"Dedenne is unable to battle! Pyroar wins!"
A gasp escaped Serena's lips as she watched the little mouse Pokémon go down. Serena had seen enough Flamethrower attacks in her days to know that Pyroar was raised well; defeating him would be a challenge.
Suddenly a reassuring hand rested on her shoulder. "She still has two more. Bonnie will never give up!" Ash grinned at his honey blonde companion, hoping to restore her spirits.
Serena had never been discouraged in the first place, but her sigh must have concerned him. "I believe in her!" she exclaimed before turning her attention back to the battle. "I'm still pretty amazed that that lazy little Dedenne grew into such a competent battler."
Clemont chuckled softly from her other side. "Disciplining him is no easy task, but the Lumiose Gym is well-equipped for training all sorts of electric Pokémon," he stated matter-of-factly. "I was more than happy to support my sister, especially after she earned a badge from me." He smiled fondly at the bittersweet memory. Even though losing a battle could sting, Serena imagined he couldn't help but swell with pride when his own little sister overcame his trial.
"She's come really far," Ash agreed. "We all have! I finally became the Kanto champion, Serena became Kalos Queen, and didn't you receive an invitation to the Elite Four?"
The blonde boy's face turned a bright shade of pink. Clearly he was uncomfortable with becoming the topic of conversation. "Well yes, but I turned them down–"
A sharp roar cut him off. In the middle of the arena, a large, rocky dinosaur reared its head and bellowed once again in triumph. "Pyroar is unable to battle! Tyrantrum wins!"
"Although I may have to reconsider if Bonnie wins the league," Clemont conceded with a sigh.
Ash nodded encouragingly. "Why not? Who says you can't make inventions and be part of the Elite Four at the same time?"
An explosion blasted from the middle of the arena, and immediately the crowd fell silent. All eyes turned expectantly to the cloud of smoke on the field, trying to identify who remained standing among the debris. Gently Serena wrapped her hand around Ash's tightly clenched fist. Of course they all wanted Bonnie to win, but she especially knew the passionate young man from Pallet Town could get carried away with emotion during a battle; it was her turn to reassure him.
"The winner of this semifinal match is… Bonnie of Lumiose City!"
Ash jumped out of his seat and shouted the girl's name at the top of his lungs, but not before intertwining his fingers with the soft, warm ones resting atop his. He effectively pulled Serena out of her seat when he rose, but she was happy to join him in crying out Bonnie's name, celebrating her victory with many other exuberant voices in the crowd.
Looking at her current situation, the performer couldn't help but reflect on how far all of their dreams had come.
