Chapter Three - Out of Reach
Bewildered, Serena stood still in the sea of people, the world passing around her as she failed to wrap her mind around what had happened. What was that? What was she thinking? Had she lost her mind? She had traveled halfway across the city on a moment's notice in pursuit of a total stranger. She had barely even gotten a look at the girl in the café. It had to be a mistake, a trick of the eye, the resemblance purely a coincidence. There was no way it could be anything else. Nothing else made any sense. There were millions of people in the city. The odds were phenomenally against it.
And yet, her mind lingered. She was only shaken from her trance when a rather disgruntled-looking stranger bumped into her a bit too hard in passing. Serena shook the spell from her eyes and realized she had been disrupting the flow of pedestrian traffic for several minutes. Eager to remove herself from the situation, she forced her way through the crowd of people. Bypassing the tourists congregated at the entrance to Prism Tower, she took a side door and entered the gym corridor. She proceeded down the hall and to the gym's doors, grateful that Clembot's electrifying badge-checking feature had long ago been disabled.
Upon entering the gym, she found a battle in progress. Clembot commanded Heliolisk against the challenger and his Diggersby. On the sidelines, Clemont scribbled in a notebook feverishly while his eyes darted back and forth from the battlefield. Bonnie and Korrina sat in the bleachers, their attention fixed on the battle.
No one seemed to notice Serena's arrival. When she entered the bleachers and approached Bonnie and Korrina, she was greeted with shock.
"Whoa!" said Korrina, she and Bonnie both jumping in surprise as Serena sat down beside them. "Where'd you come from?"
"You hate ghosts!" said Bonnie. "Since when did you sneak around like one?"
Confused, Serena stared at them, unsure how to best phrase that she had simply walked through the front door. She didn't get a chance to explain.
"And speaking of ghosts, you look like you've just seen one," said Korrina. "Your eyes are all bugged out. What's up?"
Serena blinked a few times and became aware of a massive feeling of tension in her face. With a conscious effort, she relaxed the muscles. She had no way of knowing how long she had been like that, but she could make an educated guess.
"Trust me, if Serena saw a ghost, she'd look way more scared than that!" said Bonnie, leaning forward in her seat and looking up at Korrina. A light bulb appeared to switch on in Korrina's head.
"Oh yeah!" she said. "You didn't like that old vampire movie, did you?"
Serena shook her head. Before she could say anything, everyone's attention was drawn to the battlefield.
Heliolisk had landed a knockout hit on Diggersby by using Surf. On the sideline, Clemont tucked his notebook under his arm and pushed his glasses further up his nose. He looked very pleased. The challenger did not look pleased at all. A rather rotund young man with a scraggly beard, he returned Diggersby to its ball and then pointed at Clembot while glaring daggers at Clemont.
"Unfair!" he said. "This robot's cheating!"
Heliolisk tilted his head at the challenger. Clemont's confident smile persisted. Clembot remained expressionless as always.
"A baseless accusation," said Clembot. "It is not within my programming to intentionally violate the rules, and any accidental infraction of them results in my immediate forfeiture of the battle. On what grounds do you make such a claim?"
The challenger continued to stare at Clemont.
"This is an electric-type gym! What's your Heliolisk doing using Surf? How can it even learn that?"
"I assure you that the swimming ability of Heliolisk, as well as its ability to use a limited selection of water-type moves, has been well-documented," said Clemont. "As a matter of fact, Heliolisk's usage of such moves is considered commonplace by more experienced trainers, as those moves serve to counter Heliolisk's biggest weakness. Furthermore, I assure you that there is no prohibition in place against gym leaders using moves which are not of the same type as their Pokémon. After all, if I were required to only use electric-type moves, what challenge would my gym pose to anyone?"
"You didn't do anything! Your robot did all the work!"
"There is also no rule prohibiting the use of a robot in place of the gym leader," said Clemont. "I can direct you to the relevant provisions of the rulebook if you wish."
"Just because you're allowed to do it doesn't mean it's fair, you know-it-all! Why do you even use that thing if you're here? It's a better trainer than you, isn't it?"
Korrina clenched her fists and sprang to her feet.
"Hey!" Korrina shouted. "That's enough! You lost a fair battle, whether you like it or not! Go train some more, learn something from this, and come back again when you're ready! Complaining won't get you anywhere!"
The challenger leered at Korrina.
"Oh! Of course you're here defending him! Your gym is like this, too!"
There was a punctuated silence. Korrina fists tightened. The challenger smirked.
"You two and your dumb, cheating robots. That one in your gym said all the same stuff about not being programmed to break the rules! Like that isn't an obvious lie!"
The challenger looked at Clemont again. He pointed toward Korrina with his thumb.
"Let me guess. You made her that thing, didn't you?"
Clemont leveled his gaze. His look of assured satisfaction was replaced by something much more serious.
"Yes, I did."
"Ha! Nice try, four-eyes, but a cutie like her is never going to get with a nerd like you!"
Joining Korrina, Bonnie jumped to her feet.
"And no one is ever going to fall for a sore loser like you!" Bonnie shouted.
"Oh, wow. A little girl coming to your defense! You must really be an awesome trainer. I bet you-"
Korrina jumped off the bleachers and stalked onto the battlefield.
"For your information, I was already Clemont's girlfriend when he made me my robot!"
Korrina walked directly up to the challenger and stared him in the eye, face-to-face. Serena was certain that the reason he looked momentarily alarmed was that he hadn't expected Korrina to be taller than him.
"It doesn't matter that he's my boyfriend! As a fellow gym leader, I will not allow you to insult this gym, its leader, or his sister! You can either leave now, or I'll remove you by force!"
The challenger gave Korrina a disdainful look and scoffed at her. Before she could erupt again, Clemont spoke.
"I agree that now is the time for you to leave."
"Whatever," the challenger said, rolling his eyes. "You don't have to tell me twice. This place sucks. I'm out of here."
Hands in his pockets, the challenger shuffled his way across the battlefield, shoved the door open, and left.
"And stay out!" Korrina shouted as the door closed behind him.
Hours later, Serena struggled to fall asleep while the images and words of the day ran through her head. She couldn't decide what had been more bizarre - her chase, or the incident at the gym. Every time she tried to force her eyes shut, her mind replayed another scene from the day, each time becoming more phantasmal and surreal.
The girl in black and white. Arielle, allegedly. The more Serena focused on trying to remember her face, the fainter the picture became. She had been so convinced, so certain… but then again, the girl's eyes weren't quite right. She never even got a good look at her hair. She thought it was red, but she wasn't sure. Was it nothing more than paranoia getting the best of her once again? But if it was, why did the girl so suddenly leave after their eyes met? The possibilities all seemed impossible, and they made Serena's head spin.
Frustrated, Serena sat up in bed and reached for her tablet on the bedside table. She found Ribombee once again mysteriously out of her ball, asleep on top of it. Serena rolled her eyes. The only thing she could figure was that Ribombee was drawn to the warmth the device put out while charging. Gently, she tilted the tablet up. Ribombee slid off the surface, leaving behind a faint trail of dust as she landed on the surface of the table. She stirred awake, looking confused.
Serena unplugged the tablet from the charger, wiped the dust off the screen, and laid back down on her bed. She unlocked the screen and glanced at the time. Midnight approached. As the bright digits seared themselves into her eyes, she heard Ribombee buzz and she fluttered over to join her.
"Shh!" Serena whispered. Ribombee landed beside her shoulder on the pillow. Illuminated by the screen, she gave Serena a pensive look.
Korrina was a heavy sleeper, but Serena had no interest in testing those limits. She knew that Ribombee was more than capable of producing enough noise to wake anyone when sufficiently excited. She gave Ribombee a gentle rub on the forehead with one finger and encouraged her to return to sleep. Ribombee bundled up her scarf and fashioned it into a makeshift pillow, then curled up on Serena's pillow and closed her eyes. Serena let the tablet rest face-down on her stomach for a minute.
She didn't have to sit in the darkness and wonder about what she had seen. She had a way to find the truth. It was a long shot, but it was worth it. She picked up the tablet again, tapped a few icons, and opened her email.
She typed.
Aria,
I hope you're doing well, wherever you may be. If you happen to be in Lumiose City, so am I. I was in a café today and I saw someone who I thought looked like you. I would really like to see you again. If the person I saw today really was you, I'm sorry for being so weird about it! And if you don't want to see me, I understand. I'm sorry for a lot of things. I hope I can make it up to you one day, if you'll let me.
So, please, if you see me, don't be a stranger, okay?
Serena paused. She wasn't sure what else to say. Even the little bit she had written felt incredibly forced and awkward.
Next to her ear, Ribombee chittered. Serena looked and saw Ribombee lying there with one eye open. There was mischief on her face. Once again, she felt the instinct to shush Ribombee, but she stopped herself. A thought occurred to her.
Serena sat upright again. She turned her tablet around in her hands and held it with the screen facing away from her, like a dim flashlight. In the faint blue light that illuminated the rest of the room, she saw an empty bed. Korrina wasn't there.
She turned the tablet back around and glanced at the time again. Without so much as thinking, she put her feet on the floor and rose from the bed. A moment later, Ribombee fluttered up to her shoulder. Together, they left the room.
Serena walked down the hall and saw the door to Clemont's room open, and the light still on. She stopped in front of the doorway. Clemont sat at his desk, typing on his computer at a furious pace. He seemed oblivious to everything else.
Serena stepped into the doorway and knocked gently on the open door a few times. Clemont snapped to attention.
"Oh! Goodness, you startled me," said Clemont.
"Not the first time I've done that to someone today, actually," said Serena. She approached his desk. On the computer screen were several windows full of completely indecipherable text. Clemont pressed a button on the keyboard, and another window appeared in which text began to scroll rapidly.
"I'm surprised to see you awake at this hour," he said.
"I'm surprised Korrina isn't here," said Serena.
"I'm not. I don't think she would want to stick around for watching me update Clembot's drivers."
"She's not in our room. I figured she would be in here when I saw the door open."
"Sorry to disappoint you, but she's at the gym."
"The gym?"
"She said she wanted to train. Clembot knows to let her inside."
Serena thought for a moment.
"Does Clembot know to let me inside?" she asked.
Clemont looked at the screen, then back to her.
"Not yet, but he can."
Clemont watched the text flying past on the screen for a moment, his brow tight in concentration. Seeming satisfied, he brought up another window, then turned his attention back to Serena.
"Do you intend to go after her?" said Clemont.
"Maybe?" said Serena, unsure.
"If you don't mind me asking, why?"
Serena's shoulders slackened. Ribombee held onto her shirt tighter to avoid falling off.
"I... don't know," said Serena. "It just feels like what I should do."
"If you happen to be concerned about her, I can assure you she's alright," said Clemont. "It's nothing to worry about. It's not the first time she's stayed out for some late-night training."
"It's not that," said Serena. "Ash did that all the time, you know."
Clemont looked up toward the ceiling and nodded.
"Come to think of it, he did," he said. "Not the brightest observation I've made today. Perhaps it's time to consider retiring for the night."
While Clemont pondered, Serena stewed. Warmth rushed to her face. She grimaced, then shut her eyes as she bowed her head.
"I... don't mean to cause undue alarm," Clemont said, hesitating as he began, "but I'm a bit concerned about you."
Serena opened her eyes and met his.
"Me? Why?"
"Not to be condescending, but I think you understand why," said Clemont.
Serena bit her lip. She nodded. She said nothing.
"I know that understanding emotion is not my greatest strength," said Clemont, "but please, understand that I am very much available to provide an audience if you need one. You can always talk to me."
Serena momentarily clenched her jaw. She sighed.
"I appreciate it, but I'm not so sure that's true," she said.
"You have my assurance that I am telling you the truth," said Clemont.
"I know you are. It's just that I'm not sure I can talk to you about... this."
"About what, exactly?"
"About-"
She was interrupted by Ribombee as she abruptly took flight, dancing frenetically through the air around the room. Serena took the momentary pause to take a breath and gather her thoughts again.
"About Ash, and everything that happened," said Serena.
"Not to be too direct, but Ash is my friend, too, after all. I also miss him."
"Yes, but... he wasn't your boyfriend."
Clemont nodded.
"Very true," he said.
Serena struggled to find the right words. Clemont waited.
"It's... hard," said Serena.
"Indeed," said Clemont. "I admit that our experience was rather different from yours, but it was difficult being separated from Korrina for so long while I developed Korrinabot. Long-distance relationships are challenging."
"Well, yes, but it's not that," said Serena.
"I'm not certain I understand what you mean."
"It's- Ugh, this is why I didn't want to say anything!"
Clemont merely waited for her to continue.
"It's that... it's really hard being separated from Ash, and not knowing when he's coming back, and not even having a way to talk to him, all while you and Korrina are right here, happy together."
Clemont's face slackened.
"I'm jealous!" said Serena, her voice echoing at a louder volume than she intended. "There! That's why I didn't want to say anything! It's really hard to see you two together, reunited after you were apart, while I don't know when I'm going to get to be with Ash again."
Clemont was silent. He looked at the floor.
"It's not fair to either of you, I know," said Serena. "I'm sorry. It's not your fault. It's my fault. It's all my fault. And because of that, the longer I go without hearing from him, the more I worry that... that I'm going to have to figure out what to do without him."
Clemont folded his hands in his lap. He looked up at her again. His lips remained tight.
"I just... don't know what to do," said Serena. As she spoke, Ribombee ceased her frantic dance and landed on her shoulder again. "What do you do when... when you aren't sure if someone you love is ever going to come back?"
Clemont held her gaze for a while. There was a long silence.
"I know the answer to that, but I don't think you want to hear it," he said.
Back in her bedroom, Serena changed into her day clothes again. When she glanced at her tablet and remembered what she had been doing before she got up, she unlocked it again. She saw the incomplete email still waiting to be sent. She rolled her eyes at it. She had to force herself to resist the urge to toss her tablet aside. That brief moment of hesitation provided her with just enough cynicism to let go of her restraints. With a shrug, she hit SEND, then closed the application and shoved the tablet into her bag.
Leaving the room, she returned Ribombee to her ball. When she stepped out the front door, she exchanged Ribombee's ball with another. Once again, she could easily sense it inside her bag without even looking. With the push of a button, Delphox materialized beside her. Aided by the light from her wand, they walked side by side.
Twenty minutes later, they approached Prism Tower. Serena wasn't sure if it was merely the glare from all the lights on the tower or if the stress and fatigue were getting to her, but as they drew closer, her head ached more and more. She remembered all too well the last time she had experienced such a headache, and all the strange colors she had seen along with it. There was no sign of the moon to accompany it this time, though. Tonight, it was obscured by clouds.
At the main entrance, despite the darkness inside and the clearly-posted signs all around the tower which stated it closed to the public at nine o'clock, the automatic doors slid open for Serena and Delphox without hesitation. Once they were inside, the doors shut behind them, and Serena found the dark, empty foyer eerily quiet compared to her entrance earlier that day. She led the way down the hall toward the gym, with Delphox's wand and a dim light from beyond the doors the only light she could see.
When she reached the door, she stopped. Delphox came up behind her and snuffed out the flame on her wand. She tucked it into her tail and peered over Serena's shoulder. The two of them watched through the window.
Only one of the gym's floodlights was on, the one directly over the center of the battlefield. Korrina stood alone in the circle marking the center, barefoot, but otherwise dressed in her typical athletic training clothes. She moved with a fierce fluidity, assaulting the air with an endless volley of punches and kicks, as though aimed at targets that weren't there. Though the door muffled the sound, she shouted a sharp kiai with each blow, cutting through the silence of the night.
Serena did not open the door. Though it felt strangely taboo to stand there and watch, it felt even more inappropriate to interrupt Korrina. Her movements were like a ferocious, intricate, articulate dance, a performance intended for an audience of no one. Even from a distance, Serena saw Korrina's grimace, her gritted teeth, and the sweat running down her clenched brow. For minutes, Serena watched with bated breath, finding it inexplicably captivating, even beautiful. It came to an end only when Korrina faltered for a moment, let her fists fall, and then sunk to her knees, gasping for breath.
It was only then that Serena pushed against the door. Though she tried to remain silent, the hollow sound of the turning of the lock echoed through the cavernous room, and Korrina spun around on her knees to look at her. Halfway through the door, Serena stopped.
"Serena!" Korrina said through heavy breaths, trying to pull the loose strands of her sweaty, matted hair away from her face. "What are you doing here?"
Serena stepped through the door. Delphox entered behind her. As Delphox entered, Serena realized that Korrina had not been performing for an audience of zero after all. It was an audience of one. On the far side of the battlefield, she saw Lucario look up. He was seated in a meditative stance. His piercing eyes settled on Delphox.
"Clemont told me you were here," said Serena. She stepped onto the battlefield and approached Korrina. Korrina looked like she did not understand.
"He did?" she said, continuing to catch her breath. "But- why? Did he tell you I was training?"
Serena nodded. She bit down on the inside of her cheek for a moment as a realization came to her.
"...should I not have come here?"
Korrina stared at her for a moment, then sank from her knees to a seated position and shook her head.
"No, it's not that," said Korrina. "It's just, why would you come here?"
"To talk."
Korrina pulled her knees up toward her chest and rested her arms on top of them. Looking even more confused, she shook her head again.
"But why? Why would you come here to talk to… this?"
Korrina gestured at herself. She was filthy. Every inch of her exposed skin glistened with sweat. Her hands, feet, arms, and even parts of her face were covered with dirt from the gym floor, adhered to her like mud.
"Because I was worried," said Serena.
Korrina didn't say anything. Instead, she busied herself by focusing on catching her breath.
Sensing the awkwardness, Serena changed the subject.
"That was really impressive, actually. What was that?"
"You were watching?" Korrina said, looking at her again.
Serena bit her lip.
"A bit?"
Korrina's eyebrows raised. She looked away. There was an extended pause, long enough that Serena began to think she may have overstayed what little welcome she had.
"That was a kata," said Korrina. "From back when I studied karate as a kid. It started out as one, anyway. It turned into… me working through some things."
"I'm sorry for creeping on you," said Serena. "I shouldn't have intruded."
"Don't worry about it."
There was another awkward pause. Neither of them looked at each other.
"I can go now if you want," said Serena.
Korrina shook her head.
"Nah."
There was another silence. Somehow, this one was less awkward. Korrina ended it by rising to her feet.
"If you were worried, there's no sense in making you worry more by kicking you out of here, is there?" she said. She pressed her hands against the small of her back and leaned backward, producing a sharp crack from her spine. "I'm okay, I promise."
"Are you sure about that?" said Serena.
"Of course!" said Korrina. "Nothing keeps me down for long. That guy was a jerk and I got mad, but everything's gonna be okay."
Serena tightened her lips and looked aside for a second.
"You know, I'm kind of like the queen of secretly not being okay," she said.
"Not everybody has some big, bad secret they're hiding, you know," said Korrina.
Serena looked at her feet for a few seconds.
"Are you sure you don't want me to leave?" she said.
Korrina stepped past Serena and beckoned for her to follow.
"Here, this way," said Korrina. "If you wanna talk, we can talk. No sense in getting your clothes dirty, though."
Korrina entered the bleachers, and she sat down on the first row. Serena sat down beside her, keeping an arm's length between them.
"So, what's up?" said Korrina.
"I'm not sure where to start, actually," said Serena.
"After all that?"
Serena gave Korrina a regretful nod.
"Geez, don't make me start this!" said Korrina. "I've always been way better at talking with my fists than with my words."
"I've always been really good at not talking at all," said Serena.
"So… wanna fight?" said Korrina.
"What? No!"
"I'm kidding! I promise!"
"You don't actually want to fight me, do you?" said Serena.
"No way!" said Korrina. "Why would you think that?"
"Because… I don't know. This is really hard to explain-"
"Should I want to fight you?"
"I hope not."
"You hope not?"
"I've done a lot of really dumb things."
"I know," said Korrina. "You told us all about Ash and Lillie."
"Yes, but… it's tough for me not to think that everybody should hate me."
"I don't hate you."
"I don't hate you, either."
"Okay, well, that's good," said Korrina. She shrugged. She looked confused by the response.
"I-"
Serena quickly shut her mouth and took a long, deep breath through her nose before she tried speaking again.
"I really don't want to always be the girl who wouldn't talk," she said. "And I know that this is super weird, and I know that we don't know each other that well, but I need to talk to someone and I feel like it needs to be you."
Korrina hesitated for a bit. Her face turned more serious.
"Okay," she said.
"I… I don't want this to sound even weirder, but I was a bit worried about you, but that's also not really why I'm here. No offense."
"None taken, but what do you mean?"
"When I came in here earlier today-"
"Oh yeah!" Korrina said, clapping a hand on her forehead. "Something happened to you right before you came in, but that big dumb jerk just had to ruin everything!"
Serena nodded.
"So, what happened?" said Korrina. "It wasn't something really bad, was it?"
"No," said Serena. "I don't think so, anyway. It was just really strange."
"What was it?"
Serena gathered her thoughts.
"So, I went to a café when I was done with my deliveries," she said. "I think I recognized the waitress who came to my table."
"Oh? Who was it?"
"I think it was… Aria."
Korrina's eyes widened.
"What?"
"I didn't get a good look at her! She ran away as soon as she finished taking my order! She left the café!"
"Wait, what?"
"A different waitress brought me my tea and told me that Arielle had left because she suddenly became sick!"
"That's suspicious," said Korrina, narrowing her eyes.
"I left the café and followed her."
Korrina's eyes widened again.
"You what?"
"I tailed her all the way here, to the metro stop at the plaza! But she slipped away from me in the crowd."
Korrina's face was frozen in confusion for a few seconds. When she shook her head, it looked like she was trying to shake something off of it.
"Okay, wow. That's… a lot to take in! You really think it was her?"
"I don't know! The more I try to remember what I saw, the fuzzier the image gets! I was lying in bed earlier trying my best to remember what she looked like, but I couldn't do it! It was so fast and so sudden that I'm not sure if I really saw her or if I'm losing my mind again!"
"Again?"
Korrina gave Serena a curious glance, with an eyebrow raised. Serena gave a nervous smile in reply and looked away.
"Um… yes. Again. Kind of," said Serena.
Momentarily paralyzed, Serena sat with the tip of her tongue caught between her teeth, arresting her speech. Yes, she had explained to everyone what happened in Alola. She had not told them everything, though. There were still a few hideous truths which remained hidden. No one needed to know about her extortion of Aria, or her relentless attacks of guilt-fueled paranoia, or her vicious tantrum in the loft at the laboratory. How could she ever tell them?
And so, she froze. A long silence followed. Korrina leaned a little bit closer.
"Serena?"
"Hmm?"
Her mouth still shut, Serena snapped back to reality and mumbled a reply to Korrina. She found Korrina looking at her with an unexpected expression, one of gentle concern and understanding. But stranger still, there was something else which showed on Korrina's face. It looked very much like embarrassment.
Korrina looked away again before she spoke.
"Oh man," she said, running a few fingers through her damp hair. "I reallywish I had practiced this talking thing more. I don't know what to say!"
"I feel the same way," said Serena. "Every time I try to have a serious conversation with someone, I end up forcing myself to say anything and I never get to the point. I keep trying and trying, but I haven't gotten any better at it."
"Well, why don't we just cut to the chase?" said Korrina.
"What do you mean?"
"What is this really about? What's the point?"
"Um…"
"It doesn't matter what it is. Just say it. I won't judge."
"Are you sure about that?"
"Honestly? No. But hey, I know you the least out of everyone here, so what have you really got to lose? If it's something bad, no big deal! I won't tell if you don't want me to. And if it's something to do with me, no big deal either. We can still get along."
Serena tightened her lips. She thought for a moment. She let out a puff of air through her nose as she hunched over in her seat, resting her elbows on top of her knees.
"Can we trade?" she said.
"Trade?"
"I'll tell you what's really on my mind. You tell me what's really on yours."
Korrina gripped her seat with her hands and leaned back, craning her neck up toward the cavernous ceiling.
"Aw, geez! I don't know if that's a hard bargain or if it's completely fair," she said. "I mean, it makes sense. So, sure. Why not?"
"You'll do it?" said Serena.
"Yeah. Who goes first, though?"
Serena reached into her bag. When she failed to find what she wanted, she dug deeper. Korrina took notice.
"If you're thinking of a battle, normally I'd say yes, but I don't think now is a good time. Not right after a really tough training session, you know? Besides, Delphox kind of has a huge type advantage over Lucario. I mean, yeah, we're super strong, but I think the odds are probably still in your favor."
Serena stopped her search and looked toward the battlefield, where Korrina seemed to be looking. Lucario and Delphox sat opposite each other in the center circle, both meditating. She could only imagine what kind of exchange was transpiring between them. Was it a friendly meeting of minds? Was it a competition? Were they battling each other in their heads? There was no way to know.
"Actually, I was thinking of a coin flip," said Serena. "But, I think I spent all my spare change today. Do you have a coin?"
"Right now? Nah. But it doesn't matter. I'll go first."
"Are you sure?" said Serena.
"Yeah. Why not? What do I have to lose, either?"
Serena assumed it was a rhetorical question. There were a few seconds of silence. Korrina eventually broke it.
"So, you wanna know what's on my mind, why I'm here right now?" she said. "It's simple. I care about Clemont and Bonnie a lot. Yeah, Clemont's my boyfriend. And yeah, I know we haven't been together that long, but those two have become like family to me. And if anyone threatens my family, you can bet I'm gonna defend 'em. So that guy got me really, really mad, and I needed to come here and work through it. Get out my aggression, you know? A whole lot of those punches were meant for him."
Serena nodded. Although several questions came to mind, she said nothing. She expected Korrina to continue.
But when Korrina spoke again, she did not get what she expected.
"So," said Korrina. "What about you?"
"Oh," said Serena. She pointed at herself. "My turn?"
"Yep. Fire away! I'm all ears."
Serena blinked a few times, unsure what to make of the sudden turn.
"Okay, well…"
Serena paused. She saw Delphox open her eyes and shift them toward her, remaining as still as a statue otherwise.
"I've made a lot of mistakes," said Serena. "I've told a lot of lies, and I've done a lot of things I regret. Part of why I left Ash and Lillie in Alola was because I felt like I couldn't do anything right around them anymore and everything I did made things worse, but another part of it was that I felt like I needed to do something to make up for the things I've done. My mom and Clemont both called it right. I was punishing myself. I felt like I deserved it. I still feel like I do. But punishing myself doesn't solve anything. It doesn't make things better for the people I hurt. They're good people. They don't want to see me suffer. They don't deserve to suffer, either. I want to make things better for them. I want to make things right. And so when I saw Aria today - or thought I saw her, anyway - I was terrified because, well, how could I not be? I hurt her. I'm scared to face her. I feel like I have to, though. I feel like I need to talk to her again. I want to apologize to her, whether she'll accept it or not. I want to hear what she has to say to me, no matter what it is. I feel like it's the right thing to do."
Korrina considered Serena's words for a moment.
"You don't have to apologize for not having feelings for someone, you know," she said.
Serena grimaced and shook her head. It was a perfectly sensible assumption, based on the incomplete information Korrina had. Serena cursed herself for her hypocrisy, for failing to tell the whole truth time and time again.
"That's not it," said Serena. "It's a bit more complicated than that."
"Hey, that's fair," Korrina said with a shrug. "It's between you two."
"It's… really complicated, actually. With Lillie, it's so much simpler. I-"
Serena stopped herself and groaned.
"Ugh, I shouldn't think like that," she said. "I can't help it, though. It's true! I hurt Lillie really, really badly, but at least she's still just some random girl like you and me. Well- Ugh! That's not true, either! But, well, what I mean is, she isn't famous! She isn't, you know, the Kalos Queen."
"I get ya," said Korrina.
"At least I know where Lillie is," said Serena. "Even if I don't like it, I know she's with Ash in Alola. Aria, though? She could be anywhere. Literally."
"Even working in a café in Lumiose?" said Korrina.
"Yes," Serena said with an emphatic nod. "That's the crazy thing. She's so good at disguising herself. The first time I met her, I had no idea who she was!"
"You know, me too, actually," said Korrina. She scratched her head. "Kind of crazy to think that I had a slumber party with the Kalos Queen without even realizing it!"
Serena nodded again. She remembered it well, the precarious feeling of walking the tightrope of knowing Aria's identity when she joined them at the penthouse to watch movies in a pillow fort.
"And she was my partner at the volleyball tournament," said Serena. "We got knocked out right away, but she looked totally different that day! Remember?"
"Oh yeah, that's right!" said Korrina. "I almost forgot about that. I didn't even realize it was the same girl until you told us about everything after Ash's battle."
"Like I said, she's really good at it," said Serena. "She wants to hide. She's had a lot of practice at it."
"You know, I bet she really has," said Korrina. "She looks so different in all of her videos! She always wears totally different clothes, different hairstyles, everything."
For a moment, Serena had the feeling of a lightbulb switching on inside her head. But then she realized it was more like a candle, and it was quickly snuffed out by the cold wind. She grabbed both sides of her head.
"Of course," she said. "It's no wonder she's good at it. She's spent almost her whole life in show business. She's spent years working with makeup and costuming. How could she not have learned a few tricks after all that time?"
"Dunno," said Korrina. She shrugged. "Makes sense to me."
Serena sighed.
"That's my dilemma," she said. "I want to find someone who is an expert at changing her appearance and has every reason in the world to avoid me. And also she's the most famous person in Kalos. And also we're in the biggest city in Kalos. And that's why-"
Serena steeled herself. There was no turning back.
"That's why I can't do it alone," she said. "I need your help."
On Saturday morning, Serena was jostled awake.
"Come on, sleepyhead! We've gotta get moving!"
Serena opened one eye and saw Korrina looming over her, fully-dressed. It was still dark outside.
"...what time is it…" Serena groaned into her pillow.
"Time to get up, if you want to find Aria! We've gotta stay a step ahead of her! Now let's go!"
Serena squinted and forced herself upright. She rubbed her eyes. Across the room, near the door, she saw a fully-packed backpack atop Korrina's bed.
"How do you have this much energy this early in the morning?" said Serena.
"Beats me. Looks like I've gotta have enough energy for the both of us, though!"
Korrina grabbed a fistful of the sheets which still covered Serena's legs and pulled them away. Serena pulled her legs up to her chest and wrapped her arms around them, curling up in a ball.
"Why?" she whined. "It was warm under there."
"Get dressed, and you'll be warm again," said Korrina. "I'll see you downstairs in five minutes. Don't be late!"
At that, Korrina headed for the door, slung her backpack over her shoulder, and left the room. She closed the door on her way out. Serena sighed, then begrudgingly put her feet on the cold floor and rose from the bed.
She walked over to the window, the same one in front of which she had a heart-to-heart with Clemont a few months ago. Against the backdrop of pre-dawn Lumiose City, the only thing Serena could see was her reflection. She scowled. She still did not know the time. She wondered if it was a more reasonable hour in Alola. It seemed likely. She had always struggled with time zones, though.
Stiff and sleepy, Serena shuffled back over to her bed and dressed in silence, then hobbled her way downstairs. She found Korrina waiting for her in the kitchen. Korrina placed a lid on a steaming travel mug and handed it to her, then led her to the door. Together, they stepped outside into the darkness.
As she had the last time she was out in the dark, Serena called out Delphox to provide them with more light. The two of them followed behind Korrina, the subdued sounds of the city in the early morning all that broke the silence, save for Serena's occasional sips from the mug Korrina gave her. It was filled with a fragrant, scalding hot, and exceptionally strong tea. Serena wondered if perhaps caffeine was the answer to her earlier question about Korrina's energy.
Korrina led them to a metro station. Serena returned Delphox to her ball, and they boarded a train. The car was nearly empty, just them and a few silent, weary souls. Serena could not help but feel a strange connection with them, especially as Korrina unzipped her backpack and extracted a large, rolled-up sheet of paper. Korrina unrolled it and noisily flattened it on her lap, the crackling of the paper earning them a plaintive glance from another passenger. Serena smiled at the man apologetically, then turned her attention to Korrina when she spoke. Mercifully, she spoke in a whisper.
"So, I made this yesterday," said Korrina.
Serena looked at the large sheet of paper. It took her several seconds to understand what she saw. It was a top-down view of an urban area, made from real photographic imagery.
"What is this?" said Serena.
"It's a map!" said Korrina.
"Of where?"
"Where we're going! Look."
Korrina pulled a marker out of her bag. She circled a small building near the center of the map.
"That's the café where you ran into… her."
Serena's lips parted as she began to recognize the area. She saw the alley behind the café where her chase began, the avenue where she ran into traffic, and the metro stop where she narrowly managed to catch the train.
"We're going there?"
"Yep!"
"Are you serious? We can't just go in there! She'll recognize me for sure!"
"Well, yeah. Duh. We're not gonna go inside. At least, you're not. I might."
"You two have met, though! She knows who you are, and she knows you're connected with me! She'll run from you, too!"
"Exactly!"
"...what?"
"We want her to run," said Korrina. "That way, we can find out where she goes and maybe figure out more about what she's up to. If we've got the right person, that is."
"What's the plan, though?"
"Here," said Korrina, circling another building near the café. "I went and checked this place out yesterday. This building has roof access from the back. The fire escape goes straight up to the top. No locks or anything. It's the tallest building in the area! Pretty good view up there."
Serena's jaw hung open as she realized what Korrina was suggesting.
"So, we're going to stake out up there and wait for her," said Korrina. "If we see her, I'll go down to the café and try to find her. If she runs, you'll be able to see which way she goes and follow her. I even got some sweet gear from Clemont. Check it out!"
Korrina pulled two walkie-talkies and a pair of binoculars out of her backpack. Serena stared at her.
"Pretty cool, huh?" said Korrina.
"We're going to get arrested," said Serena.
"We'll be fine," said Korrina, waving a hand.
"If anyone sees us they're going to think that we're trying to assassinate someone or blow the place up or something!"
"Nah, no one's gonna care. Who would look at us and think we're assassins?"
"People who see us staked out on top of a building and spying on someone!"
"No one will see us. Why would anyone look up there? And besides, I've got a good disguise!"
Korrina pulled a trenchcoat and a detective hat out of the bag.
"We're undercover!" she said.
When they came out of the ground and eventually found their way behind the stakeout building, Serena stood at the foot of the fire escape and wondered how her life had come to this. She wasn't certain what she had in mind when she asked Korrina for help. She supposed this was inevitable. She wished deeply though that it didn't have to involve methods that were so shady.
But Korrina was already at the top of the building and beckoning her to follow, and she was still on the ground. So, she sighed, resigned herself to a life of perpetual and inexplicable petty criminality, and trespassed on private property.
Up top, she found that the roof was covered in pea gravel. It made a crunching noise with each step. She crossed it as silently as possible. On the far side, Korrina was already there, lying prone on her stomach, sorting through some items in her backpack. Serena came up next to her and also dropped down on her stomach.
Korrina took the binoculars and hung them around her neck. She propped herself up on her elbows and peered through them.
"Good sightline on the entrance," said Korrina.
With her unaided vision, Serena crawled closer to the edge to take a better look. They were eight stories up. There was no activity on the street below. The sun was just beginning to peek above the horizon. Even without the binoculars, she could see the café well.
"Looks like the café isn't open yet," said Serena.
"Exactly!" said Korrina. "We needed to get here before it opened so that we would be able to see all the employees coming in for the day."
"There's a back entrance, you know," said Serena.
"There is?"
Korrina lowered the binoculars from her face. She and Serena met eyes.
"Yes," said Serena. "That's how she got such a big lead on me when she ran away. She went out the back door, into the alley! What do we do if she comes in that way? We won't see her!"
"Hmm…"
"And what if she doesn't come in at all? It's Saturday. She may not work today!"
"Yeah, that's possible," said Korrina. "It's also possible that the Kalos Queen doesn't actually work at a café under a secret identity."
Serena bit her lip.
"I know it sounds crazy," she said.
"It sure does!" said Korrina. She punctuated her statement by placing the detective hat atop her head. "That's what we're here to find out, isn't it?"
Thus began the most boring day of Serena's life. As she had feared, seemingly none of the café's employees entered through the front door. The place appeared abandoned until the front door mysteriously opened from the inside, after which she and Korrina were reduced to catching glimpses of the various staff through the binoculars whenever they approached the front window. Further to Serena's dismay, they all seemed to be dressed in the same black and white outfit, a detail she was embarrassed to have missed during her visit.
By early afternoon, the small supply of food and water Korrina brought had been exhausted. Serena was amazed by how hot it was on top of the building despite the weather not being particularly warm. So, after some tactical discussion, they agreed that Korrina would go down to the café to investigate and bring back drinks.
Serena kept the binoculars. She watched from the building as Korrina crossed the street and approached the café. She saw Korrina take her walkie-talkie out of her bag and speak into it. At the same time, hers spoke right beside her.
"Alright, I'm heading in. Over."
Serena grabbed her walkie-talkie and spoke into it.
"I know, I can see you!"
"Oh. Yeah, duh. Over."
"You're using it in plain sight! Put it away! And make sure it's muted! Don't get us busted!"
"Roger that. Over."
"And why are you talking like that?"
Serena received no reply. She watched Korrina flip a switch on her walkie-talkie and place it in her backpack again, then step through the door.
She spent the next several minutes consumed with anxiety fueled by radio silence. She decided that Korrina's help may have been the newest addition to her list of regrets. Korrina was perhaps the least subtle person she knew, except for Ash. She was probably the least stealthy. The only comfort she had was that she had managed to convince Korrina to leave the trenchcoat and detective hat behind on the roof.
Time dragged. The clock seemed to stop. The longer her wait continued, the less certain she was of what to expect. Did the silence mean Korrina had not found their target, or did it mean she had not recognized Korrina and so Korrina was biding time and trying to gather more information? There was no way to know.
"Come in, Serena. Do you copy? Over."
Serena jumped in surprise as her walkie-talkie interrupted her train of thought. She hurried to grab it and respond.
"Yes. What's going on in there? I don't see you."
Serena quickly added to her response.
"And please don't tell me you're using this thing at your table."
"Negative. I'm in the bathroom. There's-"
"And why do you keep talking like that?!"
There were a few more seconds of radio silence.
"That's what you do with these things," said Korrina. "Talking like you're in the army or something is half the fun! Over."
Serena supposed that the other half was dressing like a stereotypical detective. She was almost relieved that Korrina did not also have a pipe that blew bubbles to complete the getup, or glasses with a fake nose and mustache. She rolled her eyes and asked a real question.
"Did you find anything?"
"If you mean her, negative. She's not here. I did find something useful, though. There's a schedule on a chalkboard near the bathroom. She won't be in again until Monday. Over."
Serena's heart sank.
"But I work that day!" she said.
"Well, I don't!" said Korrina. "Them's the breaks! Over."
Serena spent the return trip to Clemont's house in a sour mood. While she was partly relieved for her day on the roof to be done, she was equally concerned at the idea of turning the search over to Korrina. She was even more concerned by Korrina's apparent blind enthusiasm for it. She supposed she should consider herself lucky that she was not going to end the day behind bars, but she also had a suspicion that that was exactly what was going to happen to her anyway if Korrina attempted this again and was caught.
Sunday passed, and Monday came. Serena spent the day lost inside her own head. Her mind fought a war of expectations versus desires while she sorted parts on autopilot. While she knew that Korrina was unlikely to make any real headway in one day on her own, she could not help but imagine coming home to find Korrina bearing a note from Aria asking to meet up for tea and talk.
She knew better than to get her hopes up for no reason. She tried to make herself genuinely expect nothing. She was still disappointed anyway.
Korrina spotted the mystery girl, but only briefly. She seemed to vanish when Korrina went inside, and she came and went in different directions. Korrina was unsure if the girl really was Aria. She remained unsure the next day, and the day after that, and the day after that.
On Friday, when the week was done, Serena came home to find Korrina sitting on her bed, with an apologetic look on her face.
"What happened?" said Serena.
"She didn't show up today," said Korrina. "I checked the schedule inside. Her name wasn't on it anymore. I think she quit. I'm sorry."
Serena's jaw dropped, and both her heart and her shoulders sank.
Before she knew it, Saturday came, and with it came plans to attend a fall festival that afternoon. And so, Serena spent much of the day wading through crowds with Clemont, Bonnie, and Korrina. All day she lagged a few steps behind. It was easy enough to put on a smile and pretend that everything was alright, that she was happy, that she was enjoying the sights and the smells and the sounds and the excitement.
But it was hard to do all day when she was perpetually two steps behind a happy couple, yet she herself was all alone. It was made harder still by the nagging feeling that she kept seeing a certain figure out of the corner of her eye. All day it teased her, just barely out of reach. When the evening came and the crowd began to clear, Serena lagged even further behind, more distracted than ever. Her friends took notice.
"You okay back there?" said Korrina, calling back to her.
Serena looked and noticed the gap between them was greater than it had been all day.
"I'm fine," she said. "I'm just a bit tired, that's all."
"Well, in that case, don't fall behind now!" said Clemont. "We're on our way home."
"Actually, you guys go on," said Serena. "I'd like to take a walk on my own for a little while."
"You sure?" said Bonnie. "You just said you were tired!"
"I won't be long," said Serena. She waved as she turned and backed away from them, headed toward the park. "I'll see you in a bit, okay?"
"Okay, enjoy," said Clemont. He corralled Bonnie, and together with Korrina they turned and left in the opposite direction. Serena waited until they were out of sight, then hurried across the street into the park.
She passed through the gate. Faint figures dotted the distance, the shadows and silhouettes of people and Pokémon slowly disappearing in the darkness as the last rays of the sun were swallowed by the horizon. None of the figures were the one she sought. Serena ran toward the center of the park, where the lanes crossed and all directions were visible.
She did not find anyone, nor anything. Instead, as the seconds passed and she squinted through the encroaching darkness, her search became ever more futile until it came to an abrupt end. Up above her, there was a faint buzz accompanied by a flash of light.
She looked up. The streetlamp had turned on. Its light drowned out everything in the distance, rendering the horizon invisible. Serena stepped away from the light and tried to look one last time, but it was already too late. It was too dark. The girl in black and white was gone. She may as well never have been there at all.
Serena stood where she was for a while, staring aimlessly into the invisible distance. She felt as though this all reminded her of something, although what it reminded her of was a mystery. She didn't know how to explain it. Perhaps it was more of that strange déjà vu, like watching someone else's memories.
Eventually, she moved on. With her head down, she wandered her way down the lane. A thought crossed her mind, and she laughed to herself. Something like a laugh, anyway. It was more of a puff of air through the nose, an involuntary reaction at the notion of amusement. Regardless, a trace of a smile crossed her lips. It really was amusing. This must have been what Aria's search for her was like in Monego City. It was such a maddening experience. It was no wonder Aria was such a wreck, and she had at least had the security of knowing that the person she was chasing was not trying to avoid being caught.
For that matter, Aria had also had the knowledge that the person she sought was actually that person. Serena shook her head. It was so silly. Not even once had she gotten more than a momentary glimpse of the girl. There was no guarantee it was Aria. There was no guarantee that it was even the same person every time. For all she knew, she could have seen one girl in black and white once who bore a resemblance to Aria and then gone on a wild chase after every girl she encountered who even vaguely matched the description.
Serena came upon a bench. It was empty. She stopped several steps away from it. She knew it was nothing more than a coincidence, but it felt like a sign. There was another bench far away that had once connected her with Aria. All this one did was remind her of how far apart they were now.
She stood and stared at the bench for long enough that her feet began to ache. Rather than sit down, she moved on. She knew it was foolish, but she could not bring herself to sit there. Not now of all times. She was so far apart not just from Aria, but from everyone. Maybe wandering on would bring her closer, she figured. There was no one waiting for her on that bench.
For a moment, she wondered if there was anyone waiting for her at all. She dismissed the thought. She knew it wasn't true. Clemont and Bonnie and Korrina were all waiting for her back at the house. There was certain to be more time spent with them before the day was done. Perhaps they would watch a movie together. Maybe they would play a game. They would do it again tomorrow, probably.
Serena sighed. It made so little sense. She was neither alone nor unloved, yet she felt so much like both. She knew it was so foolish. She had friends who obviously cared about her and wanted to be closer to her. She had a mother who was doing her best to understand, and a job and a place to stay in a beautiful city. She even had someone she loved who was going to return to her, one day. But still, all she could think about was all the ways she ruined everything and how much she wanted to make them right, and how undeserving she was of happiness until she did.
The darkness settled. The few bright stars that were visible in the city twinkled into view. Serena quickened her pace. She didn't want to make her friends wait any longer. She knew what it was like to be in their position. She had spent her whole life waiting for other people. They were the only ones who had ever waited for her.
She passed by more benches and more lampposts. There was something more to all this, she figured. Something about how she always waited, but no one else ever did. And how when she waited, it was for the wrong thing. And when she chose not to wait, it was for the wrong thing. And perhaps the reason why was not because she was an irredeemable heel of a person who did not deserve happiness, but rather because the world was simply under no obligation to give her what she wanted.
She reached the far side of the park. The gate to the rest of the world loomed. Maybe the reason why atonement seemed impossible was that it wasn't up to her, and because what those she wronged wanted mattered more than what she wanted. Maybe the right thing to wait for was for them to tell her that they were ready to talk to her again, and not the other way around.
She liked the idea. But before she could let it settle in her mind, she passed through the gate and saw the girl in black and white standing on the opposite street corner.
Serena stopped in her tracks. Her heart lurched. Her eyes narrowed in disbelief. Only a short expanse of pavement separated them. For the first time since her chase began, she saw the girl's face.
A car passed. In the moment it broke the line of sight between the two of them, the girl in black and white shifted her eyes away from the traffic light. Her gaze landed upon something in the distance, then abruptly snapped to Serena. From across the street, Serena heard a faint gasp as the girl's eyes shot open wide.
Serena stepped forward toward the street. Across the street, the girl stepped backward. She looked all around, momentarily frozen to the spot. Serena was certain she was searching for an escape route.
With one hand extended, reaching out with a gesture that was caught between a greeting wave and a desperate plea, Serena called to the girl.
"Hey!"
The girl's eyes snapped back to Serena. Their eyes met.
They both knew.
The girl turned and ran.
"Wait!"
Without looking, Serena stepped off the curb and into the street. She was greeted by a honking horn and a blast of warm air as a car narrowly avoided her. Stunned, she froze to the spot. For a couple of seconds, she was disoriented by the shock, unable to tell which way the cars were moving. It was only when she received another honk that she realized a car had stopped to let her pass and she ran for it.
When she reached the corner where the girl in black and white had stood a few seconds prior, she saw her all the way at the end of the block, rounding a corner. Serena broke into a sprint after her. At the far corner, she nearly slipped as she made the sharp turn. She saw the girl already at the far end of the adjacent block, waiting to cross another busy street.
"Please, wait!" Serena called.
The girl in black turned her head, saw Serena, looked back at the traffic light, and ran into the street. There was just enough time for her to cross before a river of cars separated them again.
At the far corner, Serena skidded to a halt and dug into her bag. She grabbed a Poké Ball and threw it high into the air. Ribombee emerged from it.
"Ribombee! Follow her! That way!"
Serena pointed across the street. Ribombee chittered a reply, then zipped away.
Seconds passed. Serena grew more and more certain that her chance was lost. There was no way she would be able to catch up. Ribombee grew further and further away in the distance.
The torrent of traffic slowed. Serena clenched her fists. This was her best chance yet. She was not giving up.
The light turned. She ran.
At a speed she did not know she could achieve, she ran down one block, then another, then another. Ribombee waited for her there, the girl in black and white already out of sight. There was no doubt she had turned the corner. Sure enough, as Serena approached, Ribombee made the turn and continued to lead the way.
Another block passed. The streets grew busier. With each passing block, they drew closer to the heart of the city. Serena briefly lost sight of the girl in a crowd of people. When she emerged on the far side of the crowd, she caught sight of her again.
The girl was not far ahead. Her pace had slowed. She gripped her side with one hand and clutched at her chest with the other, audibly heaving for breath even from a distance. She turned back to look, caught sight of Serena, and tried to pick up her pace again. Her face was a deep red.
And so was her hair.
"Please, stop!" Serena called, causing a number of passersby to turn their heads. "Wait! Please!"
The girl in black and white neither stopped nor waited. Instead, she turned yet again, jumped off the curb, and broke through a row of hedges on the far side of the road.
Serena had no choice but to follow. When she emerged on the opposite side of the hedgerow, she found herself at the entrance of a parking garage. The girl in black and white was just visible past a row of parked cars in the distance, her head bobbing up and down as she ran, each heavy step echoing off the concrete walls. She slipped out of sight.
It did not look like she had followed a straight path, instead taking an inefficient turn around the rows of parking spaces. Serena cut the distance and ran straight through the rows, weaving between the parked cars.
But when Serena reached the last spot where she had seen the girl, she came to a halt. The girl was nowhere to be seen. The footsteps had stopped. Hunched over in the middle of the garage, Serena caught her breath for a moment. Ribombee came buzzing up and landed on her shoulder. There was a distant sound. Ribombee chirped excitedly.
"Shh!" said Serena, holding up one finger. She listened more closely. For a moment, she held her breath.
Somewhere, someone else was trying to catch their breath, too. She was hidden somewhere among the cars.
Before Serena could determine where, the footsteps resumed. Serena turned and saw a figure streaking past on the far side of the garage, turning back the way they came.
Ribombee buzzed away. Serena ran back to the entrance, expecting to see the girl in black and white dash through the hedges again. Instead, she momentarily ran past the dark alley down which her target had turned. Serena had to stop and turn to continue after her, losing valuable time.
And yet, somehow, she was gaining on the girl. Her target was losing speed. The end of the alley neared. In a few more seconds, they would be on a main street again.
Once more, Serena called for her.
"Why are you running? I just want to talk to you!"
There was no reply.
"Please!"
The girl emerged on the main street again. She turned and disappeared. As she turned, there was a flash of light and the unmistakable sound of a Poké Ball opening.
Ribombee zoomed around the corner. When Serena reached the end of the alley, she emerged onto a deserted street. Though she recognized the street and knew it was normally busy, it was a place she had only seen before in daylight. It was night, though. The shops which lined the street were all closed.
Up ahead, Ribombee rounded yet another corner, this time without waiting for Serena. Again, Serena took off in a sprint.
"Hey, w-!"
Serena was not able to finish the sentence. Instead, her chase came to a sudden end as a pair of hands reached out from a dark alley and grabbed her by the neck of her sweater. In one swift motion, her assailant swung her around, using her momentum to slam her backward into a brick wall. The air left her lungs, and Serena found herself, face-to-face with the girl in black and white.
Stunned and unable to make a sound, Serena could do nothing but stare in wide-eyed shock as the girl removed one hand from her collar to fiercely shush her. The girl's face was a deep shade of red, sweat dripping down her cheeks as she labored to catch her own breath. The one hand still on her collar shook as it squeezed the fabric tighter. Pinned against the wall, Serena pressed her hands against the brick, but she did not try to break free. Instead, all she did was stare at the girl's eyes.
It really was her.
The girl in black and white loosened her grip. Her teeth clenched, she spoke in a ferocious whisper.
"What are you doing? Why are you doing this? Why do you keep following me?!"
Serena opened her mouth to speak, but she could not make a sound. She could not even draw breath. Winded from the shock of the impact, her lungs began to struggle for air. Her eyes still locked with the girl, she sank a few inches against the wall as her knees buckled. She tried to gasp for air.
The look on the girl's face changed. She whispered again.
"What? Are- Are you okay?"
Serena sank to the ground, breaking free of the girl's grip in the process. She placed her hands on her neck as she struggled to draw breath. She made an unsettling wheezing sound.
The girl dropped down on one knee in front of her. She examined her.
"Oh no. I've hurt you, haven't I?"
Air entered Serena's lungs again. Seconds passed. She took a few unsteady breaths. She tried to speak but failed again. Her frail, shaky words were inaudible, unintelligible.
"I knocked the wind out of you, didn't I?" the girl said. Her face tightened with worry. "I didn't mean to. I'm sorry."
As Serena's breaths became steadier, she continued to stare at the girl in black and white. She could see it so clearly now. She could even hear it. There was no mistaking it.
There were several seconds of silence. When the girl tightened her lips and looked away, Serena tried to speak.
"A- ...Aria?"
The girl paused. Her lips parted, but rather than speak, she first closed them again and nodded.
"Yes," she said.
Their eyes met again. There was a long pause.
"I'm so sorry," said Serena.
