Serena's abrupt entrance into the gym was without ceremony as she glanced around the deserted room. She saw no trace of Ash anywhere. Was he even here? Or maybe she was wrong about him coming to challenge the Gym Leader.
"This is really getting old," a flustered Miette huffed as she came in, slightly out of breath. "Will you at least tell me what this is about?"
"Ehh, sorry," Serena said sheepishly. "I just... I thought I saw an old friend come in."
Miette quirked an eyebrow. "An old friend?"
"Yes, he... I thought he came here in the gym but there's nobody around."
"And did you try that?" She pointed to the opening in the floor that fed to the level below. Miette continued at Serena's puzzled gaze. "The Lumiose gym is actually underground. If your friend came in to challenge the leader, that's probably where he is."
Serena glanced again at the hole, stepping closer and peering over it. True enough, the pole suspended from the ceiling led to a corridor below.
"Come on, let's get going before you get an aneurysm or something," Miette said dryly. She promptly jumped into the pole and slid down to the lower level, looking pointedly at Serena. With a sigh, the honey blonde took a deep breath and followed suit.
They walked the narrow hallway and sure enough, they came across the stage where battles would take place. The two girls barely registered the awe at seeing the massive, complex structure built and instead their attention was commanded by the event taking place in the battlefield. Already the Pokemon battle was underway. On one end, a woman who could only be the leader, calling out orders to a small, rotund Pokemon with spindly legs. On the opposite side, a young boy, fists clenched and his face a mask of focus as he directed a Koffing.
"Is that your friend?" Miette asked and Serena nodded enthusiastically.
"His name's Ash."
For a few moments, neither Ash nor Viola moved to issue any orders to their Pokemon, waiting to see who would strike first. Froakie's body tensed, ready to spring into action at Ash's command and Vivillon hovered, its wings beating steadily as it waited for its trainer to do the same.
"Froakie, start us off with Water Pulse," Ash ordered. Truth be told, he didn't count on the attack to actually hit its target as Vivillon could very well see it coming, but spurring the Bug/Flying type into action would be good to get an understanding of its tactics.
Froakie followed his command, conjuring a sphere of water and hurling it at Vivillon. Now to see how Viola would react.
"Dodge and use Signal Beam!" Vivillon did as ordered and fired off its attack, but Froakie managed to dodge it as well.
Ash considered his next move. Flying types could be tricky in that they were generally agile and naturally fought at a distance. This made them very adept at evading attacks from ground based Pokemon such as Froakie. If Ash wanted to win this, then Froakie would have to get close enough to score a direct hit, or attack while Vivillon couldn't dodge.
"Use Quick Attack!"
"Endure it!" Viola called out and sure enough, Froakie's attack struck true, but Vivillon braced itself, enduring the hit. "Good. Now use Signal Beam!" Ash gritted his teeth as he saw his error in judgment. With Vivillon having anticipated and endure Froakie's attack, the frog Pokemon had been left wide open as he fell back down to the ice.
Vivillon's Signal Beam hit hard, sending Froakie crashing down in a cloud of ice and dust.
"Froakie, are you okay?" Ash asked desperately but to his relief, Froakie emerged, standing strong but clearly having felt that hit.
Froakie huffed, more in annoyance than anything and nodded, staring guardedly at Vivillon. No matter. As a seasoned trainer Ash had faced many a flying opponent in the past. All one had to do was breach the distance between them and though Froakie's movepool was still limited, Ash was confident his Pokemon would triumph.
"Use Bubble all around. Keep Vivillon from attacking."
Froakie spread its bubbles in a wide arc and just as Ash had hoped, Vivillon had to weave and dodge to keep from being hit. Now to wait for the opportune moment.
"Quick Attack. Go!"
One of the Bubbles managed to clip Vivillon's wing, sending it into a bit of a spiral as it regained its balance and Froakie capitalized on this. His attack hit point blank and Vivillon faltered even more, erratically flapping its wings as it tried to keep midair.
"Follow it up with Water Pulse!"
Viola grit her teeth as Vivillon was sent crashing under the attack. But as a well trained Pokemon, Vivillon shook off its disorientation and quickly recovered, flapping its wings to shake off the water droplets that still clung to it and took to the air again.
The Gym leader appraised her opponent and his Pokemon. The boy had been a mite more skilled than she expected, but now she readied to play the trump card that had been many a rookie's downfall. Then again, this kid was clearly no rookie.
She gave the command and Vivillon's wings beat furiously, creating a Whirlwind that caught Froakie off guard. Ash yelled over the harsh winds, urging Froakie to hold on. The Pokemon did its best but under Vivillon's tried and true method, it stood no chance. The Frog Pokemon lost his grip and was sent hurtling away, giving Vivillon its own opportunity to counterattack. While Froakie was dazed, Vivillon hit it with a well placed Signal Beam.
Ash's mind worked frantically as he tried to devise a way to turn the tables on Viola and her Pokemon. That Vivillon was well trained and Froakie couldn't take another hit like that. His opponent had clearly earned her place as a Gym Leader and would not fall for the same trick twice. He needed to search for an opening and fast, lest Froakie lose his first Gym battle.
His hands clenched as a sharp spike of anger shot through him. Once... just once I would like to win my first Gym badge on my first try. Kanto, Hoenn, Sinnoh and Unova. Four regions, four starting Gym badges and in all of them he'd lost. He should have been a seasoned trainer at this point, he'd seen, battled and trained so many different types of Pokemon that this first Gym should be a cakewalk.
Sure, he managed to beat Falkner on his first try, but he also had a powerful Charizard to fall on. Was he simply not strong enough that he needed a fully evolved Pokemon to win?
No. Not today, not now and not here!
"Vivillon, let's wrap this up. Whirlwind once more!"
"Froakie, use your frubbles to hang on!"
Vivillon's powerful gusts of wind swept through the battlefield with frightening force and Ash himself was nearly knocked over by their sheer strength. He placed a hand on his brow to protect his eyes from the stinging winds, yet a broad grin could easily be made out on his face.
Froakie lay atop a thick padding of his frubbles, using his fingers and toes to dig in. Vivillon's wings still beat furiously and Ash could see the Pokemon's stamina dwindling. Despite its best efforts, Froakie's frubbles and he himself remained rooted to the ground.
The strain proved to be too much for Vivillon and as soon as the strong gales receded, Ash and Froakie jumped into action.
Ash gave the command and Froakie summoned a powerful burst of Water Pulse. The attack homed in quickly on Vivillon, who despite Viola's frantic orders, was too winded to do anything but hover in place, panting in exertion.
"All right!" Ash cheered, pumping his fist in victory as Vivillon went down hard, out for the count. Froakie slumped, the battle having clearly taken its toll on him. Ash hurried over, taking the Frog Pokemon in his arms. Despite the fatigue, Froakie returned Ash's jubilant smile with his smaller, but no less pleased one. It was a victory hard fought for and well earned. After congratulating his Pokemon, Ash returned Froakie and he saw Viola do the same, whispering some comforting words to Vivillon.
"Well done Ash," Viola said, fondly smiling at the trainer. "It's been a while since I've had such a close match." She pulled from her fanny pack a badge and recited what sounded like a rehearsed mantra. "And as the Gym Leader of Santalune city, it gives me great pleasure to award you with this. The Bug Badge."
Awesome, thought Ash as Viola handed him a shiny new badge. Six times now he'd been in this position. Six times had he defeated the first gym of a region and every single time did he feel that same rush. With this victory, the aspiring Pokemon master had just taken his first step into becoming the champion of the Kalos League.
Viola tilted her head, looking over Ash's shoulder. "It seems we have an audience."
Ash turned and true enough, it seemed he'd been so caught up in his match he'd failed to notice the newcomers.
"Welcome to the Santalune city gym," Viola said pleasantly. "Are you looking for a match as well?"
Ash regarded the duo with curiosity. Two girls, the first of whom answered Viola's query. The other hung back, guardedly staring at Ash. She quickly looked away once she caught his eye.
"Just watching," the blunette girl said. "It was a really good match. Both your Pokemon put up quite a fight."
Viola took the compliment in stride. "Just another day on the job," she said loftily. Ash smiled and nodded politely. He saw the blue haired girl gave her companion a brief, pointed look, jerking her head in his direction.
"By the way, Serena here has something of yours." She promptly half dragged the other girl—Serena—forward by the arm.
Serena took a sharp intake of breath, as if to steady herself and presented Ash with... his hat.
"This fell off your head during the battle."
Ash blinked, barely registering the fact his hand now ran through his hat-less head. "I guess it did," he chuckled sheepishly. "Thanks," he said and took it back, propping it on its rightful place above his head.
Serena giggled and offered a bright smile. "You're welcome." Her hand fidgeted with a stray lock of her hair, watching Ash expectantly.
"Thanks again for the match, Viola. Your Pokemon are really strong. I gotta go and get Froakie and Koffing to the Pokemon center so they can rest," said Ash as he departed. "Oh, and nice to meet you," he waved to Serena and her friend before taking off.
After nurse Joy cheerfully took his Pokemon to be healed, Ash decided to go for a stroll through Santalune city. He couldn't help but marvel at the historic atmosphere of the city. True, the regions he'd visited through the world had their share of history and historical monuments, yet everywhere he'd gone to in Kalos—which admittedly wasn't a lot—the cities seemed to exude a historical presence.
And the food was another thing entirely. If there was one thing he'd known about the Kalosians it was that they took their food seriously. Even the movable carts peddled by street vendors released a complex and delicious mix of aromas.
He'd walked up to a pleasant, gangly vendor to purchase what was called a crepe and fell in love instantly, as did Pikachu. Together they'd both inhaled well over half a dozen with various fillings—strawberries and cream, caramelized peaches, spinach and mushrooms and chocolate walnut.
From another he tried a simple yet stunning concoction of buttered bread, lightly toasted and dripping in a luscious white cheese, topped with paper thin slices of meat. Then there were golden brown eclairs, stuffed pastries, various bits of meat on a stick roasted over coals and a juice stand selling drinks made from seasonal berries. Truly Kalos was a wonderland for the senses.
He decided to buy the remaining of his Pokemon some treats as well and after that he made his way back to the Pokemon center. Nice as the city was, at this point he'd rather go and leave. He wanted to give his Pokemon some fresh air, to let them all out at the same time and doing so in the middle of a city was a bad idea.
Though his Pokemon were not bad by any means, they were rather strong and prone to mock fighting each other or squabbling over food or a good resting spot, investigating whatever drew their interest. Then again, that was probably why he didn't see hordes of strong Pokemon roaming about.
The automated doors to the Pokemon center opened and as Ash entered the always pristine interior, he noticed two familiar figures. Serena and her friend stood over the counter as nurse Joy disappeared through the double doors to the back, no doubt getting their pokeballs.
Rather than going off the side to wait, the duo remained where they stood. Serena in particular slouched over the counter, her back to Ash and her head resting on folded arms. As he approached to try his luck with Joy, he couldn't help but overhear a bit of their conversation.
"...didn't even notice," Serena said, her words heavily muffled.
"Of course he didn't. Boys have the attention span of a Mothim, especially trainers. Good luck getting them to notice anything that's not a Pokemon for more than five seconds."
"Well... it has been a long time."
Ash cleared his throat and the blunette immediately took notice. She nudged Serena and smiled brightly as she turned back to Ash.
"Hi there, Mr. Pokemon trainer. What brings you here?"
Ash hesitated, a bit uncertain. "I'm picking up my Pokemon," he said.
The blunette nodded. "Wouldn't you know it, so am I. My partner's a Slurpuff and he's just tired from battling all those annoying wild Pokemon." She glanced briefly at Serena in expectation. When the honey blonde remained silent, the blunette said, "My name's Miette by the way." She offered her hand and Ash shook it.
"I don't think I've heard of Slurpuff before," he muttered and looked at Serena. "How about you, Serena? What Pokemon do you have?"
"Oh, not me," Serena said, waving her hand. "I don't have a Pokemon yet. I'm going to Lumiose city to get my first Pokemon from professor Sycamore."
"So your journey is just starting, huh? That's great," Ash exclaimed with a beaming smile. He remembered how he first felt taking those first steps out of professor Oak's lab with his Pikachu. "This is Pikachu. He's been my partner since I first started my journey," he said, introducing the little mouse perched on his shoulder. Pikachu waved a stubby paw, always enthusiastic to meet new people.
Nurse Joy chose that moment to appear, holding a tray on which sat a lone pokeball. "Your Slurpuff is all healed up," she announced to a grateful Miette.
"Thanks, nurse Joy," Miette said as she fondly regarded the pokeball and put it away.
"Are my Pokemon ready too?" Ash said.
"They are. I'll bring them out in a moment," nurse Joy said and disappeared again to the back.
"Ash?" Serena said tentatively.
"What's up?"
"Now that you got your first gym badge, does that mean you'll go back to Lumiose city to challenge the gym."
Ash nodded. "That's the plan."
Serena swallowed and rubbed her hands unconsciously. Her voice wavered, but only if one listened closely. "Then maybe... if that's okay... we could all travel together?"
Miette quirked an eyebrow, impressed by Serena's boldness.
"Sure, why not?" Ash said.
"Really?" Both girls said simultaneously.
"Of course. Traveling with company is always better, right?"
"...Right."
Ash decided he liked his new traveling companions fairly quick.
Miette proved to be very knowledgeable of the surrounding areas, as she'd been journeying through Kalos for a while now. She allowed her Slurpuff to come out and Ash got his first meeting(that he knew of) with a Fairy type Pokemon, drawing his Pokedex for more information.
Serena was very friendly in her own way. She wanted to know about Ash, in particular and encouraged him to retell his journey through Kanto, which he did with gusto. Serena had been particularly perturbed when he recounted his fateful trip aboard the St. Anne and their eventual encounter with an angry pack of Gyarados. Looking back on it, Ash could see how lucky he was to still be in one piece, much less alive.
Sunset came soon enough and the trio decided to camp for the night. Being very well practiced on the procedure, Ash went about making a suitable fire and helped a fumbling Serena set up her tent, which she accepted graciously.
He had to admit, he felt oddly at ease with her, and the grateful but tentative squeeze she planted on his shoulder seemed to exude a tingling sort of warmth.
Miette, bless her, was a very enthusiastic student of the 'culinary arts' as she put it and insisted on making a light dinner of roasted wild berries on a stick, drizzled in some sort of handmade dressing. The berries were meaty, sweet and succulent and when they finished eating and were nearly tuckered out from their journey, Miette excused herself to the ladies room, leaving Ash and Serena alone. Even Pikachu was now sprawled next to Ash by this point, snoring lightly.
Having spent countless days traversing the wilderness with his friends, Ash had become used to the peaceful silences that so often came. There was something about the fresh air, the hard packed earth, the soft grass, the gentle crackling of the flames and the faint sounds of the wilderness that put him at ease. He leaned back against the makeshift log the trio had used for a seat and breathed in the scent of the night, his fingers running absentmindedly through Pikachu's fur.
A slight shuffling of movement drew his attention. Serena sat next to him, hugging her knees. She offered a smile which he lazily returned.
"Ash?"
"Hm?"
He noted she did not look at him but rather studied a pebble she nudged with the toe of her shoe.
"This may sound a bit silly," she said, her words steady and measured. "But do you remember me?"
Ash cocked his head as he processed her question. He would have thought it odd, only he didn't. He did feel very at ease with her and throughout their brief time together he realized that Serena brought a wistful sort of warmth to course through him, almost as if he were meeting an old friend for the first time in a long time.
She waited patiently for his response and Ash studied her face. Her blue eyes, emotive and kind; the ghost of a dimple in her cheeks, illuminated by the dying fire and her honey blonde tresses, thick and full and fashioned as a ponytail. His memories stirred, searching. He realized now for a fact he did know her, once upon a time. Yet the actual memory seemed to elude him.
It must have been evident in his face as Serena decided to lend him a hand.
"I visited Pallet Town once, my mom and I. She thought it would be a good way for me to spend the summer in professor Oak's Pokemon camp."
That name Ash was familiar with. His obsession with Pokemon had been with him for as long as he knew and every summer he would beg his mom to sign him up for the professor's Pokemon camp. A few times she couldn't as money was tight, but when she did, Ash was the happiest he'd ever been. It was the place where his then rivalry with Gary started, as they both wagered who could steal a Dodrio's eggs and run off before the mother caught up with them. Neither won and the wound to Gary's pride festered, fueling their later confrontations.
"Would you believe I didn't like it? I didn't like Pokemon much back then. A lot of them frightened me, even the small ones," she chuckled softly and shook her head, knowing how silly she'd been. She must have stirred something else in Ash. She could see it in his face. "I got lost one day and I was so scared. I thought I would be kidnapped by wild Pokemon, or eaten, or lost forever, but you found me."
She opened her hand and on it lay a folded handkechief, worn and old but cared for.
"You found me then and you made my fear go away. You gave me this to dry my tears, you took me by the hand and you showed me there was nothing to be scared of." There was more Serena wanted to say. She wanted to say how it was because of him that her fear of Pokemon vanished. She wanted to say how the rest of the summer was that much brighter because of him. She wanted to say that he made the remaining days of the Pokemon camp a joy and how numerous times he'd found himself in her thoughts in spite of the vast distance and the years that separated them. She wanted to say this and more, but held herself back in fear of overwhelming him.
Seconds ticked by and Ash made no response. His gaze was firmly set on the handkerchief and with slow deliberation, he placed his hand above hers and carefully picked up the item. His calloused fingers brushed the satin softness of her palms, leaving a tingling sensation.
The corner of his lips quirked as he remembered fondly the time she spoke of and Serena's heart soared as realization dawned on Ash's face.
"Serena." He said her name not as that of a casual acquaintance, but that of a dear friend and for now, that was enough.