Ash ran towards the florist, thinking at the same time what he should say to the seller. He knew nothing about the flowers and had no idea what he should choose for this situation.
Ash reached the store and then realized that Pikachu was not with him. Damn, he thought. He could have helped me here. He paused for a moment to look at the store before opening the door.
The store was an old brick building and was two storey. On the front wall of the store was a large window with different flower arrangements arranged in different pots and other holders. Blue-striped curtains were visible on the sides of the window, and the shop door read with calligraphy: "Madgalena's Flower & Decoration"
There were still opening hours under the text and a metal sign swayed next to the door, reminiscent of Lilligant holding a basket of flowers in its arms. In the sign read the same text as the door.
Ash took a deep breath in an atypical way for him and then pulled the door open and stepped inside.
First he heard the bell ring and then a sound he thought would follow him endlessly:
"And then I told Teresa that her bag was the pinnacle of tastelessness. Guess if she like it... hey, Monica, you got a customer!"
Ash recognized the voice as belonging to the same blond and apparently pink-loving girl who had asked for a selfie with him and had had to hide behind a curtain there in a restaurant.
He decided to be dazed before the girls pricked him up and look for another florist, but didn't have time, for the girl in the pink skirt exclaimed, "Hey! Don't run away from anything! We saw you came in! So get out, it's not so scary to buy flowers! "
Ash sighed in discouragement and stepped into the store better. He pressed his cap in front of his face and watched the space.
The girl who had just shouted at him leaned against the counter and her pink bag leaned against her legs. On the other side of the counter, another girl wiped her hands on her green apron and looked at her friend a little tired.
The store was small but cozy. Its walls were surrounded by shelves with various ornaments, as well as decorative flower pots and others whose name Ash did not know. On the other side, on the other side, were various holders and pots full of flowers and a large window on the wall and a light hanging from the ceiling brought light to the store.
The girl in the pink skirt looked at him for a long time and then her eyes widened as she realized who had entered the store.
"Monica, we got a celebrity here! That's after all, Ash Ketchum, the same guy we asked for those pictures there at the airport!" she explained excitedly and then bounced to Ash and drew this to them.
Ash was surprised at how firm the girl snatched his hand and his cap flew to the ground at the same time. It fell under the sales counter and as he bent down to lift it, the girl who snatched him, spoke constantly.
"I don't believe this, Ash Ketchum here in Monica's small shop, and still true Champion! I'm Nelly by the way, if you don't remember and I've watched all your matches! I love your match style, it's so different from the others and I like you a little bit anyway!" Then she took a breath and continued.
"Why did you come here by the way? Of course to buy flowers, but for what.. "
"I came to buy a bouquet of flowers," Ash interrupted and stood up, putting his cap on his head again. "But I don't really know what I should buy"
The girl hind the counter, Monica, smiled kindly at him and said, "Don't worry, I can help with that," she said and came to the side of the store and went to the flowers. "To whom would the flowers come?"
"To Serena. She's mine..."
"Girlfriend? Life partner? Source of eternal love?" interrupted Nelly and jumped around Ash, raising her eyebrows, making hearts with her hands, and quite a bit reminiscent of Bonnie at that moment.
"What?" Ash asked and for some reason felt the heat rising in his cheeks. Why did Serena always cause him this feeling? "No, she's my friend.."
"But you'd like her to be more, wouldn't you?" Nelly said again and her voice was the same tone that Miette had in Kalos at the time.
"What do you mean there?" Ash asked in confusion and Nelly sighed. "I thought you were a little less dense," she muttered and jumped on the counter to sit down and looked at her nails.
Monica looked at her friend shaking her head and then turned to Ash again.
"Well, the flowers are coming for a girl named Serena, aren't they?" she asked and Ash nodded. "All right, what flowers should this Serena like?"
Ash thought for a moment and then shook his head embarrassed. "I... I don't really know," he said, and Monica looked at him sympathetically.
"I understand," she said, putting the scissors in her hand in the pocket of her apron. "Maybe it would help if I asked you something about this Serena. What is her favorite color, for example?"
Ash thought for a moment again and then replied, "Pink, probably. She always has something pink on and she likes pink stuff."
"All right, that is, pink flowers," Monica said, taking one flower from each of her hands. One was a pink rose and the other Ash didn't know (it was a carnation) "Which one feels better, a rose or a carnation?"
"Of course he chooses roses, they're much more romantic than some carnations," Nelly said, lying on her back at the counter and looking at her nails in the light of a lamp hanging from the ceiling. "But I like this Serena's color choices, at least it's been successful."
"Nelly, I have said to you that my mother doesn't likes it, when you lie on the counter," said Monica to her friend, but this only turned her stomach and showed her tongue to Monica. Monica sighed and muttered, "One day you'll get a gate ban here."
She then turned again to speak to Ash, who had watched the girls' words in confusion. "Sorry, where did we stay. Oh yeah, flowers. So, which one do you choose, carnations or roses?"
"That," Ash said, pointing to the carnation. Still lying at the counter, Nelly sighed exaggeratedly and muttered, "Don't realize anything about romance."
"Don't care about Nelly, she's just what she is," Monica said, picking up carnations from among the flowers. Ash laughed. Then Monica turned to him again and said, "Shall I put some little white, like gypsophila, in the bouquet?"
Ash had no idea what a "gypsophila" was like, but it sounded good and he nodded. Monica smiled and put another small, white flower in the bouquet, which matched nicely with the carnations.
Monica moved back to the sales counter and asked Nelly to move off. Nelly moved theatrically sighing and slid down from it and went to see the ornaments that depicted all sorts of Pokemon.
Monica wrapped a bouquet of flowers in brown paper and said, "Okay, the bouquet would be ready now. Would there be anything else, a card, or something like that?"
Ash suddenly remembered why he had come to pick these flowers. "Oh yeah," he said and took his backpack off his back. He dug it for a moment until he found the red ribbon he had received from Marlene, which was neatly in a small bag.
"Whether you wrapped this around a bouquet, I want to give it to Serena as well," he said and handed the ribbon to Monica.
"Sure," Monica said, tying a ribbon around the bouquet for a beautiful bow. "There, would there be anything else?"
"May I have a piece of paper? I'd write something on it," Ash said and Monica handed him a small, white card.
Ash wrote his thing in it and Monica then put it among the flowers. "There, if that was it, you can pay for it"
When Ash paid for the flowers, Nelly walked up to him and when she go to him, she looked at the bouquet, and said: "I hope your girlfriend appreciates those carnations, I still think that the roses would have been better"
Ash looked at her and asked, "Why do you say 'girl' and 'friend' so close together?" Nelly stared at him and then exclaimed with a sigh, "How dense can a person be?!" She then took her bag and left the staff premises.
Ash stared at her as she went and wondered what Nelly had told her. She also called me dense, just like Riolu, and Bonnie and many others before them, he thought. But what do they mean by that?
"Ash, you should probably go to Serena, I think she's waiting for you," Monica said and handed Ash a bouquet of flowers. Ash shook his thoughts away and took flowers from Monica. "Right," he said, and then left the store as Monica watched, sighing as he left.
****
Serena leaned on her hand and stared at the couple sitting in front of them as they stared at each other in syrup gaze. I wish I was in a situation like that sometimes, too, she thought and sank into one of her dream worlds again, where she was on the couple's woman and the man was Ash.
Gou played with his fork and sugar cubes and watched as Serena stared with glazed eyes at the couple sitting at the next table. What it takes for Ash, he thought and threw a sugar cube a little distance with his fork. It can't take so long to get a few flowers.
He was just flying another sugar cube into the air when he felt a tap on his shoulder and he was startled. He turned to look and saw Ash standing behind him, grinning and putting his finger in front of his mouth so that he would still be silent. He looked the same to Pikachu and they both nodded in understanding.
Ash coughed and said, "Umm... Serena, I have something for you"
Serena startled sharply and then turned to look at Ash a little indignant.
"You scared me," she said, but then smiled. "What do you have for me, Ash?"
Ash seemed a little embarrassed and then handed the flowers he was holding behind his back to Serena. "These," he said, feeling the heat rise to his cheeks again.
Serena stared at the flowers with her mouth open and Ash hurried to say, "I hope you like them, they're not roses, but I think they're still pretty, like you."
Ash was not meant to say the last part of the sentence originally, but still found himself pronouncing it and wondered what heck bothered him. He handed the flowers to Serena and he received them without saying anything.
Ash's mood dropped when Serena hadn't said anything. Had those roses been a better option anyway, he wondered and watched as Serena just stared at the flowers with her mouth open.
Serena was amazed. Very amazed. She would never have believed that Ash, Ash Ketchum, would be able to give her a gift like this.
She stared at the flowers. Carnations. One of her favorites. And the bouquet was so beautifully tied with a red silk ribbon. And if she had heard correctly, Ash had called her pretty.
"Umm... Do you like them, Serena?" heard Ash's questioning voice and Serena looked up. "I don't like them," she said and Ash's expression stretched. "But I love! They're wonderful, thank you!" Then she got up and hugged him tightly.
Ash smelled the sweet scent of Serena's hair as the girl hugged him and he felt again the strange, fuzzy feeling that Serena get in him. Gou and Pikachu looked at him with a grin and Riolu, who had come out of his Pokeball without anyone noticing, said to Ash through Aura, "Master likes, yes, Master likes very much."
Serena stepped back a little and her cheeks were flushed. She's cute, Ash found himself thinking. That red on her cheek makes her look really cute. But.. why did I think that?
"Umm.. read that card, too," Ash said aloud, and the blushed Serena took a card from a bouquet of flowers and read it aloud:
"Serena, I got this ribbon as a gift and I thought I'd give it to you because it suits you well. I hope you like it"
Serena looked up from the card and then detached the ribbon around the bouquet of flowers. Then she looked at Ash and said with a smile, "I like it very much, thank you."
Then she took off her blue ribbon from her hair and tied a red ribbon in its place. She then looked at Ash and pressed a light kiss to the boy's cheek.
"I can't stand that, it was maybe the cutest in the world!" there was a voice behind them and they turned to see who had caused it.
Ash saw Nelly running towards them and she seemed to scream with excitement. Monica came after her and smiled too.
"That kiss was really cute, I can't stand it, you're just so cute together," Nelly explained and jumped and then bounced looking excitedly in place and seemed to resolve the enthusiasm.
"Oh my Arceus, can I just fangirl, like I'm shipping you to the very hardly, I can't stand it," she screamed, and Ash, who felt his cheek heat up more than usual at the point Serena had kissed her, whispered to Serena, "What exactly is she explaining?" "
"No idea," Serena said, then asked, "Do you know who they are? They look familiar."
Nelly stopped bouncing. "Didn't I say yet?" she said, but then said right after, "I'm Nelly and that's Monica coming from there. We're fans of that Ash and Monica owns the flower shop where those flowers were bought," she explained and pointed to the bouquet in Serena's hand. "Or its mother owns it, but still"
"Ash, did you buy these flowers from them?" Serena asked, remembering now who the girls were. They were the ones they had seen in the restaurant.
"From them," Ash said, scratching his head. He was still a little confused by Serena's kiss. "But I don't understand why they came here."
"Nelly reportedly had something very important to you that definitely had to come to tell you," Monica explained, putting her green hairband in a better position. "She insisted that she should come and tell it to you herself and now immediately."
"Oh," Ash said, confused. "Well, what is that thing?"
"Just one simple thing," Nelly said and smiled broadly. "I want to challenge you to a Pokemon battle!"
"Hm.. okay, but why?" asked Ash and Nelly began to explain quickly and enthusiastically.
"Because I want to see how good I am to battle and I want to test my skills against real Champion. And you just happened to be here and once you are a Champion, so.."
Nelly's explanation was interrupted as her wandering gaze had stopped at Serena and she was left staring at the girl with her mouth open.
"Wait... Oh my Arceus, I didn't realize it recently, but you're almost-Kalos Queen Serena! And Ash is the Champion, so.. Yees! That makes you two even more cuter!"
Ash stared at her, Serena blushed when she realized what Nelly mean by that and Gou, Pikachu and Riolu grinned as they watched Nelly. Her shout had also caused curious glances at other customers, and the words "Champion" and "Kalos Queen" seemed to cause a general rumble.
Monica noticed it too and hurried to say to her friend, "Nelly, that a match thing.."
"Oh yeah," Nelly got serious again and said to Ash, "So, you agree to the challenge, right?"
"Sure, but why... hey!" Ash started, but Nelly took him by the hand and went to drag him away from the cafe. "Then you come with me! Take Serena, that other boy and your Pokemon, and I'll take us to a place where we can battle!" Nelly exclaimed and Monica shrugged and she, Serena, Gou and the Pokemon left, sighing to follow her.
****
They walked a short distance and Nelly led them to one of the many blue houses in Hulbury and after reaching the gate of the house, she announced, "This is my home and there is a battlefield in the backyard where we can battle, we don't have anyone at home now, but it doesn't matter because you're with me."
She opened the gate and led them through the front yard to the backyard.
The backyard was large and bright. It was surrounded by a white fence and in the middle of it was a battlefield with a few benches on the edges, also white. There was grass around the battlefield and flower beds had been made next to the fence, the flowering plants gave off a sweet scent.
Nelly jumped on the field and dropped her pink bag on the edge of it. She took one Pokeball from there and turned it in her hand to the others.
"Ash Ketchum, are you ready?" she asked and Ash nodded resolutely. "Yeah, I am," he said and walked to the other end of the field. Gou promised to act as referee and Serena and Monica sat down to watch one of the benches on the sidelines.
"You were Monica?" Serena asked the girl sitting next to her and this one nodded. "Well, if you were once at the flower shop at work, how can you come here in the middle of a shift?"
Monica laughed. "I'm not actually at work there," she explained. "I just replaced my mother while she had other things to take care of, like taking care of my little sister, she's just a baby, and can't take care of herself."
"Oh, I didn't know," Serena said and Monica smiled. "You couldn't, we just met," she said and then they both focused on the match that was just starting on the field.
****
"This is a one-on-one match between Nelly and Ash," Gou announced. "The winner is the one whose Pokemon are last upright. Begin!"
Nelly threw her Pokeball in the air and exclaimed at the same time, "Cleffi, I'll pick you!"
A pink Pokemon appeared in front of her and said, "Fairy!"
"Cleffi?" Ash said in amazement and Monica said from the auditorium, "Yeah, that's the name Nelly gave her Clefairy. It's a little silly, after all, but both Nelly and Clefairy herself like it, so.. whatever."
"Oh," Ash said, and in the meantime, Serena picked up her Rotom and pointed at Cleffi with it:
"Clefairy, Fairy Pokemon and an evolved form of Cleffa. Fairy type. Bathed in Moonlight, its wings glow faintly. Without even flapping, Clefairy rises into the air, where it dances around"
Ash smirked and also picked up one of his Pokeballs. "All right. Rookidee, I choose you!"
A small Pokemon appeared in front of him and said, "Rooki!"
"Oh, you have a Rookidee," Nelly stated, waving her blond hair, smiling wide. "Okay, let's see how it stands this. Cleffi, Disarming Voice!"
Cleffi made a pink blow towards Rookidee and Ash exclaimed, "Rookidee, dodge it and use Peck!"
Rookidee flew into the air and dodged Cleffi's blow gracefully. Then its beak began to glow bright and it plunged towards Cleffi and at the same time Nelly shouted, "Dodge it, quickly and do the Meteor Mash!"
Cleffi jumped into the air, made some kind of volt, and landed behind Rookidee, thus avoiding its movement. Rookidee stopped confused as if against a wall. But before it could do anything, Cleffi turned lightning fast and hit it so that it flew to the ground and at the same time exclaimed, "Roo!"
Nelly smiled broadly, her white line of teeth gleaming. "You see, Ash Ketchum, we're not quite as helpless as you might have thought," she said cheerfully and Ash had to admit she was right.
"Rookidee, are you okay?!" he exclaimed to his Pokemon and this one jumped up and said resolutely, "Rookidee!"
"Good, then do Pluck!" Ash exclaimed and Rookidee rushed to Cleffi again.
****
As the battle continued, Ash noticed that Nelly's technique was somewhat reminiscent of Tierno's dance technique. However, Nelly didn't actually dance, but combined her tactics with moves familiar from Performances and, to Ash's surprise, his tactics he had used in some of his matches.
Wow, has she learned all of that just by watching my matches, he thought and watched as Rookidee dodged another blunt move. I guess I completely underestimate her, Nelly is really good!
As Ash and Nelly battle, Serena chatted with Monica.
"So how has Nelly developed into such a good battler? You wouldn't believe it from the outside," she said and Monica laughed.
"Maybe not, but Nelly is a really tough battler," she said. "Namely, she tends to fight regularly with her big brother Lucas, who is a really tough trainer."
"Oh, I see," Serena said with a smile. "What about you, do you like to battle?"
"Well, it's not quite my thing," Monica explained with a small smile. "I have a better time with flowers and books. But yes, I'll take part if I need to," she explained and Serena nodded.
"What about you, you said you were Pokemon Performer. I know what it is, because I watched it on TV with Nelly and Aria are familiar with almost all the least bit familiar with the matter," Monica said with a smile referring to the dominant Kalos Queen. "But can you battle? On Ash's journey it would think you would learn it."
Serena was startled. "How did you guess that I have traveled with Ash?" she asked in surprise and Monica smiled mischievously.
"I concluded it," she said enigmatically. "You seem to know each other for a longer period of time and well, Ash gets the impression that he's not the stationary type."
Serena laughed. "Well that's true," she said. "And yes I can battle too, when I was in Hoenn and when I participated in the Contests they always had a match share," she explained. "And I've also fought with Ash when I was a journey with him, he's got into them quite often."
Monica giggled. "True, I can well imagine it," she said with a laugh. "And speaking of Ash, I saw that kiss there in the cafe yard. You must like him, don't you?" Monica said and winked.
Serena blushed at her words. "I... all right, I like him!" she sighed. "But he's so dense he doesn't realize my clues. Those flowers there in the cafe's yard... they were something I would never know Ash could do"
Monica looked thoughtful. "You're probably right," she said. "But don't give up hope yet. Ash may be dense, but he someday realizes your feelings too."
Serena sighed. "Yeah, hopefully," she said, staring at Ash, who was completely focused on the match. But how long will it take?
****
"Rookidee, Pluck!" Ash exclaimed and Rookidee plunged into the journey again.
"Cleffi, Meteor Mash!" exclaimed in turn Nelly and Cleffi would also shoot for the trip.
The Pokemon encountered in the middle of the field and Rookidee's beak and Cleffi's hand collided. Then they both stepped back a little and Nelly exclaimed, "Moonblast!"
Cleffi formed a small, shimmering moon over it and then it formed a pink ball with its mouth and threw it towards Rookidee.
It hit Rookide and it flew to the ground, exclaiming, "Rooki!" It didn't get up right away and Ash was worried.
"Rookidee, can you still continue?" Ash exclaimed to his fallen partner and little by little it started to get up, saying, "Roo.."
Then it got up, said, "Ki.." and then it rushed toward Cleffi with a glowing beak, even though Ash hadn't given it any command and shouted loudly as he went, "DEE!"
Then its body started to glow blue and it started to grow in size. "Rookidee, it..", Serena began and Ash finished, "It's evolving!"
True. When the blue glow disappeared, it was no longer Rookidee rushing towards Cleffi, but its next form, Corvisquire.
"Wow, let's go!" exclaimed Ash excited and Corvisquire looked at him grinning.
"Squire!" it exclaimed and hit Cleffi. "Cle!" Cleffi exclaimed and flew to the ground on her back. "Cleffi!" exclaimed Nelly and then they saw that familiar spirals had appeared in place of Cleffi's eyes.
"Cleffi is unable to battle, so the winner is Corvisquire!" announced Gou and Corvisquire flew to Ash looking satisfied.
"Wow, you were awesome!" Ash exclaimed and Corvisquire ruffled his chest. "I wouldn't have thought you'd evolve. But it was pretty awesome looking, though."
Meanwhile, Nelly returned Cleffi back to its ball and said, "Thank you, Cleffi, you were awesome." Then she put the ball back in her pink bag and went to Ash.
"Pretty good battle, isn't it?" she said Ash and this one nodded. "Yep," the boy said, and then Serena, Gou, and Monica also came up to them.
"Wow, the Corvisquire was pretty awesome," Gou said and Serena picked up the Rotom and aimed it at the newly evolved Corvisquire.
"Corvisquire, Raven Pokemon and an Evolved form of Rookidee. Flying-type. Smart enough to use tools in battle, these Pokémon have been seen picking up rocks and flinging them or using ropes to wrap up Enemies"
"So, Ash, are you going to continue your journey now?" asked Nelly and Ash nodded.
"That's the kind of plan we would have," he said and Gou and Serena nodded as well.
"Where are you going to go next?" asked Monica and Ash replied, "Motostoke, the next Gym is there"
Nelly and Monica looked at each other. "It's pretty far, you have a long way to go," Monica said, but Ash didn't look worried.
"It doesn't matter, we've traveled long distances before," he said confidently and Serena and Gou nodded also again. "Pika!" said Pikachu, who was on Ash's shoulder again and resolutely raised his little fist.
They spent some more time with Nelly and Monica, but then they said goodbye to the girls and headed for Motostoke again.
****
They had now gotten outside of Hulbury and were walking along with some sort of path. This time in the lead was Serena walking with Sylveon and Sylveon had wrapped her feelers around Serena's other arm.
Gou walked last Scorbunny again over his head and between them passed Ash, staring at Serena's back and chatting with Riolu via Aura.
"So, Master, did that kiss on your cheek give you any new clue?" it asked and Ash stared at it.
"What do you mean?" he asked, but Riolu just sighed and muttered, "Dense as always"
Ash was disturbed that Riolu couldn't just tell him what he meant by his words. But, as Ash had noticed before, he shouldn't have asked him that, as Riolu wouldn't give an answer. Instead, he just sighed and thought.
Serena had given him a kiss on the cheek. What did it mean? Why had she done it? Thinking of a kiss made Ash think of that kiss at the airport then a long time ago and it again made him blush.
For some strange reason, he also happened to remember how Serena's lips had felt and tasted against her lips. From the strawberry, it came to his mind and then he stopped. Why did he suddenly think so?
"Master seems to have certain things in mind, should I ask Serena and see what she would answer?" the voice of Riolu was heard in his mind and Ash looked at him sharply.
"You're definitely not asking," he said, closing Aura connection. Riolu was left to grin at Ash and so the journey continued for them so that Ash tried to think his head pierced Riolu's words and Riolu grinned to himself.
Serena or Gou didn't notice anything.
So if you didn't know, Monica and Nelly are my OC characters, and don't appear in any official Pokemon releases. But don't worry, I'm going to bring official characters into this story in the following chapters as well.)