Chapter Three

~ Leaving the Reins Behind ~

"Fletchling!" *peck*

"OW! Fletchling, why?!" Serena screamed angrily. She heard her mom calling from downstairs and decided to get up, but only because she smelled bacon cooking.

She walked into the kitchen to find her mother sitting on the couch, watching television. "Good morning, sleepyhead," Grace said. Serena replied, "Morning, mom," and proceeded to quietly munch on her breakfast. The day was as beautiful as any day in Kalos could get, but Serena's mood was just not quite up there.

Grace could easily tell when her daughter was upset, and she felt it necessary to talk about it a little. "So I'm guessing you did a lot of thinking last night?" she asked.

Serena shrugged, shifting her straight honey-blonde hair over her shoulders. "Yeah...I guess so," were her only words.

The former Rhyhorn-racing champion stood up and sat down at the table with her daughter. "You know, I can tell when you're not telling me everything," she said, smiling. "It's okay, honey, you can speak your mind. I'm not going to say anything bad about it. I'm just here to listen."

Serena hesitated, then suddenly said, "I was thinking about Ash."

Her mom frowned. "You mean that boy who you said helped you after you fell? At summer camp? What about him?" she asked.

Serena nodded. "That's him. I don't know...I just wish I could've spent more time with him. Gotten to know him more. Grow up through our childhood together, something romantic like that," she said.

"I see," her mother replied. "You do know that you two were just kids, right? I mean, you're still kids, but I mean you two were really young back then. Is this all really still that significant to you?" she asked.

Serena didn't like where this was going. "Of course it is, mom...that was a special experience for me, and I've never felt anything towards anyone in that way. Ever. I know it's weird because I've never even met the guy since then, but...I don't know. Nevermind," she said in a dismissive tone. "You clearly just don't understand how much I wanted to stay in Kanto."

Grace rolled her eyes. "Oh dear, Serena, not this again. You know that I know that you wanted to stay. Serena, I wanted to stay. But moving here was better for us, for-"

"For you, mom, yes it was," Serena said. "I know you wanted to move here because you thought it would be better for both of us, but it really isn't. I know that you wanted me to become a Rhyhorn racer, and that there was more competitive racing here in Kalos, and I know that you had always dreamt of living here. But, while I was too young to realize it, I was happy in Kanto. I had things to look forward to. Here, all I do is dread every racing practice and then think about all the things I'm not fit to do. At least Pallet Town had other kids around, and speaking of-"

"Serena, there are plenty of kids who live here in Vaniville Town. Or, should I say, there were. They're all out adventuring...why don't you realize that? You keep thinking that you're not going to be good at it, or that you're not going to enjoy it, or that people will judge, or whatever...but you haven't even given it a fair chance. You're sick of Vaniville? Then go somewhere else! I'm not stopping you, Serena. It's clear to me that you hate Rhyhorn racing, and while I think you could still keep at it and learn to like it, I'm not going to force it anymore. I'm done." Grace's voice was firm, but not angry. She was trying to encourage her daughter, not scold her.

Unfortunately, Serena took it the wrong way. "Fine. Then I'm leaving," she said, getting up and rushing upstairs to her room. She grabbed her bag and packed anything within the immediate vicinity that she figured would be useful. Clothes, hair brush, wallet, cooking tools, and, of course, Ash's handkerchief...somehow she managed to fit it all in there.

She was about to walk out the door without saying goodbye, but then thought better of it. She stopped, turned to face her mother, who looked sad but also proud, and said, "Goodbye, mom."

Grace embraced her daughter, knowing full well that Serena was making the right decision for herself. It may have been on a whim, and it may have been a little too sudden, but it was something both of them had been thinking about for a long time. "Come home whenever, honey. And call everyday, if you can," she said. "You sure you don't want to stay one more day, just to gather yourself better, or maybe rethink this whole adventure thing?" she asked. Not because she wanted Serena to stay home, but because she wanted her daughter to make sure she felt confident in herself.

Serena thought about it for a few seconds, but ultimately decided that the sooner the better. "Like you said, other kids are already long gone...if I'm going to be like them, I have to start now," she said. "So I can catch up."

Her mom shook her head. "Don't think like that, Serena. It's not all about what other kids are doing...but if you really think now is the best time to leave, then you should leave. I support whatever decision you make."

Serena let go of her mother and nodded. "It's about time I got out there, anyway," she said, opening the door to say goodbye to Rhyhorn.

Ash, Clemont, and Bonnie made it to Santalune City together for Ash to challenge Viola, Santalune's Gym Leader. Throughout their trip through Route 4, Ash caught a Fletchling, and Clemont caught a Dedenne, which seemed to like Bonnie's bag more than its Pokeball. The challenger and two siblings decided to rest in the Pokemon Center for a while before going to Viola's gym.

"Pikachu, Froakie, Fletchling...you ready?" Ash asked his three Pokemon. He already knew the answer; his Pokemon were brimming with energy, motivated at the thought of a tough battle ahead.

Walking through the trails leading to Lumiose City, where she was going to get her first Pokemon, Serena found herself appreciating the bright, blue sky and fresh, crisp air around her. She initially had thought that the outdoors weren't really for her, but was finding that she actually really enjoyed them. Except for the bugs, of course...they scared her, but pretty soon she wouldn't have to worry about them once she received her starter Pokemon.

After what seemed like forever, she finally made it to the edge of the city. As she entered, she was amazed at what Lumiose City had to offer aesthetically. The buildings seemed to reach endlessly into the air, with thousands and thousands of windows lining each one. Then, there were the small shops lining the perfect streets running through the city. People and Pokemon were everywhere; the air was clean despite the heavy urban character of the establishment.

She made her way to Professor Sycamore's lab and went inside.

The professor greeted her, knowing full well that she was another young, aspiring trainer who wanted a Pokemon. "Hello! I'm guessing you want a Pokemon," the professor said, getting to the point.

Serena nodded, smiling. On her way there, she had thought about each of the three starter Pokemon and finally decided which one she wanted before she got there. The professor brought out the three Pokemon: Chespin, Fennekin, and Froakie. "They're all so cute!" Serena said. "But I've already decided which one I want," she said as she bent over to pick Fennekin in her arms.

Sycamore smiled. "Good choice. I'm sure you two will make a fine pair. Have you decided where to go next?" he asked.

Serena realized that, no, she hadn't. It dawned on her that all she had thought about was getting away from home and choosing a Pokemon...but there was no other real goal she had in mind. She shrugged. "I'm not quite sure yet, professor. Do you have any suggestions, maybe?" she asked hopefully.

The professor thought hard. "Hm, well if you're interested in the Gym Challenge, I would suggest training your Fennekin and perhaps catching other Pokemon before challenging any gyms. I've heard that the one here is, er, malfunctioning somehow, so the next closest one would be in Santalune City, which isn't too far from here at all. Other than that, I'm not really sure what to tell you; most kids just want to battle and get stronger," he said.

Serena nodded and thanked him. "I'll give it some thought," she said. "Have a nice day, professor!" she said cheerfully as she walked out the doors. The professor waved, saying, "Good luck!"

Suddenly the vastness of the city was less mesmerizing than it was intimidating. It presented too many options, too many possibilities that Serena simply could not choose from. Should I stay here, in this city? she thought. And if I do, then what? Challenge other people to battles? Or do I leave for another city? Which one?

She decided that the practical thing to do for now was to go to the Pokemon Center to buy some supplies.

Ash stood opposite Viola, with nothing between them but a regulation-sized battlefield. Surrounding them were various trees and other plants, and the roof was made of glass, allowing the sun to shine brightly through, providing ample natural light for the entire gym. Ash took a deep breath. "This is it," he said. "My first Kalos Gym Battle." He was confident, but not cocky by any means; he understood and respected his opponent's strength, even though he expected to win.

Viola smiled and said, "I've gotta admit, Ash, I'm pretty excited for this battle. I've heard a lot about you from my sister," she said. Alexa, who stood on the sidelines with her Helioptile next to Clemont and Bonnie, nodded and laughed.

The judge stood between the two challengers on the opposite sideline and shouted, "This will be a two-on-two match. Only the challenger is allowed to substitute Pokemon. Battle begin!"

The atmosphere was tense. Viola wished that a picture could capture this sort of mood. She threw her first Pokeball into the air, and in a flash of white light, a Surskit appeared. Ash decided to start with Pikachu, since that gave him a helpful type advantage.

The battle began with neither Pokemon sustaining serious damage. Both Pokemon were quick, and delivered powerful attacks that one way or another didn't manage to land a direct hit on their target. The whole scene changed, though, literally, when Viola commanded Surskit to Ice Beam the battlefield, coating the entire floor in pure ice. This caught Ash off-guard, as he had little experience with icy terrains. Now, Surskit had the advantage, as it was able to easily maneuver at a much faster pace than Pikachu could. Before Ash had time to adjust his battle plan, Surskit knocked out Pikachu with relative ease.

Fletchling was then able to knock out Surskit, only to be completely overpowered by Viola's Vivillon. Ash lost the hard-fought battle, knowing that he had a lot of training to do before he came back for a rematch.

He didn't waste any time. He and Clemont together identified the aspects of the battle that Ash struggled with, two of which were the Sticky Web and Gust the help of Froakie's frubbles and Alexa's Noivern, Ash was able to simulate these battle circumstances and practice countering them. However, he was having more difficulty than he had expected. Motivation seemed to be failing him, which was uncharacteristic of the usually persistent and high-energy Ash.

The next day, Ash could hardly eat breakfast, and at that moment everyone knew that something was definitely wrong. Afterward, he sat under a tree instead of training. His low spirits were not a common occurrence, as Pikachu and Alexa were well aware of.

Ash wasn't doing nothing, though. He needed to think, not just work hard. He needed to collect himself and build up his mental confidence back. He thought of something he used to say a lot when he was younger: "Never give up 'til it's over!" He chuckled a little, reminiscing about his early childhood years. Things had been so easy back then. Now, just when it was starting to get tough, he was acting like a sore loser. And he couldn't have that any longer.

He stood up and released his Pokemon from their Pokeballs. "Alright, guys...today's the day," he said.

His Pokemon looked confused. Pikachu tilted its head and said, "Pika pi?"

Ash closed his eyes. "I'm sorry I haven't been pumping you guys up, like I should be," he said. "But now it's time I get back into the swing of things. I can't just mope around after one loss; I have to keep fighting, and I'll need you guys to help me out," he said. Though Ash's words were kind and brave, Pikachu could tell that his heart just wasn't in it, yet. Something was missing, but no one could quite figure it out.

Browsing the PokeMart inside the Pokemon Center, Serena found all sorts of items that looked useful. She bought some Pokeballs, but not too many, since she didn't plan on catching a lot of Pokemon. She figured she would need Potions and Repels for those pesky wild Pokemon. After about half an hour she was ready to leave. She was walking past the front desk when Nurse Joy asked her, "Excuse me, would your name happen to be Bonnie?"

Serena turned, confused. "No, it's not...why? Are you looking for a girl named Bonnie?" she asked.

Joy nodded. "Someone left a letter to be sent addressed to her mother, and it's signed 'Bonnie', but there was no envelope, sending address, or return address. I don't think I'll ever be able to find her," she said. "It's a shame...this letter is so sweet and moving; I just wish I could get it to its intended recipient…"

Serena frowned slightly. "Hmm...maybe Professor Sycamore would know? He knows almost every trainer around here, because most of them started their journeys by receiving a Pokemon from him, I would think," she suggested.

Nurse Joy smiled and said, "Thank you for trying to help, but I'm afraid I can't leave the Pokemon Center for quite some time." She looked down at the letter, which she had placed on the counter.

Serena picked it up. "I'll give it to him and see if he knows anything," she said, smiling.

"You would do that? Oh, thank you so much!" Nurse Joy said happily. "I wish I had something to give you as thanks…" she said, then suddenly looked up. "Oh! I do have something I'd like you to have," she said, running to the back room and coming back with a few, heart-shaped chocolates. "It's not much...but here you go."

Serena accepted them gratefully, saying, "Doing this is really no trouble at all for me, but thanks for the chocolate," she said with her usual radiant smile as she waved goodbye. Nurse Joy waved back as Serena exited through the large doors of the Pokemon Center.

Walking to the professor's lab, Serena suddenly felt overcome with curiosity. I wonder why Joy wanted this letter to be delivered so badly? she wondered. She slowly unfolded the piece of paper and began reading.

Dear Mommy,

It's been awhile since Iv wrote to you. How have you been? Well, just to let ya know, me and Clemont are doing really good. The Gym is still out of our control, but I know that my brother will be able to figyer it out, he is super smart! But you already know that, right? Oh, today we met an awsum trainer named Ash.

"Wait...Ash?" Serena said to herself.

He came to Kalos all the way from the Kanto region! He has a super cute Pikachu that I secretly hope he will trade to me one day, but I dowt it. They have a strong bond and are really good at battling together. One day I hope to be as smart as my brother and as strong as Ash.

Love,

Your daughter Bonnie