Chapter 10 : The True Story of the Friendship Gathering Part 2

"Wow, Mrs. Ketchum, that' s a nice bag you are carrying..." the coordinator said as she admired the red bag with refined pink tones"... It' s from the Charmoire collection. Exclusively made in Kalos."

"That's right, I like it, but I think it's too sophisticated. I only wear it because my Ash bought it for me. May, would you do me a favour and take it to the reception?"

"Of course. Hey, Misty, do you want me to take yours, too?"

"Oh, that's very kind of you, May."

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"MISTY..!" Said loudly the second to none Pokémon Master and new Kanto Champion as he entered the reception.

"No, it cannot be like that. Oh, a mirror, a mirror..." He turned around to find one... his face glowed at finding one in the alley. "Yes...this one will work." There was no one there, so he could express himself as comfortably as possible. "Hey Pikachu, do I look nervous?" asked as looking at his reflection.

"Pikacha! Pikachupi pikapi pi-kapi!"

"I' m going to pretend you didn't say that, Pikachu."He frowned and then went to the mirror, he took a deep breath and started:

"Ah it's great that you' re here Misty..." The guy was getting more nervous by watching his reflection, swallowing saliva and rubbing his head, as he encouraged himself to continue. "...I want to say something that...look err...you know? TAKE this and then tell me, if you... Ah!"

"Ash?" asked someone coming from behind the mirror. It was Lana, who only smiled at the sight of her buddy, nervous and about to burst. "Lana you scared me!" he yelled in agitation, hiding something behind him. The blue haired girl noticed something awkward about him. "Are you hiding something?" said the girl without hiding her smile.

"Me, no, nothing! What you saying?"

But at that moment entered May and Dawn and they gave Ash a very warm hug.

"Oh guys, it's good to see you too." Ash was quite nervous with one arm in his back. "I need to get rid of this. But where should I put it?"

"Ah, look what we have here. It's mom's bag." as soon as he identified it, he grabbed it from May quickly and immediately hid what he had in his right hand. " No-no, what a shame, if they see this they won't leave me alone..."

"Hey, gang, let's all try Brock's barbecue grill. Ash, I bet you don't want to miss it, do you?" May eagerly remarked. For a moment, Ash thought about refusing but didn't want to be suspicious, so they would go together and then he would come back just for that thing. Anyway, no one would go through his mum's things, right?

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"Mrs. Ketchum. You shouldn't have bothered...," as at she looked at the pair of earrings in the little crystal box. "They're wonderful, but I can't accept them."

"Misty, these earrings were my mother's. They are made of a precious stone from the sea. You don't wear earrings and these match your eyes. In fact, they're special because they take the color shape of the person who wears them. Please accept them. I've been wanting to know how they would look on you for quite some time."

"Mrs. Ketchum," the girl smiled sweetly.

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"Okay," he was satisfied at finally seeing himself free. "Now I'd better run before..."

Ash!" was interrupted this time by Gou. "Professor Oak's laboratory is excellent as always, huh?"

"Ah yes."

"But the best thing is the food, it' s truly delicious. Have you tried the brochettes?" Eating a chicken brochette. "Hey Brock, this is yummy."

"It's from my auntie Chefina's recipe."

" Of course, Brock always makes such delicious dishes. Hey Gou, you can eat all the brochettes, I have something to do." said the trainer. "Pikachu stay here."

"Chaaa" replied the Pokémon while playing with the ketchup.

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"Zephyr? What is this?!" asked Sinnoh's blue haired maiden as she found the little boy sitting on the floor with a real mess around him.

"Deede, Deede Deede, Auntie Deede." He started crying.

"Oh, it's okay...Don't worry, I'll set everything back." The girl looked around. All the girls' cosmetics and other objects were lying on the floor and all over the big room.

Fortunately, Dawn could recognize with her eyes closed what belonged to whom.

"This is Serena's lipstick, I know it because she always wears Charmoire 23. This is Lillie's and it's Kassia 59. And I gave it to her myself. Iris doesn't even wear lipstick, but she does wear mascara."

"There's nothing to worry about," she said to cheer herself up. "Piplup, pass me that eye shadow.

"Mmm?...Hold on, these two bags are exactly the same. But all I have to do is to find an ID and..." But at that moment her phone rang, which by the way ended under the couch.

"Oh Arceus..."

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"Well, time to go back for that and find out where it is and..."

"Hey, Ash, congratulations on your victory," said the voice of the lady from Kalos.

"Ah, thank you very much Serena." he replied happily, having a glass of jello. "Would you like some?" he offered politely to his friend.

The girl accepted with a smile, wondering why he looked so nervous.

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"Kenny, I don't want to talk to you, not now. No, no hard feelings, I know what you're going to say but... Uh? Is it about Ash? Well, yeah, I'll give him your regards. Yeah, bye." The girl had to make a move on her cell phone, all because of her ex-boyfriend. Yeah, ex.

But she really didn't want to remember that now. She finally laid down exhausted on the couch.

"Zephyr?" Dawn sighed, the kid is so naughty. " Oh, piplup, go find him, please."

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"Hey Maxi, look at this." said the blonde girl covering his eyes.

"Stop joking Bonnie. Besides how can I see it when you are blinding me."

The little girl let him go. And with one hand she revealed a beautiful necklace to him. - It' s very nice and it shines beautifully.

"What's this?... Why did you take this, Bonnie?" Reading a certain note with his eyes wide open.

"It's lovely! Hmm, it seems like a certain Champ wants to do something special here. Hey, Maxi, what do you say we give this a little push to work. And this goes out to the owner of our Pokemon Master's heart!"

" Nah, we better give it to Ash. I never thought you were like that, Bonnie, taking other people's stuff. What are you, 7?"

"Your nephew gave it to me when you were arguing with Gou!" she nagged him. " He told me, I' m cute, and by the way, aren't you supposed to watch him?"

"Yes of course, cutiiie..." He mocked imitating her and It dawned on him. "It can' t be, May is going to kill me. Hey, Zephyr!"

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"Serena!" May rushed to meet her friend, with an expression as if she wanted to ask her something. very urgently.

In the contest world, the two of them and Dawn of course shared the same passion. But what she wanted to say to her right there was something very serious. Serena was a little disappointed, but she was still happy to see her friend.

"Hey, Ash, I wanna talk to Serena about girl stuff, so you please?"

"Oh, yeah, sure." ash took two steps back. Giving the impression of wanting to run away immediately. The girls looked at him oddly.

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"You know who is meant for this Maxi, don't you?" looking at the trainer who just left the two friends to speak animatedly now with Professor Kukui and his family after serving punch to both girls. He really looked quite uneasy.

"Oh, of course I do. We all know that." he said with a smart-ass attitude. "But Bonnie better put that thing back. If Ash finds out we have his big surprise, he'll be pissed. Will you come with me to find Zephyr?"

"Lillie?!" unexpectedly cried excitedly Bonnie at the sight of the Alola's blonde. "Hey Lillie!.. She' s the one, she's perfect..." here" she handed Max the box and the note and left quickly in a yellow flash. "Lillie please, marry my brother!" she shouted excitedly.

"There he goes again." said Max sweatdropping.

"Stop it, Bonnie!" Clemont's voice was heard some distance away.

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"May, I haven't seen you for a long time. I'm sorry I didn't come to your wedding. Je suis desolée."

"Oh, not to worry. A queen is always busy. It's only natural." The brunette smiled to then get serious.

"Hey... Serena, Drew has some important news about what we talked about the other day and..."

No, I better tell him when this meeting is over. This is a happy occasion, and maybe Drew is just overreacting. Besides, as long as we stay as a group together we'll be safe from any possible threat."

"Here's" the little boy appeared with a flower, and gave it to Serena.

"How sweet!" said the mom and her friend in unison.

"You and I have something to do, little Hayden," mumbled Max, who as soon as he stepped out quickly took the child away.

"Max, what's wrong with you?" complained the brunette.

"Don't worry, May, he's his uncle and he loves him very much. About what you wanted to talk about avec moi, s'il vous plait, I need your number to get in contact and...mmm- this isn't my bag."

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Ash stood up. It was his last chance.

"Hey Ash, my boy!"

"Oh come on...It can't be." he sighed resignedly to face Professor Oak-, "Yes, tell me professor."

And he was taken away one more time.

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"Oh, Max and Zephyr, I'm so glad you showed up," said the owner of the piplup with relief.

The boy laughed nervously, hiding the little box from the girl who felt a little suspicious until Brock's voice directed at them, indicated that Ash's speech was about to come.

The coordinator realizing that the boy was with his uncle felt more relieved. So she left them there.

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"Did you put it in its place?" Max asked the boy as he looked out the window.

"Shue Uncle Mash...! Red Red Red Bag." The little boy walked happily, not knowing that even though he hadn't mistaken the color, something was going to happen.

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Ash being pushed into a small stand specially prepared for the Champion to begin his speech, had no choice but to climb up until he was in front of a small microphone and a glass of champagne.

Amidst the cheering of his squad of cheerleaders and the massive applause of his friends gathered together, he began his speech.

"Well friends, I am... I am very grateful to all of you for this reception and I am truly happy and honored by your presence. but now I want to..." he cleared his throat a little. " I have an important message to give you. It's something I promised myself to do a long time , friends, I'm a little nervous, I don't know how to express first if you'll excuse me for a second, I have to go for it..." he almost tripped over the microphone.

"Ah, I'll be right back, I... uh?"

"Where's Misty?" he asked, looking all over the place, "Neither is Mom.

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"Ash, tell us already," said Bonnie all excited and mischievous.

" Ah and how do you know?" Ash had expected everyone to be together. He couldn't see Misty anywhere.

"You kept it to yourself all this time. What a child!" replied Iris.

" Oh, how romantic." pronounced Lillie, Mallow and Lanna.

"Eh?" Ash had no idea.

And in that moment.

"Ash!" The girl from Kalos appeared, and on her neck she was wearing the...

But...

"Se- Serena?"

"...I'm so happy I never thought you'd ask."

" But what ...? said the trainer again when the girl ran to embrace him warmly.

"huh?"

Right then and there he spotted Misty with her mother. He saw the pair of earrings the girl was wearing.

Serena slowly released him and then Ash looked at the girl in front of him, who was blushing and with a sweet glow in her eyes. And she was wearing...

"One second... that's my... The coral necklace."

"Oh no... It can't be, no... No!"

"I don't know how to write this properly but you know, you know me too well. Everyone tells me I had to say it now and in truth everyone is right. I... I've always liked you..."

"It's not typical for me to know what to say, and I don't really know how to do this, whether I'm doing it right or I'm a disaster here but.

Just accept it, I wish it suits you."

Serena couldn't believe what she found in her purse. That adorable note along with a little box she kept such a beautiful gift. There was no argument, it was definitely Ash's handwriting. He had simply written what took him so much to put into words. But she would be brave, now that she was sure he felt the same way about her.

Yes, she would help him, now he understood everything, that's why he was so nervous. Therefore, in a gentle and tender way, she brought her face near his and kissed him sweetly.

"I love you Ash..." The girl from Kalos pronounced it at last and the whole group of friends, neighbors and even Ash's present rivals with the exception of Brock, Tracey and Lana all cheered for the scene.

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The ginger girl opened her eyes wide and then...

"Mrs. Ketchum, I have to go," she pretended to check her Pokénav. " There''s an emergency at my house and I need to..." she took two steps back.

"Misty!" At the sound of her mother's voice. Ash went cold.

The words of Serena and the look of Misty. Ash felt like his feet refused to respond his body, and Misty slowly turned around and left and... she went off.

"No, Misty, wait!" he screamed in his head.

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In the present time, Mrs. Ketchum's home phone began to ring.

"Mimmey, could you check the oven?"

"Mr. Mime!"

"Oh hello May, how are you? No, don't worry. It wasn't your fault. Don't be angry with the child."

"Yeah, my Ash did worse when he was four, so don't worry about it."

" We' ll work this out, you'll see.

"Goodbye, take care of yourself."

"I think it' s time for another visit to Cerulean."

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"I tried so many times to get that back, and she showed up wearing it and read the note too. How to tell Serena it wasn't meant for her and in front of everyone."

"What happened, Ash?" asked the Kalosian, who, though she was smiling, could imagine what in words Ash didn't have the courage to tell her.

"Serena, I need to talk to you."

The girl held her breath "Tell me..." She replied.

"I, Serena... the coral necklace..." he began.

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Hello to everyone following this story.
I know that we are in difficult times, and the least I wanna do is to burden you more than media do every day.
I hope this situation will soon pass.

Instead, I'd like to distract you all a little with these stories, which now because of the situation, I give myself time to continue with.
Take care of yourselves and people you love.