"Serena! Serena!" Was she still practicing? Ever since the inspiration hit her at lunchtime, she and her team had been practicing a brand new routine. Ash could appreciate her dedication, and he could certainly understand the need to get up and train as soon as an idea struck. However, the fact that he hadn't seen her in hours concerned him, and he especially wanted to make sure that she didn't miss dinner time.
The raven-haired boy stepped carefully stepped over the undergrowth as he journeyed deeper into the nearby forest where Serena had disappeared. How far into the woods did she go? Light began to filter through the branches up ahead, and as Ash pushed some leaves out of his face he suddenly found himself facing a large clearing. In the center was Serena, twirling and dancing in tune with her Pokemon. The setting sun painted the sky with oranges and pinks, but the rays it cast into the hollow were a brilliant gold. The light danced around the girl's honey-colored locks, and they seemed to create a glimmering golden halo around her head. In Ash's eyes, even more than a halo, he thought the light resembled an ethereal crown. "Serena!" he blurted at last, when she stopped dancing to catch her breath. "Dinner time!"
Serena seemed startled by Ash's presence, but she nodded and hurried over to meet him. "It's that late already? Thanks for coming out here!"
"No worries!" Ash assured her with a grin. "By the way… do you think they could ever do a showcase outside?"
Serena tapped her chin thoughtfully. "Hmm… probably not. It'd be difficult to seat everyone," she decided. "Why?"
Ash shrugged. "I dunno. I just thought it would be a cool idea. Plus… if you could compete in the sunset, you'd win for sure. In the sun's rays, you really look like a queen!"
