Chapter 19: Festival of Light
"Fire spin!"
"Braix!" Braixen eagerly spun herself around like a ballerina and similarly sent a spiraling jet of fire into the air above her.
Serena and Charla descended within the fire spin while Pancham rode on the Princess's shoulders.
"Dark Pulse!"
"Cham!" Pancham thrust both hands out in opposite directions and mixed with the spinning fire, sending out beams of vibrant dark fire in the shape of various artwork and pokemon around them.
"Dragon tail!"
Serena took Charla by the paws and danced with her in the air. All the while, Charla smashed apart a few of the artworks, sending glittering light around the ocean and beach below.
Just before landing, Braixen leaped up into the air and landed in Serena/Charla's arms, and stood tall as they touched the ground.
"Ta da!"
"Ahhhh! Magnifique! It's too magnifique!" Bonnie clasped her hands together and felt herself lifted into the air.
"Truly merveilleux, Serena." Ash and his team applauded with similar enthusiasm. The young chevalier stood in just a pair of trousers, covered from head to two in sweat alongside his pokemon, all except Greninja, who only appeared slightly fatigued.
"Pika!"
"Grouuu!"
"Runt!"
"Fletch!"
Charla and Braixen bashfully looked over to see Charizard and Lucario's reactions to their performance. However, only Lucario seemed interested while Charizard conversed with Greninja.
"Char!" Charla looked slightly crestfallen, and Braixen tried to pat her shoulder but blushed when she saw Lucario's impressed expression.
"Brother, why aren't you applauding? That's rude!" Bonnie scolded Clemont, who struggled to breathe, lying flat on his back with Luxray, Bunnelby, and Chespin looking down at him.
"Je vais mourir." Clemont moaned. He'd thought training sessions with Ash and Red were bad enough, but Greninja brought him to the brink of death over the last few days.
However, Ash was happy to say their efforts were achieving results. Clemont had almost twice the muscle mass he'd had a year earlier and was starting to look more like a real man at arms when he fought. The chevalier didn't doubt that Clemont could probably defeat a Galar Routier in single combat if it came to it. Just as importantly, Ash noticed his own swordsmanship improving.
Pierre had always been perhaps the greatest knight Ash ever knew, but Greninja was something else entirely. It was as if he possessed a Millenium of skill and experience.
Serena also took notice of Ash's improvements, however, more so in the change in his physical appearance. Ash, like most chevaliers, had spent his entire life training to fight and possessed a rather athletic body type.
However, Clemont wasn't the only one benefiting from Greninja's training. Serena did her best to keep steam from escaping her ears when looking at him.
Breakfast on the beach proved particularly enjoyable, with the sound of rolling ocean waves giving the four a soothing ambiance as they ate.
"Je suis désolé, Fletchinder. But I'm all out of wine. I'll get more in town today." Ash said as the fire-bird went pale in disappointment.
"Serena, are you going to use that routine for the festival tonight!?" Bonnie eagerly asked.
"Oui!" Serena beamed with a vehement nod while brushing Pancham.
"Do you think we should tell the people there who you are?" Clemont asked, causing Ash, Serena, and Greninja to look at each other, unsure of the right answer.
"Well, Fletchinder didn't see any Galar there this morning." Serena said,
though not confidently.
"Peut-être, but the word could still spread and bring Galar towards the town looking for you." Clemont countered. Serena hesitated and pictured Galar Routiers pillaging the town because of her.
"We don't know that!" Ash and Bonnie gave Clemont a slightly stern look, causing the squire to sweatdrop nervously.
"We'll see what happens when we get there." Ash assured Serena while placing his hand on hers. This seemed to lift her spirits slightly, and she nodded.
By late morning, the four arrived at the outskirts of Lagoon town, passing a few travelers and farmers returning from the fields alongside their pokemon.
Lagoon town was somewhat large and prosperous, with fine wooden buildings, paved streets, farm fields, a small cathedral, fishing huts by the shore, and defensible walls around it.
However, upon arriving at the gate, their earlier angst vanished upon seeing Kalos banners flying alongside what looked like a feudal Lord's coat of arms.
"Who would enter Lagoon town?" A man at arms atop the gate tower with a Zangoose beside him asked.
"Monsieur Ash and his companions."
The soldier raised his half helm and looked closer at Ash's spurrs.
"Ahh bienvenu, monsieur, madame."
"Merci, tell me. Who garrison's this town?" Ash asked.
"The Baron René de Basnage. He and his retinue arrived yesterday after defeating a Galar company alongside Monsieur Arnaud's forces and are resting here for a few days before returning to the war alongside Compte Red."
Bonnie crossed her arms and glared up at Clemont, who sweatdropped.
"You all choose a good day to visit. The locals are hosting a magnifique festival tonight."
Upon entering Lagoon town, they saw most of the locals and their pokemon eagerly preparing adornments across the streets and a large fountain in the town center before the cathedral.
These decorations looked like colorful stars and flowers, but the townsfolk didn't do so alone, joined by a few hundred men at arms and several dozen knights wearing the same sigil on their armor as the banner over the walls, a black Aegislash on a green plain.
"So pretty! I can't wait to see the Festival tonight!" Bonnie beamed.
"Oui!" Serena felt her heart soar upon seeing the happiness and optimism in the people and pokemon around them. That even amid the Galar invasion, such celebrations remained possible.
"Allons-y! We only have a few hours, men!" A tall young man built like a Machoke roared as he, a shiny Aegislash, and several men-at-arms/knights finished putting a stage together.
"Achevé! Well done!" The young man smiled warmly at his men and beckoned someone unseen forward.
"You're all set Tierno!"
"Oui! Merci, mon Seigneur!" Ash and the others looked upon the stage as two figures emerged. Another young man, their age, tall, but unlike the nobleman beside the Aegislash below, he wasn't muscular. Instead, he was rather portly with brown eyes and distinct black hair that almost looked like a beret.
Beside him came a Hakamo-o who mirrored his trainer's excitable expression.
"Bien, let's see what you have in store for us all tonight." The muscular nobleman smiled as he and his men sat down at a few tables and chairs prepared for them.
"Trevor! Is the bishop coming?"
"Bishop?" Serena asked in utter confusion. Unaware a town would have a bishop instead of a priest.
"Oui mon Seigneur!" A boy of perhaps thirteen with very thick orange hair ran out with a Floette on his shoulder ran out and began pouring wine for the fighting men and their pokemon.
"Here he comes now!"
Ash and the others caught their breath as they saw none other than Bishop Sycamore walking towards the tables with a slight limp, assisted by a man-at-arms.
"Ahh, pardonne-moi, Seigneur Rene." Sycamore's warm smile filled the group with an overwhelming sense of joy. They'd long believed him dead after the sacking of Lumiose City.
"Merci." Sycamore said after sitting down beside Baron Rene, the boy pouring him some wine.
"Your excellency!" Sycamore spit out his wine and violently coughed upon hearing Ash and Serena's voices.
"Reduka aies pitié!" Sycamore performed a holy sign upon seeing the four and sprung up before nearly falling over, Rene quickly catching him.
All four ran over and quickly embraced Sycamore, who started to tear up.
"Bishop, we thought you were dead!" Serena, too felt her eyes grow wet as he hugged them back.
"Ahhh, Princess. I've been through a great ordeal, but Reduka blesses me today to see you alive and safe. Monsieur Ash, Clemont, Bonnie,
vous aussi."
"Red's doing well too. He's the Comte de Shalour now."
"Oui, I heard! I prayed that meant you were safe too."
"Princess!?" Rene and his men yelped upon seeing Serena.
"Ahh, bonjour mon Seigneur." Serena sweatdropped slightly as Baron Rene and his men scrambled to kneeling positions.
"Your majesty! We had no idea you were coming here! Trevor, quickly fetch her majesty some seating!"
"Oui!" The boy visibly trembled as he looked up at Serena and the others.
"Asseyez-vous s'il vous plait!" Rene gestured to a few seats beside himself and Sycamore. One by one, they sat down as Trevor visibly shook while pouring each a glass of wine and some for their pokemon.
"Fletch!" Fletchinder squawked with burning enthusiasm before taking deep gulps of the wine.
Trevor continued and became so nervous that he accidentally spilled some onto Bonnie's lap.
"Ahhh! It's cold!"
"Trevor!" Rene growled.
"Pardonne-moi!"
"It's ok, relax." Serena tried to ease Trevor, but his shaking only got worse.
"Ahhhh! It is her!" Tierno practically jumped off the stage and sprinted in front of Serena before kneeling down in front of her.
"Your majesty! Princess Serena! Oh mon coeur crie!" Tierno's eyes turned to hearts and he extended his hand out to Serena the same way Bonnie used to do to girls on behalf of Clemont.
"Ehhh, bonjour, Tierno." Serena, Sycamore, Braixen, Clemont, Charla, and Pancham sweatdropped while Trevor looked slightly embarrassed.
"Really Tierno, la princesse."
Charla shook her heard until she saw Hakamo-o staring at her much like his trainer.
"Char?"
"Hak! Hakamo-o!" Hakamo-o clasped his claws together as he came within inches of the dragon Charmeleon and stared at her with hearts for eyes.
"Char!?" Charla backed up, very uncomfortable.
"Ahhh! I never dreamed you'd come here and see me perform! You're an inspiration to all of us performers!"
"You're a performer?!" Ash asked with keen interest.
"Oui, uhhh?" Tierno started, not knowing who Ash was.
Bonnie smirked with a smug grin and crossed her arms.
"Monsieur Ash, Princess Serena's husband." The hearts in Tierno's eyes shattered, replaced by grey tears that mirrored his pale and crestfallen expression.
"Ahhh! Le destin est si cruel !"
"Tierno, please, you're embarrassing us." Trevor sighed.
"Tierno and his Hakamo-o are dancers. Some of the best I've seen. Tierno, why don't you show the Princess and her companions what you can do." Rene said.
"Oui, mon Seigneur! Hakamo-o! Let's go!"
"Hakamo-o!" As they ran onto the stage, Ash and the others briefly turned back to Sycamore. Despite his happy expression, the Bishop looked worse for wear, paler, skinnier, and wearing several scars.
"It looks worse than it really is, je t'assure. Reduka blesses me with freedom and, more importantly, your safety."
"What happened to you?" Serena asked with deep concern.
"Well, the Galar overran us in Lumiose, and I was taken, prisoner. I spent a long time as a prisoner, suffering beatings and interrogations for information."
"Your excellency-" Clemont started.
"I'm fine. My prayers kept me intact and strong."
"How did you escape?" Ash asked.
"I didn't. A week ago, Monsieur Arnaud sent a messenger to Lumiose city, offering them a Galar Captain named Lord Joyce in exchange for me."
"Joyce!" Ash and the others remembered sparing him back in Camphrier Town,
"I understand I have you to thank for my freedom. Merci." Sycamore smiled at the four, who almost trembled.
"Prêt! This one's for you, Princess!"
"Hakamo-o!" Hakamo-o similarly dedicated his performance to Charla, making the Charmeleon look incredibly embarrassed, much Like Serena. She, Clemont, and Bonnie glanced over at Ash, who acted as if nothing had happened.
"Ash is so dense." Bonnie sighed.
"Char." Charla sweatdropped as she saw Hakamo-o beaming at her.
"Braix." Braixen nudged Charla and emphasized Charizard, who was still drinking his wine
"Braix."
Charla realized Braixen had a point and quickly fantasized about an image of Charizard looking incredibly jealous of Hakamo-o nuzzling her.
"Char!" Charla eagerly nodded and began formulating a plan.
"Alright, allons-y!" Tierno and Hakamo-o began what Serena could only describe as an incredibly well-coordinated dance routine. Given their size, the two moved with unbelievable agility and coordination, and she couldn't help but feel impressed at Tierno's abilities.
Ash, too felt himself et engaged in the performance, but not quite the same way as he did for Serena's. After a minute or two, he and Serena noticed Trevor take a sketchbook out and begin drawing while looking at Charla with a look of awe.
"Si beau!"
"You like Charla, then?" Serena giggled, nearly making Trevor jump out of his skin.
"Ehhh! Pardonne-moi, your majesty!" He yelped, his Floette shaking her head.
"C'est d'accord, what are you up to?"
"Well, the thing is, I like to make sketches of pokemon, is all, and well. I've never seen a Charmeleon like yours before." Trevor showed Serena and the others his sketch, which looked masterfully done.
"Ahhh! C'est beau!" Bonnie cried while clasping her hands.
"Rrrealy?" Trevor almost stuttered.
"Oui, you really captured Charla's natural beauty." Serena added, making Trevor beam.
"Merci!" Charla leaned forward with Braixen and Pancham to look at the sketch. Upon doing so, stars filled their eyes.
"Cham!"
"Braix!" Serena's other pokemon tugged at Trevor's legs with anxious expressions.
"I think they want portraits too." Clemont chuckled.
"Really, can I do them too!?" Serena nodded, and Trevor eagerly got started. As Tierno continued, Sycamore soon took an interest in Charla and carefully began examining her while Serena and the others explained where she came from.
"Intéressant, très intéressant. I didn't think mating during mega evolution was possible, undoubtedly forced, utterly barbaric." Sycamore stroked Charla's chin in a way she found very comforting and whined a little with a relaxed grin.
"Still, truly something unbelievable this one, and in excellent health. It seems you four have been doing well despite being on your own for so long."
"We've done our best and definitely had some help along the way." Ash admitted.
"Even so, I hope you weren't planning on doing anything reckless." Ash, Serena, Clemont, and their pokemon sweatdropped.
"Définir imprudent." Rene laughed at this just as Tierno finished up his routine with Hakamo-o.
"Achevé!"
"Hak!" Many in the audience and local townsfolk started clapping, but Tierno and Hakamo-o only cared about too audience members in particular.
They looked for them only to see Sycamore giving Serena and her companions what looked like a stern talk, preventing them from seeing his finish.
Hakamo-o similarly saw Charla trying to show Charizard the portrait of her.
"Ahhhh."
"Hak!" Trainer and pokemon shared a crestfallen expression.
Later that evening, as the sun began to set, most of Lagoon town's residents came out with their pokemon in anticipation of the Festival. Vendors had sweets, bread, pokebiscuits, and wine prepared for the occasion.
Serena, meanwhile, did her best to simply get through the thick crowd of admirers that virtually blocked her path.
"Princess!"
"Princess!"
"Princess!"
"Faire place!" Rene roared as he, Ash, and a few of his knights tried to clear a path for Serena to reach the stage.
The Princess and her pokemon got dressed up for their performance, but the overeager audience started to make them feel a little claustrophobic.
Tierno and Trevor were nearby and saw this, the dancer stroking his chin as a candlestick went off in his head.
"C'est ça! If I rescue her from that crowd, the Princess will finally notice me!"
"Hak!"
"Tierno, please, you're going to get us in trouble." Trevor pleaded but to no avail. Tierno and Hakamo-o charged headlong into the crowd, barreling several people, which accidentally led to a domino effect, resulting in two of Rene's knights and their pokemon falling over too.
"Ehhh!" Serena yelped upon seeing the crowd now swarming to try and meet her.
"Braix!" Braixen unleashed a fire-spin forcing them back and leading her trainer off.
"Serena!"
"Princess!" Ash and Rene cried.
Pancham and Charla tried to follow when Hakamo-o sprung in front of Charla with hearts for eyes and a bouquet of flowers in his claws.
"Hak!" Charla and Pancham cringed for a moment before Charla remembered Braixen's earlier suggestion and grinned.
"Char! Charmeleon!" She whispered to Pancham, who sweatdropped but nodded and made his way over to Ash's Charizard, who, like his other pokemon, tried to keep the crowd's pokemon back.
"Cham." Pancham tugged at Charizard's tail, then pointed to Charla when the fire-lizard turned towards him.
Charizard peered closer and saw Charla slowly extending her claws to take the flowers with what looked like a very reluctant smile on her face.
Charizard narrowed his eyes slightly, and moments later, Hakamo-o felt a fiery inferno engulf him, but just him.
"Hak." Hakamo-o coughed a little while covered in soot and then fell over, his flowers disintegrating.
"Char!" Charla almost cried, believing her plan had worked, only to feel Charizard pat her on the head before returning to his previous position.
Charla's wide smile fell into a deep fury and utter frustration.
"Char!"
Meanwhile, Serena and Braixen had just escaped the crowd behind a building and exhaled deeply.
"Merci Reduka." Serena sighed.
"Braix." Braixen tried to peer around the corner again to see if the coast was clear but didn't notice they stood at the edge of a hill and tumbled down.
"Braixen!" Serena raced after her but soon saw another figure had picked up her pokemon and started clearing the dust from her tail with a massive hand.
"Braix." Braixen was slightly uncomfortable at first but soon felt very relaxed in the man's lap.
"Ahh, merci. I-" Serena froze when she saw the unnaturally large man with familiar worn clothing and long white hair.
"AZ!?" Serena cried.
"Bonsoir, princess. It's good to see you again."
Az didn't actually look up at Serena but stared up at the sky as if in anticipation of something.
"AZ, it's good to see you again. I didn't expect to find you here."
"Oui, I come here every year for the Festival. It's one of the few things that provide me with genuine comfort."
"Are you sure you don't want to join the others? You look a bit lonely out here." Serena said in genuine concern, which only got worse when she saw his cold expression.
"Non, I don't deserve it."
"Quoi?"
"Nothing, I just prefer to be alone, is all." Serena gave AZ a warm smile and knelt down beside him.
"No one should be alone, AZ. If you don't feel comfortable around people, why not befriend a pokemon. I think you're pretty good with them."
"Braix!" Braixen added, particularly after seeing his clean and well-groomed her tail looked. However, the Princess and her Braixen saw AZ come to the verge of tears and clenched his eyes shut.
"Non, I had a pokemon once. Now, all I have are memories."
"AZ." Serena and Braixen placed warm hands on his shoulders. Moments later, the sky lit up as a breeze filled the air around them.
"Ehh? Ahhh! It's starting!"
"Braixen!" All three gazed up at what looked like a living cloud of dazzling light glided along the ocean breeze. Serena and Braixen's eyes lit up as they saw it was a mass herd of Floette dancing with each other in the sky over Lagoon town.
"Si beau!"
"Braix!" Serena and Braixen hugged each other, not noticing AZ virtually soaking himself with tears as he stared up at the pokemon.
"Floette, pardonne-moi." After wiping the tears from his face, AZ saw Serena with Braixen and forced himself to smile.
"You share a close bond with your pokemon."
"Braixen, Pancham, and Charla are my world. Them and Ash, of course." Serena didn't know why, but her chest felt slightly tender again, but before she could remedy it, she and Braixen saw AZ reach into his coat.
"Memories with those you love are more precious than anything. Savor them forever, Princess." AZ revealed a strange object in his hand. It almost looked like several crystalized leaves forged together.
"What is that?"
"A Time Flower, hold it close, and your memories will last forever. I promise."
Serena and Braixen cautiously took it but felt a strange warmth from the Time Flower, as if somehow alive.
"Merci."
"Serena! Te voilà!" All three turned to see Ash alongside his and Serena's other pokemon approaching.
"You had us worried, Rene cleared a path for you."
"Oui! One second, AZ, come on. I'd like you to be there!" The massive man remained sitting before feeling Ash and Serena take him by the hand.
"Allez! You'll have a great time!" Ash added, not even flinching at reuniting with the strange man. Taking a deep breath, AZ stood up and followed them but looked back at the pokemon above him one more time.
Author's note
Yep, not the most eventful chapter, but a introduced and reintroduced a few characters
Sycamore is ok, and expect him to stick around from time to time
Serena also has a new trinket which will certainly come back later
Lastly, some of you may wonder what I thought about Serena's return in the anime. It was more or less what I expected after hearing the rumors about Journey's episode 105. Hopefully she and Ash have a more substantial reunion, but we'll have to see.
I must say the most entertaining part is seeing all the comments from people who hate amourshipping and how they're trying to spin this in their favor. To anyone who said Ash and Serena's reunion had no amourshipping in it, I'd reply, look at the close ups on their eyes, faces, and the music, that speaks for itself.
However, I think my favorite was someone claiming a children's show can't have shipping in it. I think Jimmy Neutron, Avatar the Last Airbender, Phineas and Ferb, Boy meets World, and Milo Murphey's law beg to differ.
As I said, depending on how Journey's ends will impact how I write my final amourshipping fic, I'm already outlining it, but final details will have to wait until Journey's end. My goal is to write a send-off movie for Ash based off the anime
So until next time,
Please review, comment, suggest, or ask (VIA PM)