Before you read this, those of you who have not (probably a small number), you should read Journey of a Pokemon Master by Heracross0122. They may not be the first to write about Serena traveling with Ash through Kanto and beyond, but they are a huge inspiration as to why I decided to write my own version.
Their story is great and it's further than this newly beginning story. Now, if you want to stick around and see my take on this concept, I welcome you. I even welcome you if you hate this story with a passion. Everyone is welcome to read this story, but if you want to flame anyone, do so to me. Please, do not hate on my Coauthor who mainly helps me nail down ideas.
Note: All characters in this story will come from pokemon sources such as the anime, games, manga, and beyond. If you do not recognize a character, I'd look them up. I guarantee you this story will not see an OC.
Coauthor: Nitro Zeus
Kanto: Pallet Town
In the small town of Pallet, within the region of Kanto, Pidgey's are chirping, the summer breeze is blowing, and the atmosphere is tranquil. This day, world renowned pokemon expert, Professor Samuel Oak, has started his yearly pokemon summer camp.
It is for children ages 4-7, and children from across Kanto have come to take part. It is a great way for young people to interact and learn about pokemon while having fun. From Pallet Town itself, there are five children enjoying said camp.
The first is Ash Ketchum who has messy raven-black hair, hazel brown eyes, a red and yellow sleeveless shirt, dark blue denim shorts that end above his knees, and dark green shoes with white socks. He is very energetic and brings a unique energy to anything he does.
The next child is one of the Ash's oldest friends, practically his brother, Michael Orre. He is a boy with spiky red hair, green eyes, and pale skin. He wears a black t-shirt, jean shorts, and brown shoes. He is energetic, bubbly, and an avid study of pokemon.
The third child is none other than Professor Oak's grandson, Gary Oak. Gary is a very arrogant child. He has auburn hair and black eyes. He is a very arrogant boy because of his grandfather's reputation. Then, there is Cross Halter who is good friends with Gary.
Like him, Cross is arrogant with the added caveat of valuing pokemon typically seen as strong. He has spiky orange hair and brown eyes. The final Pallet Town child is Serena Yvonne who recently moved here from the Kalos region.
When her mother heard about this camp, despite the little girl's pleas, she signed her up. Serena has long, honey blonde hair covered by a summer hat with a pink ribbon, sapphire blue eyes, and a light pink summer dress.
Professor Oak's Lab
At Oak's Pokemon Lab a group of adults and children were gathered before the Professor. Oak has slightly grey hair that sways off to one side, a red shirt visible under his white lab coat, and a black belt tied around his waist which holds up a pair of smart brown trousers. He stood on a sort of portable wooden stand with a male assistant dressed in typical research attire.
"Greetings." Oak stated. "This is our forty fifth year running the summer camp, and we hope this year will be as successful as the previous years. While you're here, you will have opportunities to interact with pokemon and prepare for life as a travelling trainer." This made the kids excited.
"Most of all, you are here to have fun. For today, the children will have the chance to play and interact with each other as well as the pokemon." Oak gave a signal for the assistant to start releasing pokemon. "Parents, feel free to stick around and make any queries you may have."
Oak stepped down, and a couple of the parents approached him while others decided to wait. Some just began to mingle amongst themselves while others decided to take their leave. The children gathered, in their own groups, around the assistant.
One by one, the assistant started releasing pokemon. There were more than enough for one pokemon per kid. Serena was not among the group of excited kids as she was terrified of the pokemon. As such, she had taken to standing by a tree far away from the action.
Michael noticed Serena standing by herself and walked over with the Growlithe he was given to play with. "Hey there!" Serena jumped as this boy approached her from behind. "I'm Michael." Michael extended his hand. "What's your name?"
Serena looked from him to the Growlithe with a rather timid expression. This Michael guy seemed nice; however, the pokemon, and her usual shyness, wasn't helping her in any regard. Still, her mother had taught her to be polite.
"I-I'm Serena." Serena stated with hesitation. "It's n-nice to meet you."
Michael frowned slightly at the hesitation, but that quickly dissipated. "So, why don't you have a pokemon Serena?" He crouched and patted Growlithe. "Professor Oak is an amazing man who never lets children around pokemon who aren't well trained."
Growlithe happily barked. Serena looked down at the puppy pokemon and had to admit that he was cute. Still, she ended up backing away. Growlithe took this as an invite to chase her and ended up jumping at the shy girl.
Serena hadn't been trying to initiate a chase, so she was knocked down. The puppy licked her with affection causing Michael to chuckle, but Serena was terrified. She quickly pulled herself up and bolted into a nearby forest while a couple of tears escaped her eyes.
With Ash
Ash was playing tag with a Pikachu he knew ever since meeting him in the forest. Since he was too young to catch him, Professor Oak offered to do it for him. The professor told the boy that he could set out with Pikachu when the time came and play with him whenever he wanted.
Soon, a snide voice drew their attention. "Still playing those little games, Ashy-Boy."
Ash turned to see Gary, and Pikachu looked annoyed as he was aware who this boy was. "Gary."
"The one and only." Gary replied with arrogance.
"What do you want?" Ash asked.
"Just seeing what you're up to." Gary gave what seemed to be a genuine smile. "After all, you'll never make it as a trainer, so playing games is perfect for you."
His smile turned into a smirk.
"You know what Gary, we'll see who's the better trainer when we face each other in the Pokemon League." Ash retorted. "Pikachu and I will defeat you no problem."
"We'll see about that." Gary turned to his side. "Even if you make it that far, you'll just loose to me or Cross."
Gary then laughed and walked away. Ash grunted before turning to Pikachu, and they continued their game in high spirits. The mouse Pokémon soon ran into a nearby forest with Ash following him.
With Oak
After a few of the adults concluded their talk with Professor Oak, a woman approached him. She has medium length brown hair with a yellow hair clip, a short sleeve dark blue t-shirt, and a pale green jumpsuit tied around her waist.
"Hello Professor." The women stated getting his attention. "My name is Grace. Grace Yvonne."
She offered her hand and Oak happily shook it. "Ah yes, Ms Yvonne." Oak replied with a friendly smile. "If I'm not mistaken, you and your daughter are new arrivals in town." He nodded. "I am pleased you so quickly signed up for my camp."
"That's right." Grace stated. "I thought it was the perfect chance for my daughter to make some friends. She's quite the shy child."
"I see." Oak nodded. "Well, she should have no trouble making friends as we have quite a few good eggs." He began pointing out children. "Just to name a few: there's Gary, he's my grandson, Michael Orre, Cross Halter, and Ash Ketchum… where is Ash?"
Oak couldn't spot the boy and Grace realized she couldn't see her daughter either. "Professor, I can't see my Serena."
"Don't panic Ms. Yvonne." Oak reassured. "Ash is one of the nicest kids I've ever met. I'm sure if they're together, Serena will be fine."
Grace smiled. Although it wasn't confirmed, there was a good chance Serena was with this Ash. If what the Professor said about him was true, her daughter should be fine, right?
The Forest
Serena stopped running from the incident with the Growlithe, but she was now terrified because she was lost in a strange forest. "I knew I shouldn't have come to camp." Brush nearby began to rustle causing Serena to trip and hurt her knee. "Mommy!"
Suddenly, Pikachu came out of the brush startling the young girl and making her cry as it ran off. Then, the brush started moving again. Serena couldn't escape in her current state, so she held her breath only for a head of messy, black hair to come out.
It was Ash. "Pikachu, where did you go?" He left the brush and noticed Serena crying on the ground. "Hey, what's up? Why are you crying?"
"I hurt my knee." Serena replied in sobs.
"No need to worry." Ash replied as he came over while pulling out a handkerchief and tying it around her injury. "By the way, I'm Ash."
"I'm… Serena." Serena replied while trying to calm down.
"Nice to meet you, Serena." Ash greeted with a friendly smile.
Serena smiled as she looked at this boy before feeling another rush of pain. "It still hurts."
"That's ok. Watch this." Ash waved his hands over her injury. "Feel better. Feel better. Right away."
Serena couldn't help but giggle. There was still pain, but it was much easier to ignore with someone as silly as Ash around. She also found it sweet that this boy was going the extra mile for her.
"How's your leg now?" Ash asked while standing up. "Can you stand?"
Serena tried to push herself up, but that only caused her more pain. "N-no. It hurts too much."
"Hey, don't give up until it's over, okay?" Ash replied before holding out his hand.
Serena saw the gesture, and slowly put her hand out about a quarter of the way. Ash noticed her hesitation, so he met her the rest of the way before helping the girl up. He pulled a little too hard causing Serena to fall onto him like it was a hug.
"See, you're up." Ash flashed her a grin. "Now, let's get back to camp. The nurse can check your knee, and I'll introduce you to my friends."
Lab
Ash led Serena out of the forest and into the lab while the girl was staring at him. "Ash, you're truly the nicest, kindest, and sweetest boy I've ever met. When I was scared and alone, you stopped whatever you were doing, without being asked, to make sure I was ok."
"Alright Serena…" Ash stopped and let go of her hand before the nurse's office. "…we're here."
Serena was brought back to reality, but before she could speak, a friendly looking nurse came to the doorway. "Why, hello Ash." The nurse knew most returning campers by name. "Who do we have here?"
"Hello Nurse Joy." Ash greeted. "This is Serena. She hurt her knee, so I brought her here."
"I see." Nurse Joy approached the shy girl and knelt at her level. "Let's take a look, shall we?"
Serena was always timid around strangers, so she shied away from the nurse.
"Don't worry Serena." Ash had realized this and gave his new friend a reassuring smile. "Nurse Joy will fix you up. Then, I can introduce you to my friends."
Seeing as Ash seemed to trust this woman, Serena turned her attention towards the nurse and gave her a nod. Nurse Joy smiled at this and stood before leading Serena into her office.
Serena looked back at the boy who gave her a thumbs up. "Don't worry Serena. Nurse Joy will fix you up, and once she's done, we can play together."
Serena smiled as her heart seemed to flutter. She didn't know why, but the promise to spend time with Ash made this experience worth it.
Nurse Joy noticed this with a smile. "Ah, young love."
"Now, I should find Pikachu." Ash thought. "Hopefully, the little guy isn't lost in the woods. Even though I had a good reason not to look for him in the moment, I'd feel bad if anything happened to him."
Professor Oak's Lab
Ash walked through the professor's lab, towards the door outside, when the door nearby opened. Professor Oak walked in with Pikachu in his arms, and he was accompanied by a woman who seemed to be around his mother's age.
"Ash, my boy." The professor greeted.
"Professor and Pikachu!" Ash happily exclaimed as he ran up to them. "I'm so glad he's safe!"
"Would you like to tell me why one of the camp monitors found Pikachu wondering around the nearby forest?" Oak asked with a serious tone.
"Oh." Ash nervously laughed as he scratched the back of his head. "Pikachu and I were playing tag and ended up running into the forest. While I was chasing him, I saw this girl had hurt her knee, so I helped her.
At the time, I didn't see Pikachu nearby, and I thought it was more important to help the girl. I brought her to the Nurse's office and was just about to go out to find Pikachu." He approached the mouse pokemon. "I'm sorry for abandoning you Pikachu."
Ash bowed his head to the pokemon who merely smiled in response and jumped into Ash's arms. The boy smiled since he would have hated to upset one of his best friends. Since the pokemon seemed to hold no malice over Ash's decision, Professor Oak wouldn't either.
"With that out of the way, would you mind telling me who the girl you helped is?" Oak asked.
"Of course, professor." Ash nodded. "She said her name was Serena. She had this accent I've never heard before and wore a straw hat."
Grace let out a breath of relief since it just had to be her daughter. "Thank Arceus."
"So, professor, would it be alright if I go now?" Ash asked. "I'd like to keep playing with Pikachu."
"I don't see a problem with that; however, you need to stay safe and keep where people can see you."
Ash nodded with a grin. "I understand professor!"
Pikachu jumped out of the boy's arms and ran off prompting him to give chase.
Outside
Ash and Pikachu were running around the ranch, but they kept away from the forest this time. While he was playing, the boy failed to notice Michael approaching him from behind.
"Hey Ash!" Michael exclaimed causing the boy to jump. "Where you been?"
Once Ash realized he'd been spoked by his friend, he grinned.
Before he could speak, Cross spoke up. "He was probably off playing with any old pokemon." The boy had his arms crossed. "Honestly, if you don't become even a little more selective, I fear any battle we have in the future will be too easy."
Michael just rolled his eyes like he tended to do with Gary and Cross. The guy was fine with them, but those two could be real braggarts at times.
"Actually, I was making a new friend Cross." Ash crossed his arms and turned away from him. "You and Gary should try it some time."
Cross grunted before walking away.
"Well done." Michael was beaming with pride. "Usually, you don't have a comeback when Cross or Gary get like that. Now, who's this new friend you made?"
"Her name is Serena." Ash replied. "Pikachu, and I were playing tag in the forest when I found her with an injured knee. I helped her to the nurse and told her that when she's done, we can play together."
"Serena?" Michael questioned. "What was she wearing?"
"A pink dress and straw hat." Ash replied. "Did you see her or something?"
"I did." Michael nodded. "I tried to talk with her, but she was so shy. Then, Growlithe jumped on her, and she ran away."
"Well, I told her I'd introduce her to my friends when she was done." Ash explained with a smile. "We might as well stick together, so you can meet her properly."
Michael smiled since he liked making new friends. "Sure Ash." He then stepped closer to him "TAG!" He put a hand on his friend's chest and took off. "You're it!"
Growlithe and Pikachu each ran in separate directions which caused Ash to smile. "Hey!" He cried out with a smile as he ran after them. "No fair!"
Nurse's Office
Serena sat by the window waiting for Nurse joy to finish wrapping a bandage around her knee. The nurse had already removed Ash's handkerchief and left it next to the girl. Serena grabbed the handkerchief and held it against her chest, above her heart, while she looked out the window.
"Okay, Serena." Nurse Joy spoke drawing her attention. "You should be good now; however, I'd be careful the next few days just in case."
Serena simply nodded.
Outside
As Serena left the nurse's office, she ended up bumping into Cross who was unprepared. As a result, the boy ended up falling on his butt.
"Oh, I'm sorry!" Serena quickly stated. "I didn't…"
Cross glared at her and stood up. "You should watch where you're going girl." He stormed off feeling rather angry at being made to look weak. "I was walking here."
Serena was taken back by how serious that kid sounded. In an effort not to run into him again, she walked in the opposite direction hoping Ash was that way.
"That kid was kind of scary." Serena thought.
Over with Ash's Group
Ash and Michael were being chased by Pikachu, but they came to a sudden stop when Growlithe started barking. The two children looked and saw Serena coming towards them.
"There she is." Ash stated. "Hey Serena, come meet my best buds!"
At the sound of his voice, Serena's heart started pounding. "Hey Ash!"
Once they were together, Ash went about introducing Michael and the pokemon. Initially, Serena was terrified, but Ash managed to reassure her. Due to her knee injury, the blond couldn't play tag. As such, they decided to go to a nearby tree and sat down to chat.
In the Distance
Grace watched her daughter from afar. She was initially worried Serena would be too shy and end up avoiding people. Amazingly, she made a friend, and he was introducing her to others. Grace smiled as the three kids sat together.
With Ash's Group
As the kids were getting to know each other, Gary approached them. "Well. Well. Well. Looks like Ashy-boy got all tuckered out. If you spent all your energy playing, you'll never be a great trainer like me."
Ash jumped to his feet and came to stand before the Professor's grandson. While Ash confronted his old rival, Serena moved closer to Michael. She wanted answers and figured this guy could provide them.
"Hey." Serena whispered as the boys started bickering. "Who's that?"
"Gary Oak." Michael replied. "He and Ash are always going at it. Gary's really arrogant and they think of each other as rivals." The two boys jumped at each other and started brawling. "Guess that's my cue."
Michael stood up and approached the boys. Without hesitation, he grabbed them by their ears and pulled them apart causing them to cry in pain.
"You two know the drill. Tell me you'll be good, and I'll release you." Micael asked with a smile; however, the boys said nothing. "I can't hear you!"
"I'll be good!" Ash shouted.
Michael released his friend, but Gary refused to speak prompting him to tighten his grip.
Gary couldn't take it anymore. "I'll be good!" Michael let him go. "Annoying guy."
Gary stormed off. Once he was gone, Ash and Michael explained what the Pallet group was like to Serena. How they are practically siblings, Gary and Ash are at each other's throats, and mentioned Cross was antagonistic to them.
With introductions out of the way, camp continued over the course of three weeks. Serena became fast friends with Ash and Michael, spent a little time with Gary, and did her best to avoid Cross. She did not want a repeat of their earlier situation.
Those three weeks were some of the best Serena had. While she found a couple of steadfast friends, her mother got to know Delia and Lily (Ash and Michael's mothers). They to became fast friends.
Serena eventually talked to her mother about her weird feelings around Ash. Grace knew her daughter had a crush, and wasted little time teasing her about it. Time wore on, and soon their pokemon journey would begin.
I will prove my point I made above by pointing out that Michael Orre is a character from Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness. His name is Michael, and his game is set in the Orre region hence why I decided to name him Michael Orre. His mother had a brief mention in this chapter, and Wes from Pokemon Coliseum will have his own mention as well next chapter. I think fans of him may like where I've decided to place him within Kanto.
