This is a color soulmate AU, where the world is just blacks, whites, and grays until you meet your soulmate, which is when you can see color. Additionally the only person that can see your true eye color is your soulmate, all other eyes are gray, even if you can see color.

Chapter One

"But I don't want to go to a camp," Serena said quietly, wincing as her mother ran a brush through a knot in her hair. The young girl looked up at her mother in the mirror, who simply shook her head as she continued getting her daughter ready.

"You're going to have so much fun," Grace said, trying to give Serena a reassuring smile. "You just need to give it a chance, that's all. There will be hiking, and Pokemon to play with, plus other kids your age to be with– and there will even be Rhyhorn riding one of the days!"

Serena's lower lip curled out at the mention of Rhyhorns– something that her mom never seemed to stop talking about. She crossed her arms, trying to convey her frustration to her mom, but only tears stung the six year old's eyes. She wasn't angry about going to camp– she was terrified. Not only would she be away from her mother, but they were in an entirely different region.

"There you go," Grace said as she finished putting Serena's hair in pigtails. "Now just go grab your backpack and we can catch the bus to Pallet Town!"

She nudged Serena out of the hotel bathroom, turning to swiftly do her own hair before they had to leave. They had arrived in Kanto early yesterday morning– but with a seven hour time difference between Kalos and Kanto it had felt like the middle of the night for the young girl. The jet lag was still hitting her hard, along with the intimidation of being in a new region, and now her mother was about to leave her in a strange place all alone.

"Can I please come to your Rhyhorn races!" Serena cried, throwing herself into the bathroom doorway. Grace visibly let out a sigh, and the girl's heart was pounding. "I won't get in the way! Fletchling could watch me! And– um– I'll get to see you race and–!"

"Serena, you're going to camp and that's final," Grace said, turning towards her, gray eyes sharp. The young girl lowered her head, and she let out a sigh, kneeling down next to her daughter. "Honey, I think this is something you really need. Since we're never in one place for long you never get a chance to just be a kid... please just give the camp a try? For me?"

She looked down at her feet as her mother gave her a pleading look, not knowing what to do. Serena didn't want to go to camp, and she didn't want her mother to be sad either. Grace usually carried herself with confidence, as a Rhyhorn racing that was gaining popularity it was what fans of the sport wanted to see. They had been traveling about doing races for several years now, ever since Serena's father had died. It was the best way they had to support their family, even if it meant never settling down.

One week. She would only be at camp for one week, then she'd be back with her mother.

Swallowing, Serena gave her mom a small nod. "O-okay... I'll do it..."

Grace scooped her daughter into a hug. "Thank you, sweetie. Now go grab your bag, we don't want to miss the bus."

Tears stinging her eyes Serena stumbled towards the hotel bed, were her white backpack sat on the gray blanket. She slipped it onto her back, taking one glance around the hotel before they left. Gray walls, gray floor, a black TV– merely just another one of many hotels she had stayed at in her life. Serena followed her mother out into the hall as she carried several bags, pausing at the front desk so they could check out.

Next stop was Pallet Town, to drop Serena off at camp, and then Grace would set out for the Rhyhorn races in Kanto.

Serena stood petrified, staring out at the ranch, not knowing what she should do.

Around her dozens of kids happily chattered among themselves, all of them looking eager for the camp they had just arrived at. Smiles on their faces, gray eyes shining with excitement. Except for Serena, who was still as a statue, feeling as though she had only been abandoned here at Oak's Lab.

"Welcome, everyone," A cheerful voice said– but yet the children kept talking. Serena turned her gaze towards the older man, who cleared his throat and spoke louder. "Hello, everyone, I want to take the chance to welcome you to the Pokemon Summer Camp."

The word 'Pokemon' seemed to catch everyone's attention, and slowly the children turned their focus towards the man, the same eagerness in their eyes from before. He smiled at all of them, waiting for everyone to quiet down. Serena shifted nervously, eyes searching for her mother even though she had left long before. Her backpack felt heavy on her back, and she had a Rhyhorn plush clutched in her arms. A young woman near Professor Oak stepped forward, a kind smile on her face and a gentle look in her eyes.

"We are all so excited for this year's camp– we have a week full of exciting activities for you guys. I'm Delia, one of the camp counselors, alongside Spencer and Samson here," She pointed to a younger man next to her, and then to an older man who looked a lot like the professor but with a darker gray hue to his skin. "Finally there's Professor Oak, who is the camp director. If there are any problems or if any of you guys need anything, you can talk to one of us, okay?"

Everyone cried out– maybe from agreement, or from excitement– with young children it was hard to tell. Serena just merely lowered her head, trying to keep herself from crying. She didn't want to be here, and she was regretting telling her mother that she was willing to come here.

"We're going to divide everyone into three groups, and that group is who you're going to stick with for the rest of camp," Spencer said. "We're going to number you all off, and then you'll go to the camp leader with the same number."

Immediately the kids began to shuffle about as they were lined up, each trying to get to a place so they'd get the same number as their friends. Serena didn't care who she ended up with though, and simply shuffled to the side when others cut between her as they tried to get into order. She was barely paying attention as they were being numbered off, and by the time they reached her she just managed to catch her number as they moved down the line.

"Number three, number three," Serena whispered to herself, looking down at the small paper she had been given. It was in the shape of a Poliwag, with the number three written on its belly. She slowly made her way towards the camp leader who was calling out for group three, holding a larger sign that mimicked her paper. It turned out to be the man that looked like Professor Oak, who was smiling happily at those approaching him.

"I don't want to be number three, Gramps!" A voice cried, one much louder than the rest of the kids, so Serena couldn't help but look towards the young boy that was yelling at the professor. "I want to be number one– because I'm the best!"

"That was the group you were assigned, Gary, so that's the group you're going to be in," The professor said sternly, trying to both pay attention to the boy and to the many children around them.

"How did Ashy-boy get group one and not me?!" He demanded, stomping his foot in frustration. "I want to be in the Squirtle group, not the stupid Poliwag group!"

The professor's voice became much sterner. "You will either be in the group you were assigned, Gary, or you will be spending the summer camp doing chores on the ranch instead."

This made Gary pause, looking up at his grandfather in disbelief, before scowling. He turned on a heel and stormed over towards the Poliwag group, letting out an unhappy: "Hrmph!"

With a twist in her stomach Serena realized she was going to be in the same group as this boy. She just kept her head down, and continued on to the Poliwag group. There were three other kids there already, and with Gary stomping their way towards them that would bring their numbers up to five. A quick glance at the other two groups showed that there was about the same number of kids in each one, gathered under the one and two signs with a Squirtle and Psyduck painted onto it.

"You do realize the numbers aren't rankings, right Gary?" Samson said with a smile as the boy approached. He shot a glare at the man, before looking at the rest of the group. He had wild, dark gray hair and a scowl on his face.

"I'm Gary Oak," he informed the rest of them, holding his head high. "This ranch is my Gramp's ranch, meaning that it's mine too! We're going to be the best group here, and you guys better not mess it up."

Samson stepped forward, ruffling Gary's hair. "Ignore Gare-bear here, he's just a bit... Krabby," The man snickered, while Serena frowned in confusion. "Now we're just all here to have fun, it's not a competition– though the group who is the most behaved will get a prize. Now, why don't we all go around and introduce ourselves? Gary already did so, so about we start off with... you."

He pointed to another boy in the group, who happily stepped forward. "My name is Damian, and I'm going to be a Pokemon trainer one day!"

"I'm Casey," the next person said– and the only other girl in the group beside Serena. "Future baseball player for the Electabuzz!"

"Electabuzz?" The last boy scoffed. "Everyone knows that the Starmies are the strongest."

Casey turned on a heel, glaring at the boy. "Yeah, maybe for you Kantonian folks– but the Electabuzz beat them hands down!"

"No they don't!"

"Yes they do!"

"No they–"

"Okay, and what would your name be, young man?" Samson said, swooping in. "I believe you haven't had a Chansey to say it yet, and we would all be Happiny if you would."

"Miles," he said.

Finally that only left Serena, everyone looking at her as Samson gestured for her to speak. She swallowed, shifting the Rhyhorn toy in her arms, trying to find her voice. "I'm, um, Serena and–"

Gary let out a laugh. "What's wrong with your voice?"

She froze up, confusion running through her. "Wha–?"

"Yeah, your voice sounds funny," Miles said, tilting his head.

"That, kids, is what's called an accent," Samson said, stepping in. "Everyone has one, and it's just the way people speak, depending on where they're from. I'm guessing you're from Kalos, right Serena?"

"Y-yes," Serena whispered, throwing a hesitant glance at the other kids.

"So Serena here has a Kalosian accent," Samson said with a nod. "It probably stands out more to you kids because it's very different from the other accents around here. Take Casey for example– I'm guessing you're from Johto or southern Sinnoh."

"Johto," she said proudly, puffing up.

"And the rest of you are from Kanto?" Samson checked, and everyone nodded. "You don't always notice an accent, you see, as usually you're around people with the same accent as you– or very similar– like me and Casey here for example. I'm from Alola– but I spent a lot of my childhood here in Kanto, so I don't really have the strongest Alola accent," He smiled at Serena. "I'm guessing that we all sound different than everyone back in Kalos, right?"

She nodded uncertainly.

Samson clapped his hands together. "Isn't it wonderful that we get to meet people from so many different regions? I think this is going to be a wonderful week– now who wants to go see our cabin?"

Despite Samson's attempt to break up any hesitation there could be over something like an accent, Serena remained silent as the rest of the kids gave an excited shout. She didn't want anyone to look at her that way again, and so she decided that she wouldn't say anything else unless it was absolutely necessary. She followed the rest of their group across the gray field and into the forest, making their way away from the ranch and to the camp.

There was three sets of bunk beds in their cabin– Gary and Damian quickly claimed the first one. Serena was hoping that she would be able to bunk with Casey as they were the only girls, but she had seemed to pair up with Miles without even realizing it. Despite their different taste in teams, they had both gotten into an invested conversation about baseball as they unpacked.

And so Serena was left alone on the last bunk, which she took without complaint. Their cabin was a small building with two rooms– a larger one for the campers, with a smaller room for their camp counselor. Each cabin also had a Pokemon as well, the same Pokemon that had been on the signs, and so for cabin three that was an energetic Poliwag.

"What color is Poliwag?" Miles asked, happily petting the water type, who didn't seem to know how to sit still.

"Hmm..." Samson said, and all of them looked at the gray Pokemon. "I believe it would be blue like most water types, but I would have to check with Samuel."

The kids looked a bit startled by this. "You mean you can't see colors yet?!" Damian cried. "But you're so old!"

Samson laughed. "Age has nothing to do with the ability to see in color. Your eyes are only opened to color once you meet your soulmate, and as for me I have yet to meet mine, though I probably don't have one seeing how old I am."

"That's sad," Casey said quietly. "I can't imagine not having a soulmate... that would mean I'd never get to see yellow, the best color..."

"How do you know it's the best if you haven't seen it?" Gary asked with a sneer, up on a top bunk.

"Because the Electabuzz are yellow!" Casey said. "So it's the best color!"

"I don't think you'll have a soulmate, seeing how annoying you are," Gary said, and Casey flashed him a glare. "I'm sure I'll have the best soulmate though– and I'll be able to see all the colors you can't!"

Samson quickly cut in, trying to keep a fight from breaking out, while Serena looked down at her Rhyhorn toy. Gray cloth for its skin, and dark gray buttons for the eyes. Even if they had never seen colors before, everyone knew about them– shades and hues that were supposed to be bright and wonderful. But until someone was able to meet their soulmate their world was simply black and white.

That was how you knew that you had met your soulmate– because when you looked them in the eye the world of colors would be opened to you. It was at that very moment a bond would form, and the 'Knowing' would begin. Serena didn't quite understand what that meant, but her mother said it was how you came to know what colors were what, and over time the Knowing would evolve to help connect you with your soulmate.

But Grace never talked much about soulmates, not since she had lost hers.

Serena shuddered, remembering all too well the day her father had passed. An accident at work, something that had been beyond anyone's control– but it hadn't been a phone call or a news report that had told them of his passing.

Her mother's scream that day would be one Serena would always remember– one that had sent four-year old Serena running from her room and into the kitchen– were Grace had been standing petrified, a shattered plate at her feet. Rhyhorn had charged up to the glass door, rushing to see what had happened to his rider. Tears had been pouring from her mother's gray eyes, horror on her face.

When one's soulmate died, your world once again became gray. Your soulmate was the one that opened your eyes to the world of color, and without them that gift faded. Grace had known the moment her husband had died, watching the colors around her fade the same moment he had.

Serena's life hadn't been the same since then.

"I wish I would have been in the Psyduck group then..." Casey said, her words pulling Serena from her thoughts. "If they're yellow..."

"Who cares about the Psyduck group!" Gary growled. "It's team one that's the worst– the Squirtles! Ashy-boy is in that group, so we can't let them win any of the activities!"

Serena sighed, leaning back on her bed– this was going to be a long week.