A/N: I was unhappy with the original Prologue, so I revised it a little, changing up the writing style slightly. Chapter 1 will be revised as well and after that, I will continue on with the story.
Prologue
-Serena-
The locker room was completely deserted. A few dozen empty seats belonging to all the contestants who didn't make it all around her as she stared at the live feed from the television. Two arduous days of hard work, but she had made it to the finals, and was now waiting for the second semi-final match to conclude before facing the only trainer left between her and her first Grand Festival. Serena wasn't paying much thought to the match she was watching. Instead, she was tapping her toes nervously as anticipation built up inside her.
This is it she thought to herself One more match and I'll finally make it to the Grand Festival. She could feel the rapid pumping of blood through her veins. She could hear every time her heartbeat, as loud and clear as a booming drum. Three years of constant hard work, from the crack of dawn until way past dusk, training arduously for this one moment. I can do this, I've trained for this. This is my last shot, it's the last contest of the season. If I don't pull this off I'll have to wait another three years for another chance. Serena thought to herself. I owe it to them, to Braixen, Pancham, Sylveon, and Altaria. To May and Dawn who helped me out when I first started competing. To Ash, she continued thinking, subconsciously grabbing the blue ribbon on her chest. For helping me realize who I want to be.
A deafening cheer roared throughout the stadium, causing the entire building to shake and pulling Serena out of her thoughts. She looked up at the television to realize the semi-finals match had ended. In a few moments, she would have to walk out into the contest hall and show the results of her training. She closed her eyes in meditation. I can do this. I WILL WIN THIS, she mentally prepared herself. In her mind, she heard a distant voice. The voice of a seven-year-old boy in a forest, a boy she has grown to love. Never Give up til' it's over!
I won't Ash she promised herself as she stood up from where she was sitting and headed for the door. Ready to finish what she started.
-Ash-
Vermillion City. The third-largest city of the Kanto Region. World-known for its top-class beaches, pristine blue waters, and, of course, home of Kanto's Electric-type gym, led by none other than the menacing Lieutenant Surge. Naturally, the sound of pokemon battles was a constant presence in the city, and as it turns out, Ash had just walked right into one.
Here he was, standing in a battlefield in a small, but beautiful park filled with lush trees and brilliant green grass, facing down his opponent. "GO VAPOREON" yelled Mike Wolowitz, a trainer from the Alola region, who had come to Kanto looking for a strong trainer so he would be able to rank up in the world championships. He threw his Pokeball into the battlefield as it opened, revealing a small, but majestic Vaporeon. "Pikachu, you're up buddy," Ash said. Pikachu jumped down from his shoulder and into the battlefield. A growing tension grew between the trainers and pokemon as they anxiously awaited for the battle to start. Ash closed his eyes in concentration. Picturing two cerulean blue eyes.
"BATTLE START" announced the Rotom Drone. Both trainers immediately went full focus mode.
"PIKACHU, QUICK ATTACK" Ash exclaimed. "VAPOREON BUBBLE BEAM" both trainers shouted their orders at the same time. The opposing Vaporeon launched a flurry of bubbles straight at the small yellow mouse, but Pikachu used his Quick Attack to avoid them and struck Vaporeon head-on.
The blue eeveelution was sent back by the recoil, but Ash wasn't going to give up the offensive. "Quick Pikachu, trap it with Electroweb," Ash told him. Pikachu jumped into the air and launched a net of electricity at the Vaporeon, trapping it inside and shocking it. "Get out of there with Acid Armor" Mike commanded. Vaporeon then slowly started to melt into a liquid and slipped through one of the holes in the electric net. Reforming once safely outside it. Even though it had gotten, out it had still sustained solid damage and Vaporeon looked terribly weak.
"We've got this Pikachu, finish it with Thunderbolt" Ash ordered. "VAPOREON, ICE BEAM" Mike ordered. Both attacks collided mid-air which created a shockwave that sent dust flying into the air.
As the dust parted, Pikachu was still standing but Vaporeon was nowhere to be seen. "NOW VAPOREON". The ground under Pikachu gave away, as Vaporeon leaped out of the hole it had dug and crashed directly into Pikachu sending him rolling away from the impact. "PIKACHU" Ash yelled. His partner pokemon used his tail and regained his balance, once again taking an attacking position. He used the dust from the shockwave as a smokescreen Ash took note mentally. I think I might be able to use it against him.
"PIKACHU THUNDERBOLT AGAIN" Ash ordered. Pikachu launched the attack once again. "VAPOREON ICE BEAM ONCE AGAIN" Ash grinned, checkmate. As both attacks collided once more in the air, he anticipated what was coming. 1 Mississippi, Ash mentally counted 2 Mississippi, NOW. "PIKACHU IRON TAIL THE GROUND". Pikachu obeyed and his tail glowed a metallic gray. Just as he was about to strike the ground, it gave away. Vaporeon crashed straight into the move and fell back again once into the hall.
Another dust cloud formed, and when this one cleared out. Pikachu stood on the battlefield, besides a defeated Vaporeon. "MATCH GOES TO ASH KETCHUM FROM PALLET TOWN" called the Rotom Drone. "Please wait for the rankings to be updated" announced the Rotom Drone before flying off.
Mike Wolowitz returned his fainted Vaporeon to its pokeball, while Pikachu climbed back up on Ash's shoulders. "Thanks for the battle" Mike Wolowitz said as the two trainers shook hands and parted ways.
Ash felt his Rotom Phone vibrate in his pocket and pulled it out. That battle had only propelled him forward by 3 ranks, so he was now standing at 927. Damn, ranking up is getting way harder he thought to himself. He pocketed his Rotom Phone once again and headed out of the park, heading back to Cerise laboratories.
As he walked back through the city, his mind drifted back to the thing he had pictured before the battle. Two sapphire blue cerulean eyes. He knew who those belonged to, what he didn't know was why he kept seeing them all the time. Before every battle, randomly in the middle of the day. It was the first thing he pictured when waking up in the morning and the last thing he saw before drifting off to sleep, that is, on the days he could sleep.
He hasn't told anyone, but he has been dealing with insomnia for over three years at this point. It started a few days after he left Kalos, when he was lying down on his bed rolling over and over trying to sleep to no avail. He had only gotten a few minutes of sleep that night, and was thankfully able to sleep again the next day. Ever since that moment, maybe five or six times a month he had an insomniac episode and he didn't even try to go to sleep, instead spending that night reading or coming up with a new battle strategy.
It got better once he arrived in Alola, going from five or six times a month to only one or two. He had even had a few lucky months when he got none of them, yet. Sooner or later, another one was bound to happen. Such was the nature of his curse. For the first few weeks of researching with Goh and Professor Cerise, he had only had three insomniac episodes, but it all changed when he went back to Kalos. Of course, he was happy he was able to see Korrina and Lucario again, and he slept better than ever that night they spent in Kalos. Upon returning, however, the insomnia came back, and it came back hard.
He didn't sleep for three nights straight after returning from Kalos, up to the point where he passed out from exhaustion and Goh had to take him to the Emergency Room. He'd told him he had been working too hard and Goh seemed to fall for it, though Ash did notice a little bit of hesitation in his eyes. It's been a month since then and Ash has had thirteen insomniac episodes, a new personal record. It got to the point where Ash started taking sleeping pills to try and deal with the problem.
What frustrated Ash the most, was that he knew when the insomnia started, but he had no idea why he suddenly started to deal with it. Could it have something to do with her?. He thought to himself, as he finally arrived at Cerise laboratories and entered through the front door.
-Serena-
Serena walked out of the contest hall, head held high and filled with a mixture of relief, glee and passion. Her hand was holding a beautiful green ribbon, the ribbon given to the winner of the Verdanturf Town contest winner, and her fifth and final ribbon needed to enter the Grand Festival. It had been a tough battle, Pancham had nearly avoided getting knocked out by the opposing trainer's Torkoal, but in the end, she had pulled through. Running out the timer and winning by quite a large point differential.
The sun was starting to set, as Serena started to make her way back to the pokemon center she was staying in for the night. She breathed in the wonderful fresh air that Verdanturf was famous for. The town itself was quiet and peaceful, it reminded her of her home in Kalos. Only one thing could've made this day better than it already was. I'll see him again soon she thought to herself. She arrived at the pokemon center, checked in with Nurse Joy and headed to her room.
She closed the door behind her, placed her bag on the nearest chair and dropped down on her bed in exhaustion, pulling out her pokeNav to find a notification from Dawn.
Dawn - Contest Pals
-Serena! Congrats on the fifth ribbon.
-I'll be waiting for you at Lilycove
She smiled at her friend's congratulations, and began to text her response.
-Thanks Dawn!
- I'm planning on taking the ferry from Slateport
-I'll be there by Saturday!
Dawn - Contest Pals
-Great, I'll see you then!
-May, you coming too?
May - Contest Pals
-Yeah, I'm still in Petalburg with my dad
-I was also planning on taking the ferry there
-Guess we'll see each other there Serena
Serena - Contest Pals
-Great! See you Saturday.
Serena wrote as she put her pokeNav down and stood up to take a bath and change into her pajamas. As she laid there in the tub, her mind slowly started to drift back to Ash. Would he be proud of me? She asked herself, even though it was a ridiculous question. Of course he would, that's just who he is. She reflected. I wish he could see me now, I've grown so strong. I miss him so much.
She thought back to her final moments in Kalos, her little spurt of bravery that made her confess her feelings through Ash in a truly unconventional way. Someday, someday I'll see him again.
-Ash-
Ash looked out of his and Goh's bedroom window at the peaceful, starry night. It was late, really late, and Ash was having another insomniac episode. He stared at the brilliant full moon. How much is this gonna last he asked himself. It's becoming unbearable.
This was the second night in a row with an insomniac episode. He knew that he would feel like crap tomorrow, but there was nothing he could do about it. As always, every night his mind started drifting off to the source of his problem. Kalos. He thought of his old Kalos Pokémon who were currently enjoying themselves at professor Oak's laboratory back in Pallet Town. He thought of Clement who was probably busy coming up with a brand new invention, or battling someone at the gym, Bonnie always by his side. He thought of Goodra and Greninja who were still in Kalos and he hadn't heard from them in years. Maybe Greninja is the issue he thought to himself Maybe this is a side-effect of the bond phenomenon. He concluded, however, he felt like that wasn't the answer. He thought of Serena, her bright blue cerulean eyes staring back at him, the same set of eyes he saw before and after every battle.
He missed her, he terribly missed her. He missed her more than all of his past traveling companions combined. He didn't know why he missed her so much, but he knew she was something special to him, something more than a friend, perhaps a best friend?
She very well could be the reason for his insomnia, after all it did start after they both parted ways. He didn't even know where Serena was. Could that bother him so much that it caused him sleeping problems?
"Ash" a voice pulled him from his thoughts. Goh had woken up. "Everything OK?" He asked, concerned.
No, no it's not ok thought Ash. "Yeah, everything's fine" Ash replied.
"Well try and get to sleep" Goh told him. "Professor Cerise said something about a research task in Hoenn, we're probably heading there tomorrow" Goh informed him as he lay back in his bed.
"Ok, Goh" Ash replied as he climbed up into his bunk, where Pikachu was comfortably sleeping. "Good night Ash," Goh said from below. "G'night Goh" Ash responded. Although he knew he wouldn't be getting any more sleep.