The hidden secrets of Battle Bond
Chapter 18, Real date in Coumarine
With Nina and Madeleine as singers among each other polishing the younger ones talent Ash and Serena had gone out into town for her photoshoot. This was planned for the longest time and finally Serena would fulfill the contract she signed with the magazine that hired her for the shoot. But before they'd go to Serena's appointment they would make a quick stop over to one of Madeleine's old friends.
Serena had intentions to learn to play the Pokeflute. Madeleine saying she can teach it as long as she got a instrument to call her own. The two went into Coumarine City to the shopping part of town. As much as Serena would've liked to spend the rest of the day with Ash here duty called.
As they entered the wood workshop the displays were filled with all sorts of wooden sculptures, from a tiny Joltik to an exact scale copy of the tree in the middle of the city the detail among them was perfect. An old man stood behind the counter watching the youngsters go through his and staff creations. Having seen enough for now the two went to the counter with the old clerk greeting them.
"Welcome to Coumarine Carvers. You got wood, we carve it into any shape you want. How can I help you two?"
"Madeleine send us here. She said you can help me get a Pokeflute." The Kalos Queen referencing the expert singer the old man knew the special deal but still surprised at the request.
"Another one? I thought she only needed one for the foreseeable future. I finished making it a while back and waited for a girl with long silver hair to pick it up but she hasn't come here yet."
"That's Nina. She's a friend and with Madeleine right now practicing her singing." Ash told the owner about his partner.
"Must be some girl. She made her order very specific unlike most other flutes she's ordered before. Special paint and everything." The owner told them piking their interest.
"Can we see the Pokeflute made for her?"
"Of course." The owner took a box from beneath the counter and put it on the desk.
He opened up the box revealing the instrument. Like flutes they've seen before it looked like the long object was pushed through a Pokeball.
"Is that a Dive Ball?" Ash recognized the painting on the ball.
"It is. Normally I paint them red and white as the regular tradition goes but she really wanted me to make it one of a kind." Only instead of the normal red and white sphere this one was different being multiple colors of blue and white making it a customized flute.
"It's cute." Serena had her eyes on it. Maybe she can get a customized one as well that will fit with her Performance dresses and that it did not stick out to her outfits.
"Can I ask you something?"
"Customer is king. Or queen in your case." The owner joked knowing all too well who she is. Serena took off her bag and searched for something in it. Finding it she pulled out the choker of her Performance outfit in which she incorporated the Love Ball Ash gave her.
"Can you make the Pokeball on my flute like this Love Ball?" Serena requesting an adjustment of her own.
"I got to call Madeleine first. When she sends someone to me to get a flute I put it on her tab. I can't just make them all that special like the one for your silver haired friend and it will cost extra due to the materials used."
The owner told her. Serena understood and was ready to pull out her wallet for the difference.
"I'll pay for the difference." Ash said beating her to it.
"Ash?" She looked at him.
"Madeleine can pay for the normal flute. I'll pay the difference for you to do it in the way Serena wants." A small little gift for what she did for him it certainly was something he can use to make her happy.
"You sure son?" The owner warned him a paint job like hers is going too cost a little more than he might expect. Ash had his mind made up.
"She's worth it." Hearing him say it Serena's heart beat a whole lot faster. The owner wrote down their order for9 crafting the instrument and presented the boy with the Pikachu the bill.
"I'll start working on your flute. Come back tomorrow and the paint on it should dry out by then."
"Thank you sir. Good luck making it." The pair wished him the best and a nice day as they left the store.
"Ash?" Serena stopped Ash from walking.
"Yes?"
"You're so sweet. Thank you." She said with a gigantic smile on her face. She would like to bring it along with her as her pictures were going to be taken for the shoot.
"Shoot!" Serena looked at the time on her pocketbook and started running. It being later than she expected she had to hurry if she wasn't going to be late again.
After having her pictures were taken in the bay with the city lighthouse as backdrop the photographer was satisfied with his shots. Ash and Serena were now at a little café filling up on a bit of food and drinks. Or in Ash his case a lot. Ash had a few questions for Serena since he wasn't well known with her duties as Kalos Queen besides Showcases. Sure they talked a lot about on their journey to stop Team Union but being in person was a different matter.
"You do like to model huh?" He reminded himself of when he saw her again for the first time in five years. On the walkway of Valerie in Laverre City modelling a princess dress that in hindsight looked better on her then he first thought.
"People keep asking me for it. Even before I became Queen they always invited me over."
"You always had a hang for it. Ever since the first time in Laverre City when Valerie asked you. You're a natural and you're pretty so it's not a miracle they keep asking you."
"Pretty?" Serena a little flustered he called her like that in public. Seeing her reaction Ash realized what he said.
"I guess I said it…" He wasn't lying. Serena is incredibly easy on the eyes. There are worse things to look at but she did not fit that category.
"Do you regret it?" She asked.
"Not at all."
"I always thought you were handsome."
Coming clean about his looks to her it was his kindness that attracted her to him in the first place. That he was a looker of a guy is a bonus but never the primary thing. During her modelling jobs some male models tried to ask her out but she always denied them the honor.
"At least if this works out we're both at least good looking." Ash smiled. Even if he is inexperienced a physical attraction can be an important part of the relationship. He noticed her smile faltered just a little and asked her what's wrong.
"If…you said if…" Serena said with a hint of doubt. Sure the dating thing has being going brilliant so far but she can't help but wonder getting a bit impatient.
"What type of if? If we come together or if we actually are right now?" It started to make him think. Ash knew what she was after.
"I mean…we're dating…" Even as dense as he is he can't deny it. This taking Serena out by herself to be alone with her has slowly been turning into a regular occurrence which he began to like.
"and after today I want to ask you out again. I'm just having too much fun when we're alone."
"I'm having fun too. A lot more than I thought I would."
"Doesn't kind of make us a couple already? Is it really that simple? Am I overthinking this?"
Ash laid down the million dollar question. Inexperience or not there just is something about her that made her different from all other girls he ever met.
"So…are we a couple?" She did not want to say it. It had to come from him and be mutual.
"Come on Serena. Help me out here. I'm new to this. How will I know I'll do the right thing? There are so many different romances I've read about I don't know how ours will…" Putting a finger on his lips to hush him. Just by doing it Serena had his full attention.
"Don't worry. We'll discover what's right for us at our own pace." She pulled her finger away from his lips.
"Don't you two seem a bit close to be just friends though?" Their moment got interrupted by an old acquaintance. Her short layered dark blue hair combined with her brown eyes and a large teasing smirk Serena identified her.
"Miette!?"
"You two certainly drawn a crowd. How about you finish this somewhere more private while I watch?"
The two were embarrassed. Only now they noticed a large part of the café and passerby's stopped moving to see how it would play out between them. The crowds were starting to gossip about the Kalos Queen and male across the table reigniting rumors that the Performer finally found a companion after so many rejections aimed to other people.
Ash, Serena and Miette left the café. Miette invited them over to the hotel she's staying at with her boyfriend Jean. He currently was getting some supplies to cook on the road as he and Miette still were on their journey to taste the multiple cuisines and tastes Kalos had to offer. Arriving at the hotel they sat in the main room as Miette sat on the bed and explained why she sought the pair out.
"It's been a while since I've seen you and just wanted to check out how you've been. Incredibly well it seems." Teasing them about their little bonding time in the café as Serena finally seemed to have made her move.
"How did you find us?" Ash asked Miette.
"Shauna told me Serena's schedule. She said you were going here for a photoshoot and a friend that you've been travelling with who's taking singing classes right now somewhere."
Right afterwards Jean stepped in the room carrying a large amount of bags.
"I'm back. Did you…Ash? Serena?" A bit stunned to see the two in his room they seemed to be doing well. Miette's boyfriend set the bags down and went to talk to the ones he owed an apology too.
"Hi Jean. How's life been treating you?"
"Tasteful. But I have to offer an apology first." He felt guilty ever since the truth about the Juice Shoppe promotion came out and the one that stood in his way of the secret potion was a Team Union knight.
"If I known that promotion at the Juice Shoppe was fake, I never would've asked you to go there. I'm sorry for endangering you and your friends."
"It's ok. I had to battle her sooner or later though." Ash told him as Lurline's Team Union connection turning out to be the least of his problems.
"Oh yeah!" Miette forgetting all about that at the sight of them being so intimate.
"Congratulations on beating the leader!"
"Thanks you two."
"So what brings you here besides a visit? Advertising for your bakery again?" Serena knew that Miette had her own bakery in Santalune City but left the store to promote and give out free samples to the inhabitants of other towns to increase business.
"A double date with you and Ash."
"Miette." Jean loved her but his girlfriend can be a bit noisy about these things.
"Sorry. You just have no idea how long I've been waiting for her to make a move." Before getting to why she truly was here with Jean.
"I'm sure you know of it but have you heard about Palermo's latest project?"
"The defense force she wants to set up? Ash got an invitation for it." Serena told Miette and Jean well aware of the team her teacher wants to set up.
"Did you say yes?" Jean asked Ash as the more he heard from him the more power he seemed to possess.
"I said no. I got something else I need to do first before I do commit to something."
"A shame. You can be some real muscle for them." Miette said.
"She's currently recruiting and an occupation for chef opened up. With three facilities there will be lots of mouths to feed and she's asking for a chef that can cook up a lot of food in no time at a minute's notice."
"I thought you wanted your own restaurant." Serena said.
"It's volunteers work. And if something happens I can learn how to deal with the stress in the kitchen."
"Good luck Jean. I tasted your food before and you'll do just great." Serena fully confident in Jean's abilities wished him all the luck in the world.
"So…are you two dating or not?" Miette egged the both of them on. This was not a conversation they wanted to have in person in front of anyone.
"Look at the time! We gotta go or else Nina and Madeleine might get worried." Serena said as Ash got up immediately and pulled her out of the room.
"Call me when he gives you your first kiss!" Miette waved them goodbye. Quite an inappropriate farewell but she'll just have to call Serena later and get more out of her.
Ash and Serena both walked back to Madeleine's house on the hill. It was quite a day for the duo and they were spend. They just enjoyed each others company in silence not continuing their talk before they were interrupted by Miette.
"This is nice. Being with you worrying about nothing. It's nice." Even if he has the threat of It looming over him Serena pulled away his attention from it. The Performer just had this soothing effect on him and if it wasn't for her joining in when he tried to find the GS Ball Ash probably would have turned Kalos upside down to find it.
"It is." From the hillsides they had s clear view over both parts of the city but their sight was drawn in by a particular landmark.
"The Pledging Tree. It still looks healthy." Ash was glad it still was in one piece. The population along with Ramos really took care of it in between the gift giving festivals.
"It's where you gave me the ribbon." Serena remembered fondly keeping it as a good luck charm in her bag.
"And today you've given me another present." The Pokeflute not finished yet to her specification she had to wait a day but it would sure be worth it.
"Like I said before you deserve it." Serena stopped walking making him stop walking too.
"Ash? You trust me right?" He nodded yes blindly.
"Close your eyes. I got a surprise for you too." Obediently he did so. His brown orbs hidden behind his eyelids she can do anything to him.
After today she felt incredibly daring. Getting closer and closer to what she truly desired from him today she felt a shift unlike before. Coming clean with her feelings was a weight of her shoulders. Being a lot more open her heart slammed against her chest as she leaned forward.
Pikachu watched on from Ash's shoulder. Its beady eyes only grew bigger as he came to the realization she was about to lay her claim on his trainer like he would a mate. He leaned off the side just a little not to fall off Ash's shoulder as he wanted a front row seat.
"Soft." Ash felt something soft touch his cheek yet warm. A kind of strawberry smell mixed with lavender entered his nostrils and started to enhance his senses. The feeling was unknown and strangely comforting. He made the association to it with an event in his childhood whenever his mother read him a bedtime story and tucked him always wishing him goodnight with a…
"WAIT!? Serena is kissing me!?"
Bit of a cliffhanger.
See you around.