The next day Ash and Amelia returned to the Gym and ice rink to meet up with Natasya again. The woman already on the ice with Froslass she quickly pirouetted in one place making Ash just dizzy looking at her. She did it with such ease the Performer would want nothing but to do the same.
"Natasya!" Amelia calling her name the figure skater looked that way. Seeing the two black haired youngsters she moved towards them as they were still behind the railing. Stopping on a dime as she did Froslass right behind her.
"Ah. Back you are. Switch to skates and get on ice."
Amelia removing her snow boots and wearing her skates again got onto the ice. Skating towards her teacher the figure skater looked back to Ash that still was on solid ground.
"You not joining?"
"I'll just slow you two down. I'm not in a rush to learn it." Natasya just shrugged her shoulders before putting attention back to Amelia.
"So you want learn tricks for Performing?"
"Yes please." Amelia bowed her head. Natasya moved forwards away from Amelia as she then spun back letting the ice carry her. Natasya crossed her legs and continued to move back as well.
"First is scissors motion, you hold arms out and look back." Raiding her voice the further she got away she stopped right at the end of the other side of the rink. Amelia did as she was told and held her arms in a T pose. Moving her legs in a way Natasya did she looked over her shoulder to see where she was going. Nowhere near the speed of the more experienced woman Amelia reached the end of the rink too after a bit of time.
Natasya stopped Amelia from moving further by putting her hand on her back. Natasya demanded she did it again back to Ash Amelia doing it backwards as Natasya moved away for a bit. Amelia too occupied with not falling over Ash touched her back stopping her from sliding into the wall. Natasya had grabbed a few orange cones and set them out on the ice. She went to Ash and Amelia again as she dared the Performer again.
"Now skate backwards between cones like so." Natasya set out the path to follow while she skated between them. Amelia slowly moved as she kept moving her head from shoulder to shoulder not trying to trip or miss a cone. Amelia did this for 30 minutes getting a feel on how to turn. She knows she has to work on her speed and everything but with Natasys being clear and no nonsense she got it through quickly.
"Natasya!" A man in a suit called out to her. Natasya seeing the ringmaster of the show she couldn't keep him waiting.
"Take break. I'll be back soon." Amelia feeling her ankles and legs hurt was happy with it. Even with all her dance training her legs began to hurt. Not having worn in the skates yet she loosened the laces as she sat on the railing Ash was standing behind.
"And keep skates on when you get off rink!" Natasya warned her not to take them off. Amelia fastening the laces again she saw a bottle of water next to her on the railing. Ash had gotten her a bottle to drink.
"Thank you." Amelia took a chug from the bottle twisting the cap on again for later.
"How do you think you're doing?" Ash wondered how she thought about it.
"I feel good. My feet are killing me though."
"You look good so far."
"So far?" Amelia asked him.
"Well, I mean…for a first time on ice…" He stammered out. Amelia did look majestic sliding over the slippery surface with her long hair flowing back behind her but he didn't want to distract her by telling her. Natasya came back towards them.
"Sorry about that. Ready to resume?" Amelia got off the barrier and stood on the ice again. The two woman did their further practice till Amelia slipped for the first time in a while. The mistakes began to pile up with Ash beginning to worry. Maybe she was trying to force it too much. Natasya noticed too as she stopped in front of Amelia who sat on the ice now looking up.
"Ah, your feet hurt?"
"Good. We stop for today. Come tomorrow or after show when you can stand again."
"Stand again?"
Amelia got helped off the rink by Natasya as Ash held out her snowboots. Switching back into them she stood up again but quickly sat down grimacing in pain grabbing her right ankle. Figuring she bruised it slightly during her practice Ash helped her up and out off the Gym by throwing a arm around his neck and her skipping on one leg.
Outside Amelia took a Pokeball and out came the Galarian Rapidash she owned.
"Could you carry me to the hotel?" Rapidash dropped to its knees and Ash helped Amelia on her horse. Moving through the streets they soon arrived at the hotel. The piccolo at the front door stopped the pair.
"Sorry miss. Pokémon above a certain size have to be in their Pokeballs while in the lobby." The Galar Rapidash too large to move around in the hotel Ash helped Amelia off her Pokémon. Amelia returned it as they moved back to their suite. Opening the door Alfonzo was nowhere to be found in town doing his own thing.
Ash laid Amelia on the large couch and slowly took off her boots. Even in minor pain she loved how considerate he's being in not being too rough.
"Let me get a pack of ice for that." He left to get a bag to stop the swelling. Pikachu watching over Amelia she leaned forward and petted him on his head.
"You're really lucky with someone like him as your trainer."
Ash came back with an ice pack shortly. Putting it on her hurt ankle she winced a bit. Still with her out for the day they didn't have much to do together.
"Anything else I can get you?"
"Not necessarily. Some hot cocoa with whipped cream would be nice though."
Ash called room service into delivering the drink. A few minutes after it their door was knocked on by the staff of the hotel who came in with their order. Ash thanking her took the plate with three cups, one for the humans and the third for Pikachu.
Sipping on the cocoa cup Ash gave her Amelia felt a little better.
"Can you turn the TV on?" Amelia asked him. Ash switching on the screen the first thing that popped up was an advertisement with Leon in it. The world champion promoting some items through commercials he represented one of the brands on his Champion cape. Seeing him made her question things about her present company.
"Hey Ash? Shouldn't you be getting sponsors as well?"
"Sponsors?"
"You know? Didn't you get offers from people to promote their things and earn extra money on the side?" She asked him as she took another sip from her cocoa.
"I don't really need the money or attention. Why?"
"Since you won a League and are champion of a region I think maybe you have a little side business. Do you?"
"I don't. I just don't see myself doing commercials unlike you." Remembering the time he helped her on the SS Shimmer filming a Pokevision commercial for Amelia's father Ash thought he lacked the photogenic flair for that Amelia has. He didn't even look at himself on TV after one of his many televised matches.
"You sure? I think you do have a talent for it." She said to him. Ash looked surprised.
"I do?"
"Sure. I've seen you on TV so I know what I'm talking about."
"Thanks. But you look better on screen than I do." Amelia found him sweet at his small compliment. The broadcasting continued with the commercials over and it continued on. Amelia was just content to sit and watch TV with Ash commenting on things together. A new ad came by originating from Amelia's home region. A movie starring the Kalos Champion would come out in cinema's soon.
"Diantha is still making movies?" Ash asked Amelia.
"Of course she is. You ever met her in person?" Ash nodded yes.
"You?" Ash asked in return.
"I know my father had a deal with her over the Power Bands. I've never spoken personally to her. What's she like?"
Ash then went on to explain his experience with the actress. Amelia just got wide eyed at the moments they shared even battling her before he got done telling it she interrupted him.
"Is there a strong person you haven't battled?" Amelia beginning to think he was just lucky enough that he got to challenge all those strong and famous trainers.
"There's a few I still want to challenge again." With the history he has with strong trainers he wondered just how much stronger they've gotten like him. His old League rivals maturing like him Ash was eager to find out how the likes of Ritchie, Barry, Paul and Alain were doing.
"What about you? Are there Performers you want to go up against?"
"Aria of course since to become Kalos Queen I have to beat her. I need to get even as well with Stacy who won the last Showcase. And there's also…" She hesitated for a second.
"Serena?" Ash responded for her. Every time his old companion came up her bad memories reappeared.
"Still something good came out of that loss."
If it wasn't for her losing her hometown Showcase she never would've met Ash. Even if it wasn't much he'd been taking good care of her. Not growing up with a lot of friends due to her parents secluding her she was glad to have a good one in Ash. Amelia knowing she had to forgive her rival sooner or later. She was just a competitor looking to book her way into the Master Class back then like herself. Still with the amount of pride she was raised with it was difficult to stomach that loss.
"Amelia?" Ash pulled her out of her inner thoughts.
"Sorry. I kind of lost track there for a minute."
"About what?"
"Nothing important. Can you get me another cup of cocoa please?" He nodded as he ordered room service to bring them another.
The day passed by until the aid finally came back from his day off. Reentering the room he saw an unwelcome sight with his watch laid out on the couch.
"Miss Amelia!" Seeing her injured Alfonzo ran to her and checked her out. Seeing the bag on her ankle he became more aware on what occurred. Amelia saw his worried face but it came with the job of course.
"I overestimated my own ankles. I asked too much of myself." Telling him about her figure skating practice the aid went into care mode.
"A thousand apologies for not being here. Have you been lacking anything in my absence?" She shook no while smiling.
"No. Ash has been taking care off me well enough."
The aid looked at Ash thanking him for his service but as far as caring would go he would take it from here. The aid had a remark on Ash's work though.
"Are you sure you're not after my position at all?"
"Not at all. You just do your best work."
Alfonzo immediately began treating Amelia's wounds. Bandaging up her ankle he requested her to have at least one day of rest and not to put too much tension on it. While Ash went to one of the fields just outside of the hotel to train his Pokémon Amelia began to wonder about his group of friends.
"Would they accept me the same way Ash does?"
He seemingly had a talent for making them so it would be inevitable Amelia will someday meet them. As stupid as it sounded maybe she could be friends with Serena too. Amelia by now had gotten over the personal animosity she at one point held.
It did not help that Serena according to him held a bit more affection for him than just friends. More like into crush territory that Ash managed to suck her into as well. They both kissed him and admitted they had a thing for him in their own way.
"Wonder how she'll…I mean…If she is a friend of Ash she can't be all that bad?"
Shaking her head from the idea that she and Serena were going into a second rivalry over Ash she returned to reality. With them being Performers that day comes eventually. And the prospect of seeing her and misbehaving out of jealousy in front of Ash, she got more scared then losing another Showcase in front of her father.
Speaking of her final loss her thoughts drifted to the one that beat.
"I wonder if that Stacy girl is also competing in the Snowbelle Showcase?"
The motivation of beating Serena turned now against the redhead. Appearing out of nowhere and winning the way she did put the Showcase circuit on notice. Amelia checking her phone the amount of registrations for the Snowbelle City Showcase weren't filled up with enough Performers yet. Needing about eight more to sign up it was still up in the air if it would happen or not.
Amelia not focusing on that would take her rest so Natasya can continue to give her pointers so that she at least will be fully prepared. Stressing out about others will only affect it in a negative way and she needed to put up her best smile for it.
"Though with Ash nearby, smiling comes pretty easy." She couldn't help but feel her cheeks warm up and it wasn't thanks to the cocoa keeping her core warm.
Not much to say today but a short one again. Bit more setup and bonding between them.
Serena's return is more teased into this one. Who am I kidding? With this amount of setup I do it's almost confirmed in the future. Just a bunch of chapters building up Ash and Amelia though before we get to it.
Can she snatch Ash away from Serena before or after they've met?
Later.