Content Warning: Mentions of Tobacco and Alcohol.
Disappointed at the lack of viewers in the last theater, Serena and her companions had set out to perform at a formal party in the outskirts of Motostoke City, to which they easily accepted her application which gave Serena some suspicion. Nevertheless, she got paid upfront so Serena was set to perform even if no one would pay attention to her
Serena thought about retiring after this, using what's left of her money to start a small farm in the green fields of Kalos. The more she performed, the more she failed to captivate the younger audiences of the modern world due to newer and growing forms of entertainment that kept on getting in her way.
Serena pondered on how to captivate younger audiences for a long time but gave up after her decline as a Pokemon Performer. Gone are the days where even a simple coin trick could gain loud applause from young kids and teenagers. Serena wished she could go back to those days, to be able to perform without being brushed aside by some pop singer or a group of boy bands who could attract the attention of young people by strumming a single note from a guitar.
Serena stood by the balcony of her hotel room, she watched the nightlights of the city as she smoked, pondering on the thoughts she would always think about after a failed performance. The city's beautiful night lights, combined with the beautiful twinkling starry skies reminded Serena of her days as a young performer, with only a penny to her name and a set of dresses her mother had given her.
From there, she would go on to perform magical feats with her companions, from a simple coin trick to her Braixen and Pancham's trademark Will-O-Wisp trick. The audience loved her, but nowadays, the modern audience yearns for something more than an old, faded, and washed-out performer. She wondered if there's someone out there who still believes in the magic that performers like her would bring to the table.
"Braixen…?"
She turned around to face Braixen, flicking away her cigarette. "Hey, Braixen. You can't sleep?" Braixen nodded.
"What's wrong, Braixen?" she asked as she caressed her cheek.
"Braixen, Brai…" She pointed her finger at Serena with worried eyes. "Braixen…"
"Are you worried about me?" she sighed. This is the last thing she wanted, to make her companions feel worried about her. "I'm okay. It's just… it's been a rough few days, is all."
"Brai…?"
"Yes, Braixen. Trust me. Everything is okay, I promise." Serena said as she embraced her companion, wanting to assure the fire-type that she'll be alright.
Her days are rough, but she will make it work like she always used to.
The party on the outskirts of Motostoke City had kicked off, wealthy elites mingled and drank wine as they watched, a local opera singer sang her heart out as she performed a classic song called "the Kalosian waltz". She sang with a fierce but soft tone.
The audience clearly loved to see her perform judging from the number of people watching. Serena and Braixen waited from the back, wearing her usual performer's outfit. For today, she wished that people would pay attention to them just as they were paying attention right now to the opera singer. She watched from the back as they both waited for their cue to perform.
I wish I could captivate an audience like that, she thought to herself.
As the opera singer finally finished performing, the audience clapped as she gave a bow and headed backstage, the band then began to play her tune, giving them their cue. She straightened her blue bowtie and walked out from the back and into the front of the audience.
But as soon as she began performing, the audience began talking to each other, sipping wine as they chatted about their day. She felt dismayed that even the older audiences weren't paying attention to her, but regardless, she went on to perform.
"Braixen! Use Will-O-Wisp followed by Fire Spin!" She commanded, and Braixen gracefully performed her signature move with grace and dazzling magic. Yet, it failed to captivate her audience who were busier chatting about their wealth. One person behind her clapped in a drunken manner.
"Alright Braixen, now's our chance! Use Will-O-Wisp again, this time followed by Light Screen!" Braixen summoned the same set of wisps and formed them into a circle, then she summoned a set of light screens which made the wisps shine brighter than an Ember's flame. Once again, her audience did not pay any attention to her.
Keep your cool, Serena. Just keep on performing… She thought to herself as she called out her Pancham onto the scene.
"Alright, now for the best part! Braixen, use Will-O-Wisp and form a circle!" She commanded as usual and clapped her hands a few seconds later as Pancham jumped through the circle of wisps with style and grace. Yet again, no one applauded her. The same drunk person clapped and approached him drunkenly.
"Aye, you're a good performer, I tell ya!" He complimented Serena as he pulled out a card from his pocket. "Here, take one of my calling cards. I-I know a group of people who would want to see you perform." The man gave Serena his calling card, to which she accepted and hid it in her pocket. The man then tried to walk away, only to trip and crash on one of the tables. "Sorry! Sorry…"
Serena and her companions then used the distraction to walk away from the audience along with her belongings.
For the next three days, Serena traveled by boat to The Isle of Armor after she called up the man that offered her his calling card. She brought with her a few days' worth of clothes and money from her previous performances. The trip went from sunny to cloudy and then cloudy with a mix of rain.
The Isle of Armor, to her, is the perfect place to retire as it is known for its lush green fields and sandy shores. From what she could read from the pamphlet that he brought with her; The Isle of Armor is a developing rural town that has a total population of 2,000. Most of the town has yet to obtain electricity, while some parts have running power with lights on their homes. Reading this information gave her the idea for their next performance.
"Pancham, pan…?" Pancham asked as he tugged at her coat.
"What's wrong, Pancham?" Serena inquired. Pancham simply rubbed his stomach, indicating the obvious. Not surprising.
"Heh, feeling hungry already, Pancham?" She asked and Pancham nodded in reply.
"But you just ate an hour ago… oh well." Serena gingerly took out a piece of Macaron from her case and handed it over. "Here you go, but this is the last one for now, okay?"
With the boat arriving at her destination, she was greeted with rainy clouds and a small fishing village. Seeing the small village reminded Serena of her own small town she lived in when she was a young kid. Smiling, she stepped down from the boat and waited for the man to pick her up. While waiting, she and Pancham tried one of The Isle of Armor's local delicacies.
Soon, the drunk man arrived in a ragged looking car. He honked for her attention and waved at her as Serena turned to look in his direction. Serena smiled at the man, knowing that his enthusiasm was genuine.
As soon as they left the fishing village, Serena and the man conversed about several topics, like the history of The Isle of Armor and its wonderful natural sights as they traveled to their destination. There were times that the two had to stop by to refuel or to try and get the tires off from the wet mud. Serena didn't mind helping the man even if she and her Pancham got dirty, knowing that the town they're going to has running water and a bar of soap to deal with the dirt and muck that the ground could offer.
Hours had passed from driving after overcoming simple obstacles, Serena and the man finally arrived at the small town. There was not much to see other than the simple food stalls, houses, small stores, and the usual sight of young kids playing around the small town. The man led Serena to the town's local tavern, where she met the bartender in charge.
"Ah, hello. You must be the performer Liam talked about the other night. The name's Barry." He shook Serena's hand. "Aww, who's the little fella?" He ruffled Pancham's fur, with Pancham taking in the delightful feeling.
"Yes, that would be me. I am Serena, this is my Pancham, and I have accepted your friend's offer to perform in your local town. As such, I have brought my poster with me to promote my image should the need for another performance arrive." She then pulled out his poster from the tube and showed it to the bartender.
"Ah, that is lovely. I know just where to put it..." he took the poster and placed it on the large dartboard, placing darts on the corners to make it stick. "Easy as pie. Your room is on the first right, then turn on the first left. It's not hard to miss it."
"Thank you very much, sir. I'll prepare for tonight's performance." She shook his hand in return and went to her assigned room.
"Gloria, take care of the tables for me, would you kindly?"
"Sure thing!" The young girl stopped cleaning the floor to fix the chairs and tables, but her attention was caught by the poster of Serena donning her performer's outfit. "The Queen of Kalos...?" Gloria looked at the poster for a few more seconds, before turning her attention back to the chairs and tables.
"Ugh, what a day." Serena said as she plopped down on the bed, with Pancham following suit. She wondered if this opportunity was her next big break. The last time she had a big break like this was two years ago when she performed in Lumiose City. She hoped that this time, it would spark the dying flame within her as a performer.
"Pancham…"
"I know, Pancham. But we must give our best, no matter what." She declared as Serena raised her fist in the air. "I know it's what he would've wanted…"
"Pan…?"
"Mhm. I'm sure Ash is proud of us. Wherever he is now…
The day had passed, and the tavern was then filled with patrons of the small village, young and old, drinking, and dancing to their heart's content. The audience clapped in tune with the bagpipes. All the while, Gloria helped the bartender by serving alcoholic drinks to the older patrons of the tavern. For the young, orphaned girl, she spent most of her life studying and doing work for the bartender in exchange for money and a room to sleep in. Gloria loved to serve drinks and food to the locals, but she yearned for more.
She yearned to travel to the outside world, to the bustling cities of Galar and other regions she had read from the magazines she had bought with her own money. As a growing up girl soon to be in her late teens, Gloria learned that these cities have electricity and luxuries such as perfume, diamond earrings and more. She dreamt of owning such luxuries one day.
After the people had finished dancing, the drunk man whistled for their attention and signaled the bartender to turn off the lamps, while he gingerly attached a lightbulb above him. As soon as the lamps were turned off, he pushed the button and the light turned on. The entire audience clapped, as he turned it off and on once more, earning more praise from the audience.
"Now, settle down everyone! We have a special guest for tonight! She is a famous Pokemon Performer from the city that I lived in for a while, so let's give our applause to The Queen of Kalos!" He stepped aside to give way for Serena, as she stepped inside with her Braixen and Pancham. The audience clapped as she stepped in, which surprised Serena before bowing to the audience.
"Thank you for your warm applause! I, the Queen of Kalos, shall dazzle you tonight with a magical show!" She triumphantly declared.
Now Braixen! Use Will-o-Wisp followed by Light Screen!" Serena commanded, and Braixen conjured up a set of wisps dazzled by a set of light screens. Pancham then hopped up from Braixen's back and used Mach Punch to break the screens, causing the flames to disappear gracefully. The patrons cheered and whistled at the display.
Gloria watched in awe, amazed at Serena's first performance. She rubbed her eyes to see if she was dreaming, only to see that what she just did was all real.
"Wow, she's amazing!" she thought to herself. Gloria sat down on the front seat to get a clear view of Serena and her performance. The young girl was captivated as she watched Serena perform with her Pokemon.
Serena whistled for Pancham to hop onto her shoulder and commanded him to use Mach Punch again, this time against a set of fiery circles. Smooth as butter, Pancham punched right through the embers with ease and remained unharmed.
An hour had passed, Serena finished her performance with their signature move.
"Let's end it with a Will-o-Wisp, formed into a circle!" She told her Braixen, to which she gracefully formed the wisps. She clapped her hands and Pancham, who was at the opposite end of the tavern, ran up to the wisps and jumped through the circle without a single burn.
The audience cheered as she and her Pokemon bowed before recalling them back to their Pokeballs. As she stepped into the hallway, she stopped for a while and looked back at the cheering audience, before walking back to his room, a smile formed on her lips. She felt appreciated by the locals, and that warmed Serena's heart.
As soon as his performance ended, the drunk man came back to the room with a small battery-operated boombox, and the patrons watched in curiosity. As he turned it on, a wave of old rock and roll music had hit their ears, with the man dancing wildly and the people cheered him on.
Meanwhile, Gloria went upstairs to mop the floor, only to see that one room had a light on. She realized that the performer's room was right in front of her, so she continued to mop the floor earnestly until her right foot accidentally kicked down the bucket. "Dang it!" She tried to reach for it, only for Serena to take the small bar of soap while she was in the middle of doing her make-up with her Braixen.
"Is this yours?" The performer asked. Gloria nodded.
Serena then covered the small bar of soap with a handkerchief, with the small bar now turned into a large bar of soap by taking off the napkin. She gasped and looked at the bar of soap.
"Wow! Thanks, Ma'am." She took the bar of soap and smiled. "Are there any clothes that I could wash for you tonight?"
Serena nodded and gave Gloria her dirty clothes. She took out a dollar from her hair and gave it to her as a tip, to which she accepted and pocketed it.
"I'll do my best to get rid of the dirt off the clothes." Gloria took the bucket and placed the dirty clothes and bar of soap in it, and walked down the stairs, but not before giving Serena a smile.
At the other end of the room was a young boy who witnessed everything. Thinking that the performer was a miracle maker, he took his broken Mareep toy and approached Serena.
"U-um, miss…? Can you please make Ms. Mareep all better…?" The young boy showed the broken toy from the palm of his hands. Serena hummed and gave the young lad a warm smile.
"Of course. Just give me one moment." She took the broken toy and used some of the glue she had left in her suitcase to piece the broken head back onto its neck again. She carefully huffed and puffed, until the glue dried up. "Here you go, good as new." Serena said as she handed the newly fixed toy back to the young boy.
"Oh, wow! Thank you, miss! Mr. Mareep is going to be happy now that she's all well!" He remarked which caused Serena and her Braixen to giggle lightly.
"Well, you better take loving care of Ms. Mareep from now on, okay? Now then, go back to bed and get a good night's rest." She said to the boy, and he nodded before he went back to his room.
"Whew, what a night." She remarked as she finished applying powder on her nose.
"Braixen?"
"Heh, I'm okay Braixen. I'm just… I don't know what to say. I guess I'm happy that not all our performances are a bust. For once, we got ourselves a small break."
"Braixen, Brai…"
She patted Braixen on the head, before she headed back to her bed. "We just have to keep trying, no matter what. Never give up until it's over, right?"
Braixen nodded at the young girl's newfound determination. "Braixen!"
"That's the spirit. Now come on, let's go to bed."
The next day, after walking on the beach with the drunk man, she went back up to her room only to find her clothes cleaned and dried. She checked the clothes for any leftover dirt, only to be disturbed by Gloria who shyly entered the room with a basket of dry socks.
"I did my best to clean your clothes, it was a bit hard to remove the stains, but it wasn't a challenge for me." she said meekly.
Serena approached the young girl and gave her a dollar from her wallet to which Gloria smiled.
She noticed the other dirty clothes and went on to grab them.
"Oh, no no no, that's alright I uh-" Serena tried to tell gloria that it's all right, but the girl basically has her clothes now for cleaning
"I guess it's okay. Just please be careful with them, okay?" She asked.
"Yes, Ma'am! I'll do my best." Gloria happily exclaimed.
As she tried to exit the room, she almost tripped over when the sole of her right boot broke loose. She looked at her now broken shoe and back to Serena, with an awkward smile. "It's alright, I can always fix it again," she said, before stepping out of the room.
"What a nice girl… she reminds me of my mother." Serena happily remarked.
After she was paid by the bartender for her performance, Serena and Braixen went for a walk around the small town to look for anything he could bring home with them. She considered buying the delicacies again but instead went for candies for her Pokemon.
"Braixen, Brai." Braixen remarked.
"I know, Braixen. But we must try and save our money for something that we might need on our next journey. Don't worry, though. After this, I'll make some Macarons for us! What do you say?
"Braixen!" she happily exclaimed.
"Heh. I'm sure Pancham would love that, too."
As she was about to head back to the tavern, they came across a small clothing store that showed off a pair of blue shoes in the display window. She remembered that the young girl who washed her clothes had a terrible broken pair of shoes. Serena lit up a cigarette and smoked for a while, and then made her decision afterwards.
She entered the store and purchased the pair of blue shoes as a parting gift for the young girl.
Meanwhile, in the Tavern, Gloria entered the room to deliver the now clean clothes for the honey-blonde performer, only to find the occupant in the room was her Pancham who was asleep on the bed. Placing down the basket of clothes, she noticed from the window that snow had begun to fall, and she felt the cold creeping in her body. Placing three pieces of charcoal in the fireplace, she lit it up and made herself comfortable, sitting by the chair to wait for Serena and to hand over the clean clothes.
An hour had passed, Serena came back with snow on his shoulders. She smiled when she noticed Gloria sitting on the chair.
"Hello, young girl." she greeted, "Are you comfortable?"
"Oh! Ms. Serena! I didn't notice you just arrived!" she said, immediately standing up and brushing aside the stray strand of hair. "I uh, was waiting for you, ma'am. Your clothes have been cleaned and dried." she smiled lightly.
"Thank you. Sit down for a moment, I have something to show you." She hid the small box of shoes with her napkin and showed it to her, before pulling off the napkin to reveal the pair of blue shoes. "It's for you."
Gloria's eyes lit up, in front of her was a pair of brand-new blue shoes, and all for her. She was convinced that this came from her "performance magic". "Wow… thanks so much, Ms. Serena!"
"You can call me Serena. What's your name, young lady?" she asked.
"Gloria" she said, "My name is Gloria."
"Well, Gloria, I can't help but notice that your old shoes are ragged and broken. So here, I got you a pair of shoes for you, so you won't trip over again."
"Thank you, Serena." She took the shoes and put them on her feet, which was a perfect fit. She smiled lightly as the new feel of the shoes welcomed her feet with comfort and heat.
"You're welcome, Gloria. Now go on, I must pack up my belongings for tomorrow."
She frowned at what he said. To see the great performer and her Pokemon leave would mean her world would be boring again. Nevertheless, she left the room to give her some time packing up.
Yet, she decided in her mind that she would follow Serena and live a life full of color and magic with her. She didn't want to let the opportunity pass. For someone who can conjure a set of shoes and a bar of soap, she genuinely believed that her dream of living in the bigger outside world was about to be fulfilled.
