In Vermillion City a raven haired young man was busy packing his bags. Tossing in clothes in an unorderly fashion he didn't care his underwear got creased. His Pikachu looking on amused as always that his trainer was so excited even more than he usually is but with the advertisement sprawled over his bed there was all reason too.
His mother Delia Ketchum received an invitation for her son. A convention was to be held on a new cruise liner that would soon to be baptized the SS Shimmer. A state of the art cruise liner that's brand spanking new with all sorts of gizmo's and thingies that would soon be taken into service the entrance fee normally was the meant for the wealthiest of wealthy or high class trainers proven their worth.
Ash had fulfilled a condition to be allowed in. His Alola League win would allow him to get on but the entrance fee for the grand opening was something even most regional Champions like Cynthia and Alder were not allowed on. The fee was at least having one 'shiny' Pokémon in your possession so only the rarest Pokémon and avid collectors were allowed to attend the event. Some of his League battles displayed showed the committee and boss of the ship that Ash is the proud owner of an alternate colored Noctowl.
The owner of the SS Shimmer was a great admirer of alternate colored Pokémon himself. The excitement and prospects of seeing such special Pokémon all in one place Ash immediately started packing his bags putting his World Cup qualification on hold for a few days. Dreaming about meeting Lance and his red Gyarados again he might challenge him to a battle if he'd ever get the chance and the Kanto Champion agreed.
His mood contrasted that of his research partner at Cerise Institute.
"It's not fair!"
His roommate Goh at the Cerise laboratories complained that he didn't get to come with him sitting pouting on his bed while tearing his hair out. He was working on catching every Pokémon to work his way up to Mew and seeing all types of species he hasn't caught yet in alternate colors would've been an great learning opportunity if he was allowed to come.
"It's only a week long cruise. I'll be back before you know it!" Seeing his friend Goh down Ash tried to cheer him up.
"All because you caught an alternate colored Pokémon while I'm just starting. At least Professor Cerise is taking me to the Safari Park." Goh while pouting and displaying jealousy will be busy filling up his Pokedex. The Safari zone being home to a lot of rare Pokémon itself it will keep him somewhat occupied despite missing out on probably the largest collection of rare Pokémon ever assembled.
"Morning boys." A man with maroon hair and green eyes wearing a lab coat entered their bedroom. His glasses perched on the bridge of his nose he greeted the boys he normally send out for research purposes or solving a mystery.
"Morning Professor!"
"So Ash? Excited for the cruise?"
"You bet Professor! I just finished…" Stashing in his last piece of underwear into his travelling case the zipper wouldn't close. Sitting on the bag to press it down he yanked on the zipper till it was shut.
packing!" He victoriously proclaimed. With everything set he just needed one more thing from his research professor.
"I must say your Noctowl is quite a specimen. Seeing and studying an alternate colored Pokémon is pretty exciting." From his lab coat he pulled out a regular Pokeball and showed it to Ash. The study of the special Pokémon certainly kept him and his assistants glued with their attention and he was a little sad to see it go already.
"Here is his Pokeball." Ash took it from him and secured it on his belt. Placed next to his Gengar and newly hatched Riolu he made sure it was secure. The entry ticket and his plane ticket to the expo in his pocket he wasn't going to sleep in and miss out on such a special event.
"Make sure to snap a lot of photo's with your phone. I want to see as much Pokémon as possible in different colors."
"Will do Professor. A whole place full of alternate colored Pokémon. It's gonna be great!"
The yellow mouse squeaked with him happily sharing in excitement while his research partner was still down. Ash said his goodbyes and went straight to the Vermillion City harbor for the event of a lifetime.
"Do I have to be here Alfonzo?"
A long black haired young lady in a hotel in Vermillion City asked her aid. She wore a big sun hat and her outfit consisted of mostly purple with a dash of dark pink. Looking out the window she saw the harbor where she'd spend the next seven days on. The city was preparing for the grand opening and all sorts of press gathered in the city to make a report on the futuristic cruise liner that will have her first journey tomorrow.
Normally all other people were looking forward to it. The young woman had different idea's on the event itself seeing it as a waste of her time. A man dressed in a black suit with gloves and brown sleek hair wearing a monocle over his left eye served her tea.
"Your father said it be a good experience for you miss Amelia."
The young woman coming from Fluerrh City in Kalos she is a Pokémon Performer. Being quite famous in her hometown thanks to her notorious family and her ability in a wide variety of subjects with high grades to prove it a lot of people in her hometown thought they are living in the same town as the future Kalos Queen.
A Showcase in her hometown would've been the perfect place to earn her third Princess Key and qualify for the Master Class. But she was foiled by another girl who earned her third key instead.
Angry at the result she looked for the woman who trained Aria. The producer named Palermo is a former Kalos Queen herself and the instigator of a lot of successful careers. Her audition in her hometown failing to impress the old woman Amelia immediately searched her out after the Showcase and demanded to tell her why she lost.
If it was any consolation to her the one girl that beat her would eventually make it to the Master Class final and then also fall short to Aria. Amelia decided to keep out of competition until she had a clue what she was lacking. Improving her Performances even more till she reached the point of perfection she qualified for the Master Class second time round. Making it to the final she shared so many others fate losing to Aria as well.
After seeking out the producer over having improved and now that's worthy enough to be her student Palermo still refused to take her in. Enraged at being denied again the young girl silently stormed off before stepping into a limo that would take her home.
Being in some sort of a rut and stuck on what to do Amelia was afraid she reached her peak. That no matter what Pokémon, dance, routine or any other little thing she can get she'll never be better than the redhead she aspires to be.
Being the owner of an alternate colored Dragonair which she used for her Performances Amelia was invited for the grand opening among other collectors. Not in any mood to go her family forced her to go and see more of the world. While her thoughts on the only thing she will see while on it is salt water and lots of it.
Sitting cross-legged like a lady she sipped her tea. Setting the cup back down she kept looking at the folder in which the exposition was advertised along with her invitation. With her invitation came with a request to perform for the guests. It was a convention but also an opportunity for the guests to taste culture from a different region and get accustomed to new traits. She just finished up her practice with her Espeon and alternate colored Dragonair and was ready for tomorrow.
She didn't mind to show off her skills but she wished for a bigger audience. She'd gain nothing from dancing in such a small place needing to be better at Performances so she can become Kalos Queen. The butler of the house smiled showing curtesy. He understood the young lady's struggle but her father had commanded him to keep his daughter in good spirits until she stepped on the vessel.
"With such a gathering of rare species of Pokémon it might inspire you for your Performances as you will certainly do for the others."
"Thank you Alfonzo." Even with him being her subject she had a lot of respect for the man. Whenever her parents were dealing with business or other affairs the butler always made time to keep her happy. It was still his job to tend to her but she never gave him an order that degraded him or went against his principles. She loved him too much for it.
"It's for the business as well. A lot of your families notoriety comes from having great contacts. As the heir of the fortune this will be a good step in your development."
Apart from some things of course since he still worked for her parents. From how she heard these conventions actually went the most guests were people were either geeky collectors or people pretending to be of higher standard than they are. She figured she was the most well known person there apart from maybe Lance who was the Kanto Champion if he choose to attend.
"I did not become a Performer for his business." She sighed annoyed. Of course as heir certain expectations were set on her.
"And perhaps you'll find your future husband there." Setting her tea down dejected that her butler brought up the matter once more. The butler smiled at another proposition she might find on the ship.
"Not this again."
From her town pretty much every boy her age asked her out and it was tiring. As heir she will eventually gain access to the vast wealth her family gathered but only if she found a suitable husband which will support her in life and love. Her ambition to be the Kalos Queen more important than a relationship with any boy currently her mind was set to achieve it before going into dating.
"I wish to be left alone now." Amelia said to her faithful butler.
"Very well miss. Make sure to rise early. You have a busy day ahead." Leaving the young girl alone with her thought Amelia stood up and walked towards the window. Her reflection faint in it she saw her face and she knew it was doubt that it portrayed.
"What am I missing? Whatever it is I'm not going to find it on that ship. I wish this week was over already."
Not looking forward to the cruise and the socializing going on she just left to be alone with her thoughts or head home quickly convinced nothing out of the ordinary will happen to her while at the cruise as she prepared for her beauty sleep as she looked out the window at the setting sun over the water the SS Shimmer will depart off tomorrow.
Alternate color is such a hassle, their shiny from now on.
From characters people actually know to a forgotten character that only appeared in one episode but could be so much more and only has one story with her Ash to her name till now. Again let's see how well you guys like it and demand determines motivation.
I don't have anything against Serena at all and I'm a little Amour shipper myself. However she's sort of there at the start, not doing anything until she stumbled into being a performer on accident. I wouldn't have minded it like May that she eventually found out what she wanted to do but there's just one problem.
Fifty episodes was too much to find out and then you have to rush things to let her in the Master Class. Two losses in five to qualify just wasn't enough of a struggle and believable to what May and Dawn went through.
She never lost because she wasn't good enough but only through errors. It hurt the series a bit but its still between D&P and XY for best seasons overall for me.
Later.