"(Pokémon Translation)"
(Author's Note)
"(Telepathic / Aura Communication)"
"(Thoughts)"
"Murmuring / Whispering"
Chapter XVIII : Reunited
After receiving their first badge in Kalos, Viola suggested to take a picture for Ash and Andre, getting their Bug Badge from her. After getting the image from the Santalune City Gym Leader, Clemont and Bonnie congratulated them again and saw that there are 5 people walking towards them.
Out of all the persons in the group, Ash saw her. His childhood friend after almost half his whole life separated from her. The boy, whose height is the same as his, went towards him and said to him, "You have great skills and knowledge for a trainer. I'm curious to your fighting style, though. I'm Calem Xavier." With a smile on his face and a raised hand, offering Ash's to shake.
Although... He did this so that he wants to know how Serena's heart has been captured by this no-good trainer, that's what he's thinking.
"Name's Ash Ketchum. Kanto is my home, but my parents visit here for a very long vacation. So instead of just wandering around, admiring the views, I would bring a souvenir on the way home. That is, to become the winner of Kalos League." Ash explain. Calem was a little surprised from what he just said.
"Smart words. You must be his friend, right?" Calem said, changing glance from Ash to the 13-year-old trainer. "Correction; Close friend. My name's Andre Mason. Where do I live and why am I here? Just like my former #1 idol." This caused everyone, including Serena, get confused until they look at Ash who was about to say something, "Basically what he's saying is that he's my #1 fan, because he watched my competitions."
"Hello there, handsome. Name's Shauna. How are you?" Shauna said, looking at Andre with a little bit of a... seductive look that makes Andre's skin tingling.
"I'm okay." Is all he said, backing away from Shauna. "Erm, Shauna. I think you're scaring him." Said the big boy, warning her. "Eh? I just want to make new friends." She pouted with a little angry glare at Tierno.
"Sorry about Shauna scaring you. The name's Tierno, I was born to dance." Tierno said before showing his moves that makes his friends, including Ash and Andre, sweat dropped. "Show off as always, Tierno. The name's Trevor. I've been traveling through Kalos, because of taking a picture of new Pokémon."
After Tierno and Trevor introduce themselves, Calem said, "All that's left is-" "Serena." Calem got cut off by Ash, making all of them, excluding Andre, to look at them. Even the honey blonde girl got surprised by what her secret crush said.
"Ash?" Is all she said with tears almost coming out of their eyes, but holding it back. Ash smiled and said, "How you've been Serena?" Hearing his voice, really makes her happy again to reunite with her old, yet gold childhood friend as she hug him tightly, slightly sobbing on his chest.
Ash returned the favor as he caress her back and her hair, whispering to her. "It's been a long time, Serena. I told you that I'll find you." Hearing him again makes her smile with pink cheeks in her face.
After few minutes of calming Serena, they got off of each other and look at each other's eyes. "Hey lovebirds, care to explain it to the gang?" Andre interrupted their moment with an evil smirk on his face, warning them that their in the public place.
That caused Serena to look away, using her long hair to cover her embarrassed face while Ash tipped his hat and look away, too. Andre already know her face, but he don't know about their past. Ash only told him that she's his childhood and first close friend he ever befriended in their early childhood years.
After few seconds of awkward silence, Shauna decided to cut off by saying, "You haven't told us about him, Serena." Realizing what she said, Serena and Ash decided to explain everything when they first met until the day where they made a promise before Serena left Ash.
...
Not including the scene where Serena kissed Ash on his cheeks.
...
After few minutes of explaining their time at Professor Oak's Summer Camp, they both smile for their friends reunited with each other while Calem?
Still finding a way to make Serena hers.
After a while, Ash asked, "Serena, want to come join us?" That caught Serena off guard, but recovered quickly. "Are sure? I mean I don't want to be a burden to you." After what she said, Ash came closer to her, making her blush. Then Ash put his hand on her shoulder and told her with a smile, "You're not a burden to everyone, including me."
That cause her to get surprised and blush. She said with a smile, "If that's what you said, okay. Also, is it alright for my friends to come with you?" After what she request to her secret crush, Ash then look at her friends who were Calem, Tierno, Shauna and Trevor and grew a smile on his face and said to her, "Sure. The more, the merrier."
This cause Bonnie go to Shauna's place and did what everyone didn't expect her to do. "You're a keeper to my Brother!" This cause Clemont to hastily go over to her side with his face really red and used his Aipom Arm from his bag to get Bonnie out of that awkward proposal to Shauna. "BONNIE! HOW MANY TIMES DO I HAVE TO DO THAT?!"
Andre then asked Clemont, "Is that what Bonnie do to find you a wife?" "Sadly, yes. It has been the most embarrassing moments in my life." With eyes rolled and sighed in defeat, Clemont knew that this might be, his most embarrassing moments in his life.
"If that's the case, then why don't you do it just like what Bonnie did?" This cause the inventor to look at Ash at a surprised state. Even his little sister heard what the 16-year-old raven haired boy. "What do you mean?" "What I mean is, if you have the one you're looking for, then you'll do the same what Bonnie should do to you?"
After few seconds of thinking, Clemont's eyes widened as he understand what Ash just said and an evil smirk grew from his face and said to Ash, "Thanks for the idea, Ash." "No problem. Anything for a friend." While on Bonnie's side, she doesn't even know what they're talking about and decided to cast aside.
"So, shall we head off to Cyllage City?" Tierno asked and Ash, Andre nodded. They were about to set off to go to Lumiose City first, but a random voice came out of nowhere. They all turn around to look at a woman, whose hair is blonde, much like Serena's but lighter. She's wearing a black dress and a skirt, matching the color of her long sleeve shirt.
She's wearing a earring on her right ear and her bangs are almost covering her right eyes. "Excuse me, miss, but do we know you?" Trevor asked. The woman shook her head. "No, but a certain man do." They look at each other with confused looks, saying that they don't know her until they look at the boy who is the last to look.
Andre's eyes are widened, not believing at what he's seeing in front of them. In front of him... is the girl he never expected to see. In front of him... is his childhood friend.
"Melina?" Asked the boy whose jaw is still opened from what he's saying. "Hello, Andre. Long time... no see." Hearing her voice makes Andre slowly walk towards her as she, too, walk towards him.
As they're now standing each other, Andre was lost, for what he's seeing is an angel fall down from the heavens. He is a little taller than her, but her height matches his forehead. After few seconds, they both embrace each other, desperate to touch each other after almost half of their life being alone without each other.
"Looks like you got something to explain to us, Mr. Mason." It was Ash said after few minutes of them looking at two people who were embracing each other for so long. Both of them disconnect from each other's skin of embrace and look at each other and Melina nodded at her childhood friend.
...
After few minutes, they've now learned that Melina Sanchez is the childhood friend of Andre Mason and they both met each other at Viridian City. Although Andre thought that Melina is a boy at their first time meeting, but after few months, he realized that Melina is a girl.
Why? Because at their first meeting, Melina is wearing a hat that hides her long blonde ponytails. Andre apologized for mistaking her as a boy, but she forgives him, because most people thought that she is a boy.
After almost half a year of them spending each other's company, Melina told him that she'll go to another place, which saddened him and make a promise that they'll meet again.
"Well?" She asked Andre with a smile on his face. "Well, what?" Still confused, she giggled. "Dummy." After few seconds, he realized something that would make them more happier. "Well, let's travel the world with our new friends." "Yay!" After that they ran ahead while Ash, Clemont, Serena, Bonnie and Calem's gang ran towards where they're going.