bonds
~SPG123~