Chapter Four
"Mom? What's that on TV?" Ash asked, pausing as he flipped through the channels. He had been eagerly searching for a Pokemon battle to watch, and paused once he had spotted Pokemon on the screen.
But instead of two Pokemon fighting, what he found was a Ninetales gracefully leaping though its own Fire Spin.
"Hmm? Oh, that looks like a Pokemon contest," Delia said, before returning her gaze to her sewing project in front of her.
"What's a Pokemon contest?" Ash asked, eyes still glued to the TV. The Ninetales' eyes were now glowing with psychic energy, guiding the fire up into the air to dance about her.
"It's a competition that Pokemon Coordinators compete in," She said, glancing at the TV again. "This looks like the appeal round. They have their Pokemon show off their moves and how well they trained. They try to show how beautiful the Pokemon is."
"It is beautiful," Ash whispered, watching as the Ninetales glowed as it absorbed the flames with its Flash Fire ability, before taking a bow alongside her trainer.
"If you pass the appeal then the next round is a battle round," Delia said, eyes gleaming– and he let out a gasp.
"Battles?!" Ash cried out, sitting straight up. "I want to watch them!"
"They'll show them after the appeal rounds," She said with a chuckle. "But you should know contest battles are different than competitive matches."
"How?" Ash asked, and Delia began to explain what to rules she could remember– the timer and point system, and how every move you make could lose you points. It was nothing like a competitive battle, where sheer strength could get you through, and it wasn't even about defeating your opponent's Pokemon.
And Ash couldn't help but find it all so fascinating.
He loved Pokemon, and even at a young age he could tell this would require you to work one on one with them. Not just ordering them into battle, but finding a way for them to use their elements far beyond a simple attack– and training for more than just strength. The main focus seemed to be about beauty, something that had never mattered much to him before, but with his eyes now opened to the world of color he couldn't help but admire it.
And of course there was battling– maybe not a fierce, Pokemon fighting to their last breath for dominance battle, but still the thrill was there.
"So, um... how does one become a Pokemon Coordinator," Ash asked quietly, eyes locked on the screen as a Seadra and Ivysaur fought in the battle round.
"Just like signing up for the gym challenge," She replied. "You become a trainer, and then you go to a Pokemon Center to sign up for contests. And then of course there's a lot of training, and you have to make sure your Pokemon are always in top condition," She smiled. "And here I thought you wanted to be a Pokemon Master?"
"I'm not saying that I don't," Ash said defensively, eyes still locked on the screen. "I'm just interested– because this is like battling in a whole other way!" His eyes widened as the Seadra shattered the frozen Bubble Beam, creating a look as if there were sparkles around it. "Woah! That's so cool! I didn't know you could do so much with Pokemon moves!"
Delia chuckled as she watched her son, before returning her focus to her sewing project.
Serena took in a deep breath, the ten year old flattening out her skirt, before looking up. She told herself to stay calm, and this wasn't something to panic about. It was simple, and it was something that needed to be said, because she wasn't sure if she could handle one more day of being tossed from the bucking Pokemon and into the dirt.
"Mom– I don't want to do Rhyhorn racing."
Her words were clear, and precise. She knew that perhaps it would seem sudden, but she had been hiding her hatred for many years now. She looked up into the gray gaze in front of her, bracing herself.
"Oh– what am I thinking?" Serena asked as she stared at her reflection– which was pale and nervous despite not even being in front of her mother. She pushed herself away from the mirror, pacing the length of her room. "But what else am I supposed to say? Anything else is a lie! And she clearly hasn't picked up on any of my hints that I'm not enjoying this, so I have to say something..."
She and her mother had been wanderers for many years, traveling around from region to region to compete in races, to earn money to support themselves. It was only about a year ago that they had been able to afford this house, though they still left quite often for the races. Sometimes just to a nearby track to train, and other times they drove to the other side of the region for longer races.
All the while Grace excitedly prepared her daughter to one day race, while said daughter hated every moment of it.
"Fletch!" A voice cried, and she looked up at her doorway to see an orange shape glide into the room. Her mother's Fletchinder landed on the edge of her bed, looking at her expectantly. Serena didn't have to say a word, already knowing what was going to happen.
"Serena!" A voice called from downstairs. "Come down for breakfast– we have a lot to do today!"
"I'm sure we do," She muttered, before raising her voice to reply. "I'll be right down, Mom!"
Fletchinder darted to her shoulder as she stood up, and she had to hold her out her arm to fully support the larger Pokemon. She winced as his sharp claws dug into her shoulder. Her mother did keep them trimmed, but they seemed to constantly be growing. She was sure if her mother had it her way that the little Fletchling would have never evolved, as it was easier to take care of the smaller Pokemon, but she was grateful the bird had– Fletchinder had evolved to protect them after all.
"Hello, Mom," Serena said as she headed downstairs, finding her mom in the kitchen preparing breakfast as she always did. Serena did like cooking, but so often her mom insisted that she did it herself, so Serena would have more time to train. She sat at the table, letting Fletchinder up on his perch. "Nice day, isn't it? No sense in wasting it– we could have lunch in the park or something!"
Grace grinned. "We have plenty going on today– we'll be heading to Santalune City as soon as breakfast is over," She glanced over her daughter. "And as soon as you're ready for today– and don't you dare waste anytime with makeup or doing your hair up in some fancy hairdo. A ponytail and your track suit is enough."
"Well maybe I wouldn't spend so much time on my hair if you'd let me cut it."
"You don't need more than a trim, Serena."
She lowered her head, keeping herself from snapping something back, and began to eat the oatmeal that her mother gave her. "So all the way to Santalune? You have an upcoming race?"
"Nope."
"Then why do we need to go that far? We can train with Rhyhorn in the back," Serena protested. She hated going out in public wearing her outfit for Rhyhorn racing.
"You'll see~" Grace said, looking absolutely excited. Serena was slightly put off by this, her mother looking like a kid on Christmas morning. She decided that there was no point in ruining the happy mood, and as soon as she was finished she went upstairs to get ready for the day.
She longingly looked at her newest outfit– she never got to buy anything too fancy, but she was happy with this one. She wished she could wear it for a trip out to the city, but instead she had to pull out her old racing suit from the closet. She looked over the track suit in distaste, but at the very least it was pink, Serena's favorite color. Her mother couldn't see colors and so she hadn't said a word when Serena had picked it out, it was all she could do to make racing a bit more bearable.
The next thing she knew she was sitting in the backseat of her mom's car, heading towards Santalune. She was ten years old now, and she felt that she was old enough to sit in the front seat, but still her mom always said no. It wasn't fair– Shauna's mom let her sit in the front, but nope she still had to be treated like a kid. She didn't even bother looking out the window– they have driven this route many times.
"We're almost there," Grace said happily, and she glanced up to see them pulling into the parking lot of the Rhyhorn racing track.
"Yay," Serena said quietly.
"I noticed you haven't been that motivated lately," Grace commented as they got out of the car, and Serena jerked her head up– was her mom finally picking up on her misery? "So I thought there was something I should do about that. I mean, between my own training and yours there was only so much that could be done, so I decided that you needed to take the next step."
"...And what is that?" Serena asked uncertainly, following her mother across the parking lot. She noticed that they weren't heading to the track like they usually did for training, but rather to the stalls.
"You see~" She said in that same sing-song voice, grinning back at Serena.
She crinkled her nose as they stepped inside, because the Rhyhorn stalls smelled like a zoo. It was a scent she was used to, but it didn't mean she liked it. There were a few other people inside, some saddling up their Rhyhorn, others grooming theirs or grinding down the stone plates that covered the creatures.
But what caught Serena's attention was the small whimperings coming from a stall at the end of the room. With a frown she drifted from her mother's side, and discovered a small Rhyhorn nervously pacing the pen much larger than it. There was a nervous look in its scarlet gaze, jumping when it saw Serena. The baby Rhyhorn let out a long rumble, the call echoing through the entire building. A few Rhyhorn glanced up at it, but didn't move.
"Mom, why is this baby all alone?" Serena asked nervously. She had seen Rhyhorn calves before, and this one was much too small to be leaving its mother's side. "They aren't racing the mother, are they? That could affect milk production! We need to find its owner right now!"
Just because she didn't like Rhyhorn racing didn't mean that she didn't care about the Rhyhorns.
"They separate racing Rhyhorn from their mothers sooner, Serena," Grace explained, putting a hand on her shoulder. "Both so the mother can get back to racing sooner, and so that the calf will bond with its rider. This little calf will be bottle fed from now on, but my look at how pretty she is!"
Serena didn't see how anything about the sight was pretty– the little Rhyhorn desperately calling out for her mother.
"Well, you like her?" A voice asked from behind them, both women turned around. A man was standing there, smiling at them. Serena recognized him immediately– Simon Vide– someone her mom had raced against many times. He was in the professional division just like Grace, and both were swiftly working their way up to a master rank.
"Yep, she's perfect," Grace said happily. "The calf will be a great racer one day."
"Took my girl out of races for a time, but we'll have her running the track again in no time," Simon said with a nod. "Harper's out running her right now, she's a bit in a panic though, still looking for the calf."
"You have to bring her back to the calf!" Serena cried, taking a step towards the man, who looked at her with a raised eyebrow. "They miss each other! The mom should be the one to raise her baby!"
"Don't mind her," Grace said, pulling Serena back. "Trust me honey, it's not as bad as it seems. This is how they do it with all racing Rhyhorn– even my Rhyhorn. Both mother and baby will be over it in just a few days," she glanced at Simon once more. "You got my payment, right?"
"Yep– she's yours to take home whenever you're ready," Simon said, pulling a Pokeball out of his pocket and handing it to Grace. "Best to only keep her in there when traveling– the young ones need plenty of time outside a Pokeball."
"Thank you, Simon," Grace said with a smile. "Tell Harper I say hi."
"I will," he nodded at them, before turning and heading out of the building and to the tracks.
Serena stood there, trying to understand what was going on. Grace turned towards her, a huge smile on her face, and then guided Serena closer to the stall. The little Rhyhorn looked up at her in fear, backing to the corner of the stall.
"Surprise, honey," Grace said happily, throwing her arms around her. "This Rhyhorn is going to be yours!"
"H-huh?" Serena stuttered out.
"Of course you can't technically own a Pokemon until you're fifteen, so I'll be the legal owner until you become a trainer– but you'll be the one taking care of it, and bonding with it, and when it's old enough you'll be able to ride on it!"
"I– I don't know wh-what to say, I'm..." Serena stuttered out, staring at the Rhyhorn. Her own Rhyhorn... that would seal the deal. She didn't know how she could possibly get out of racing if her mother had bought her a Rhyhorn– one that came from racing stock too. Her heart sank, not only not knowing what to do, but feeling absolutely sick that they were tearing this Pokemon from its family.
"You're speechless!" Grace squealed, bringing Serena into a huge hug. "Gah, I'm so happy! I noticed you just didn't seem up to it like when you were younger, and I figured that you needed your own Rhyhorn, one to work with yourself and not just riding on mine!"
"I, heh, um..." she swallowed. "I guess I should go meet it... um, her."
She carefully pulled herself out of her mother's arms, and opened the stall door. The little Rhyhorn froze up, and she quickly closed it behind her so it wouldn't race out. She stared at the Pokemon, and she stomped her foot a bit like she often did with her mom's Rhyhorn, since it could sense the vibrations in the ground and know where she was.
Startled scarlet eyes stared in her direction, and she lowered herself to the ground so she wasn't towering over it. "Hey little one, I'm Serena..."
The Rhyhorn snorted, tossing its head. It's horn was just a tiny nub, and the ridges and plates were just starting to form across its body. The Pokemon paws at the ground, pressing up against the cement wall as it shook. Serena realized that the wall probably would remind it of its mother– rocky and rough. She crawled forward, slowly approaching the calf, pausing whenever it got too startled. Soon she was only a couple of feet from it, but the baby panicked if she came closer.
Finally she just turned her back on the baby, sitting there on the ground of the stall, tapping the floor. She hit her fingers against the ground a bit harder than necessary, but she hoped it would be enough for the ground type to pick up. She heard it let out another snort, but she didn't move, just sitting there as she tapped the ground.
She heard it taking a step forward, and while the ground didn't shake like it could with an adult, she could still sense the power behind it. As much as she wanted to, she didn't look up, just continuing what she was doing as she heard the Pokemon take another step.
And within a few minutes she could feel its hot breath on her arm, the Rhyhorn curiously peering at what she was doing. She didn't move, but softly said. "Hi there."
The Rhyhorn snorted, but didn't move. It watched her warily, those bright red eyes locked on her as it came around in front of her. That was one thing Serena liked about Pokemon– that you could see their eyes unlike humans. She wondered what the world would be like if you could see everyone's true eyes– and she imagined that it would be much prettier.
The baby Rhyhorn sniffed at her tapping hands, breath hot and dry. She couldn't help but smile, continuing to tap her hands, causing the baby to paw at the ground. Finally it pressed its head forward, nudging her hands as it tried to understand what she was doing– and she carefully stroked its tiny horn.
"Hi there," she said quietly again, confidently running her fingers across its snout. "I know you must be so confused right now, but I'm not going to hurt you."
The little Rhyhorn regarded her, and then closed her eyes. She seemed to accept that this new human wasn't a threat, and carefully pulled its head away from her. Now somewhat comfortable with Serena it trotted towards the front of the stall, pacing it once more– calling out for its mom.
There was a burst of red light– Grace recalling the Rhyhorn to its Pokeball. Serena's heart sank, feeling so sick at the thought that this baby had been torn away from its mom just so they could buy it.
"That was absolutely perfect, Serena," Grace said, a look of absolute pride in her eyes. "I didn't even have to say anything, and you knew exactly what to do– and because of that you already have earned Rhyhorn's trust," she beamed at her daughter. "Let's go home so we can get this little Rhyhorn all settled in!"
The little baby would not only be away from its mom, but now in a whole new and strange place. Serena felt horrible, but as she stared at the Pokeball she knew she couldn't leave the baby alone. No matter how much she didn't want to do Rhyhorn racing, she just couldn't abandon the little calf.
"Heh, that will be confusing quickly," Grace said, looking down at the Pokeball. "Rhyhorn and Rhyhorn... perhaps I should have given mine a nickname after all," she chuckled. "Do you want to give the baby a name?"
"I'll have to think about it," Serena said quietly, pulling herself out of the stall, closing the door behind her.
Nicknames, she had never thought about nicknaming a Pokemon before, even though she had often thought about going on a journey. The chance to get away from her mother's eagerness of racing and just traveling the world...
Serena's gut twisted, thinking about the promise she had made in Pallet Town years ago, to go on a journey with Ash... her soulmate. It had been four years ago– and that had been the last time she had seen Ash.
Her heart ached slightly at the thought, an emptiness she often tried to ignore rising to the surface. She knew what the feeling was– it was the Knowing. It was the same force that allowed her to know what colors were which when her eyes were first opened to this world, and it was the force that made her heart ache from being separated from her soulmate.
She often wondered what Ash was doing in these many years that had passed– and if he thought of her as often as she thought of him. Was he still the same cheerful boy she had met? Did he still want to be a Pokemon master and have a powerful Dragonite on his team? Would he still leap to the defense of another without a second thought? Did his mother finally believe that he actually did have a soulmate?
Because Grace didn't believe her.
Not that she had brought it up in the last couple of years– she had learned not to talk about it because her mother would only get angry. She insisted that she was too young to have a soulmate, that she was lying, and that this 'stupid game' was getting old. She had even refused to reach out to try to contact Delia Ketchum, having decided that Ash was the one influencing her into lying.
It had been hard on Serena, not even being able to have her own mom trust her, so in the end she pretended like it had never happened. Their relationship had definitely improved since then, her mom having been much happier. She avoided mentioning the colors she could see, and went on in life as if everything was still black and white.
"Oh, this is so exciting!" Grace said. "My little girl is one step closer to being a racer."
"Yeah," Serena said, her heart feeling heavy. "Yeah. I guess I am."