Chapter 17:
The flight from Alola to ash and Serena's adopted home of domino proved to be yet another uneventful one as the Ketchum families' plane finally touched down at the domino international airport. luckily for all of them however since domino was their home city there weren't massive freak-outs over ash and Serena being there unlike other places in the world where they travel to where fans of theirs would come out of the woodwork in an attempt to mob them.
no here in domino it was just like any other day with the exception of residents whispering about Katie as she walked in between Kate and Kenny which was honestly anticipated by everyone as Kate and Katie were essentially like twins but that was something they all agreed could be explained another day as the now bigger Ketchum family walked out of the airport where they were greeted by the glistening skyscrapers and buildings of the city. The sight of their adopted city was certainly a welcome sight to ash and Serena who had just spent the last several months wondering around in a parallel universe.
as ash and Serena continued gazing at the city in front of them an awkward silence began to creep in until ash finally broke it by whispering to Serena; "it sure feels good to be home doesn't it Serena!?" it was a question Serena answered with just a smile and nod as she turned to face Kenny Kate and Katie before suggesting that they all went home.
A few minutes later:
After several minutes of walking ash, Serena and their newly expanded family finally arrived at the home ash and Serena worked so hard to obtain the legendary domino coliseum. which to anyone else would be an intimidating place for anyone to call home but ash and Serena well mostly Serena was able to rise to the challenge to make this place like a home to everybody but, Katie would have to wait just a little while longer to get use to her new home as Kate takes her hand and starts pulling Katie back towards town. While happily exclaiming to the former princess of Tempalizin; "come on Katie I'll show you around the city!"
Now of course Katie didn't know what to say so she just allowed Kate to drag her towards town with Kenny not too far behind them as they shouted to ash and Serena; that they'd be back later. a statement that caused the young parents to laugh before Serena yelled back to them; "don't go too far you three it'll be dinner time soon!" with the three kids gone ash and Serena found themselves alone again finally giving ash and Serena a quiet moment to reflect as they grasped each other's hand and walked in to their home.
Inside the foyer of the battle coliseum ash and Serena were greeted by their recently redesigned foyer which was the last project on their home Serena oversaw before leaving for Alola and that ill-fated trip to the dimensional plain. it was exactly how Serena imagined it in her head with its polished oak wood paneling walls and blue with a yellow flower print pattern carpeted floor completed by a new black staircase that led up to the private second floor of the battle coliseum the part of the battle coliseum the Ketchum family called home. As ash and Serena began scanning the room to take in the sight of the foyer now that it was finally done and they were both extremely happy with the remodel. it was about this time a woman wearing a red and black dress with her jet black hair tied in pig tales came walking up to them it was kali the former head assistant of the Laverre city gym in Kalos until her and her former boss Valerie had a bit of a "fallout" after which Serena offered her a job to come work for her and ash and help them run the domino battle coliseum a job offer kali quickly snatched up. As kali approached her new employers with a smile on her face as she told them; "well aren't you a sight for sore eyes, welcome home Serena... ash..." before giving them a small curtsey bow.
a gesture which brought a smile to both ash and Serena's faces as they thank her and get down to the business of asking them how things went while they were gone with Kate and Kenny in charge?
it was a question that kali answered with a smile before reassuring the young parents that their kids did just fine running the battle coliseum." a revelation that made the young parents very proud and pleased before ash began to reassure Serena that Kenny and Kate had done fine in their absence something ash had to constantly reassure Serena of while they were trapped on the dimensional plain. After the reassurances were out of the way kali quickly changed the subject by asking ash and Serena if they'd like to view the records that accumulated in their absence. Something ash was extremely eager to do but Serena on the other hand looked at the time and figured she had better get dinner started. after declining to go look at the records and go start on dinner Serena found herself being stopped by ash who told her he'd go with her and help her.
a gesture the honey blonde performer found to be very sweet but she knew ash was really anxious to see what occurred while they were gone after all when it came to the battle coliseum ash truly was a "workaholic" so Serena just decided to tell ash to go ahead and get to work on looking at the records before telling her husband that she'd go make dinner. something that made ash feel guilty but before he could even argue with his wife he found himself being kissed on the cheek by Serena as she reassured ash that she appreciated the offer but she had everything under control." before heading upstairs to where their kitchen was located as Serena began climbing the staircase she heard ash yelling to her that; "if she needed any help..." but before the raven haired trainer could finish he heard Serena calling back to her; "i won't hesitate" with Serena out of sight ash and Pikachu walked down the hallway opposite the staircase which lead to not only the battle arena but ash and Serena's small study where the young couple treated as an office for running the coliseum among other things.
Meanwhile with Serena:
Serena had finally made her way to their family kitchen which was painted in a light brown colored paint with grey tile back splash and floors. Once inside the kitchen Serena opened the drawer sitting next to the door and pulled out her apron along with a small remote for her cd player. once Serena selected the song she wanted to listen to Serena swapped out her red touché vest for her apron and with her vest now hanging on the hook she reached into the vest pocket to retrieve Braixen's Pokeball and with Braixen's Pokeball in hand the honey blonde woman called out her ace Braixen and asked her if she'd help her with dinner? A request the fire fox happily agreed to as she responded with a nod. After a few minutes Serena began to have a thought cross her mind.
No it wasn't a thought it was a feeling a feeling that something was off but the honey blonde woman just shook the feeling aside and resumed cooking with Braixen.
Meanwhile back with ash:
Ash and Pikachu had finally made their way to ash and Serena's study and after unlocking the door ash and Pikachu wandered inside as ash clapped for the lights to come on before closing the door. With the lights now on ash scanned the green colored room as his eyes focused on a pair of large oak desks that sat facing one another one for ash and one for Serena place in such a way so they could look at one another when they talked. As ash approached his chair which was covered with a very soft red fabric;
Pikachu wandered over to his special pokemon bed which sat right under the window allowing the sun to warm up Pikachu's yellow fur. Once Pikachu got comfortable he began to doze off while ash took a seat at his desk and began to scan through the papers sitting there and after which ash got a clear picture of what actually happened while him and Serena were gone;
"there were 104 battles at the coliseum during that time and of those 104 battles there were only two losses" statistics that brought a smile to the young fathers face as he recollects on just how proud he was of Kenny and Kate and the job they had done." as ash continued to sit there a feeling begins creeping into his mind and unbeknownst to him it was the same exact feeling Serena was having at that very same moment and that was the feeling that "something was off!"
Finally after a few minutes of sitting in silence ash decided he couldn't take it anymore he needed to talk to Serena so without saying a word ash got up from his desk chair and exited the room to track to the kitchen where Serena was busy getting dinner ready. Once ash made his way to the kitchen he was greeted by the aroma of Serena's soup and the sight of Serena chopping salad with Braixen. Ash stood in the kitchen doorway for a several minutes before being noticed by Serena who finally lifted her head from her cutting board.
seeing ash like it always has brought a smile to Serena's face as she acknowledged her husband; "oh hey ashy; i think i got a handle on dinner we should be ready to eat in about an hour!" a statement ash responded to with a nod before whispering under his breath "okay great" before slowly walking over to the kitchen table and taking a seat. An action that caused Serena to grow concerned as she asked ash;
"If everything was okay and if he was alright." rather than answer Serena's questions ash asked Serena if he could ask her something. A question Serena answered with the obvious answer; "sure."
As she reached behind her back to undo her apron before hanging it up on the wall hook before sitting at the table with ash to hear what he had to say. once seated Serena restated her first question to ash; "what's going on!?" and after taking a heavy sigh ash finally began to express what was on his mind with Serena; "Serena since we've gotten back to domino; have you had the feeling that something is..." but before ash could finish his question Serena was able to finish it for him with one simple word; "off!?"
an action that amazed ash but didn't surprise him after all Serena was always able to tell what he was thinking probably because they think so much alike but this time was different because truth be told Serena was thinking the exact same thing. something ash immediately picked up on as he responded to his wife; "yeah... i take it you have then!?" rather than hear an answer he felt Serena's hand slowly rest atop his before the honey blonde performer spoke again; "i sure have ash; it feels strange all were doing is going back to our everyday lives but, now everything feels strange everything feels different."
once again amazed but not surprised as ash assured Serena he knew what she meant as the honey blonde woman lowered her head to gaze at the table before speaking again; "i mean of course things are different we have returned home from an adventure in a different dimension, where we gained a new family member in Katie." "as well as control over all ten divine guardian dragons!" as Serena finished sharing her thoughts to ash the raven haired trainer smiled as he realized he wasn't alone.
that Serena was thinking the exact thing as the raven haired trainer took his second hand and rested it on Serena's hand that was resting on his own before whispering in an almost inaudible level; "we sure have learned a lot over these last few months." while Serena who was so relieved that ash was thinking the same thing she was echoed the sediment that the performer was sure ash was feeling; "we sure did; i just didn't expect everything to feel this different!" before asserting to ash that they needed to figure something out a way to return a sense of normalcy to their lives but, before the couple could think of anything they found themselves interrupted by the sound of the kitchen timer going off signaling to the young couple that their dinner was ready. as the kitchen finally fell back to silence now that the timer had finished ringing the trainer and performer decided they'd resume their conversation after dinner as Serena got up from the table to return to the oven as ash instructed Pikachu to go ask Talonflame if he'd go find Kenny, Kate and, Katie while i help Serena get dinner finished!?
instructions Pikachu accepted with a small salute before exiting the kitchen to echo them to Talonflame as ash got up to help Serena brining a smile to the performers face in the process.
Meanwhile in domino with Kate Kenny and Katie:
As Kenny and Kate finished giving the tour of their home town to the former princess of Tempalizin they asked Katie what she thought and to be honest Katie was in awe domino was incredible it was so big and far surpassed anything they had on the dimensional plain even in the capital of Tempalizin. Sure her parents strived to make things better they couldn't control how their cities would be pretty much destroyed every other week when the titans would get into an argument with one another. As a result most of the buildings she was used to were modest and made out of materials that allowed buildings to quickly be rebuilt pretty much the exact opposite of the city she would now be calling home. as the three trainers finished their discussion they were interrupted by Talonflame circling above them signaling the three of them that dinner was ready and it was time to return home as the three children followed the fire bird back to their home as fast as their feet would carry them.
Once the three trainers returned home they opened the door to their family dining room where they were greeted by ash and Serena sitting next to one another sipping on their tea in front of their dinner which was already dished up. A sight that immediately brought the three of them to their seats as Serena tells everyone to "dig in." Before the five of them began to quietly eat their meal; an hour later once everyone had eaten their fill and unanimous consciences that the meal was excellent which Serena determined just by the looks on everyone's face. The newly expanded Ketchum family got everything cleaned up from dinner and got ready for bed which gave ash and Serena an opportunity to resume their earlier conversation as they sat in their bedroom.
Serena was the first to readdress the topic of trying to return getting things back to normal; by telling ash that she had thought of an idea about that as she took a seat next to ash at the foot of their bed. It was a revelation ash was very curious about as he anxiously waited to hear Serena's idea but before her thought could escape her lips Serena found herself interrupted by a crash coming from down the hallway. It was needless to say that the noise peaked ash and Serena's curiosity as they ran out of their bedroom and down the hallway to investigate. once at the end of the hallway ash and Serena learned what that crash was because at the end of the hallway they saw the closet door opened and a mess of boxes and papers scattered all over the floor with blankets that became unfolded resting on top of that with Katie Kate and Katie standing around the pile before Kenny and Kate explained to their parents that they were just trying to get the extra blankets for Katie.
as the three of them continued to apologize Serena began to annoyingly hum while ash was trying to contain his laughter as he assured the three of them that it was alright and suggested that since it was getting so late why don't they just go get some sleep and that they'd worry about this mess first thing in the morning. It was a suggestion that ash thought was reasonable but it really did annoy Serena to leave a mess like that but rather than get angry over something so simple she just whispered; "right." clearly annoyed that she had to go along with this.
The following morning:
As morning arose across the city of domino the newly expanded Ketchum family had finished breakfast and had turned their attention back to cleaning up the mess that Kenny, Kate and Katie made the night prior. Something the three of them continued to apologize to ash and Serena for as they assured the three trainers that it was alright after all accidents happen. but as they all continued to sift through the mess Katie came across a large book that was wrapped in brown binding and had the imprint of two bells ringing on the front of it with a strange inscription under that reading "SatoSere" intrigued by her find Katie walks over to ash and Serena who were sorting papers back into file folders to ask them if they knew what she had just found. As Katie handed the book to Serena the honey blonde woman could feel teas rolling down her face.
The book the former princes handed Serena was precious to her it was Serena and ash's wedding photo book that Lillie had gotten professionally made for them as a wedding present. Hearing what the book contained immediately caused the three young trainers to perk up as they begged ash and Serena if they could look through it together? it was a request that brought a smile to both ash and Serena's face because truth be told it was something they'd like to do too but first things first they needed to get this mess cleaned up. Agreeing to the terms the five of them quickly cleaned up the mess left from last night and headed into the family room to take a stroll down memory lane
once in the family room ash and Serena took a seat on the couch with Kenny Kate and Katie surrounding them as Serena opened the photo book where on the first page was Serena's personal favorite which depicted her in her strapless pink wedding gown and ash in a black suit standing in front of the alter as ash held her hand. it was a beautiful picture according to everyone and that just continued to cause Serena having tears of joy slide down her face as ash smiled before turning back a few pages to show everyone his personal favorite and that was the picture that was taken at the after party where hi and Serena shared their first dance as a married couple.
Again it was a picture that echoed the sediment of how happy ash and Serena were together. It was also then that both ash and Serena subconsciously turned the page of their wedding album together showing one more picture that depicted ash and Serena sitting next to one another in their wedding attire with all of their friends surrounding them. it was at this picture Katie made the remark that ash and Serena looked so happy an observation shared with Kenny and Kate as Serena who still had tears of joy sliding down her face as ash responded; "we were it was our "real start"..." it was the last two words of ash's statement "real start" that dug into Serena's mind it was those two words that caused the gears inside the honey blonde haired woman to turn as she finally exclaimed out loud; "Ash that's it!" causing ash, Kenny, Kate and, Katie to stare at Serena in confusion.
several minutes of quiet confusion followed until ash decided to finally speak up to his wife just as confused as everyone else as he asks her; "a restart!?" hearing ash's question made the honey blonde performer realize that ash hasn't caught on yet so Serena decides to elaborate; "yeah ash i mean now we have control of all the guardian dragons, Katie has joined our little family. we learned so much, we're truly at our best now and i think that's why we haven't been able to get things back to normal around here, so why not hit the restart button and reset everything!?"
after hearing what Serena had to say the room fell silent as Katie, Kate and, Kenny just sat there unsure of where this was going ash; hearing Serena's reasoning finally made him realize his partner was onto something a thought he was quick to share with Serena; "sounds like an awesome idea to me Serena" hearing ash's response brought a smile to Serena's face as ash asked her one more question and that was; "what she had in mind!?"hearing ash's question caught Serena off guard that is until she began to scan the room until her attention comes to rest on her and ash's wedding photo book and once Serena's electric blue eyes gazed at the open photo book that she had an idea an idea she wanted to share with ash right then and there as she took ash's hand and asked him; "why don't we start by renewing our vows ash!?"
Serena's suggestion brought a smile to ash's face as just like Serena gazed over to their open wedding photo book before telling Serena that; "he'd love to do that!" which brought a bright shade of pink to Serena's face as well as an ear to ear smile as Katie Kenny and Kate assured ash and Serena that it sounded like a great idea to them and just like that with unanimous consensus it was decided that ash and Serena should hit the restart button by renewing their vows to one another.
A few weeks later:
The day had finally arrived the day ash and Serena was set to renew their wedding vows and domino was abuzz over the news. ash and Serena had decided to hold the ceremony inside the domino battle coliseum not just because they had made their life here but Serena also wanted to show off a "new toy" that Clemont had installed for her it was called the "hollow web virtual simulation system" which with a flip of a switch could change the atmosphere of the domino coliseum to any setting her or ash chose. this system was originally built for pokemon showcase tournaments or contests Serena would occasionally host but today Serena wanted its first test drive to be for giving her and ash the perfect setting for this but as preparations were underway inside outside the media was beginning to congregate in hopes of getting exclusive pictures or remarks since the ceremony taking place inside was private no media or public permitted and as the time drew closer a newscaster from domino city news was the first reporter to take to the air; "this is the big day everyone all eyes are on domino as world champions ash and Serena Ketchum's ceremony to renew their wedding vows get underway and, although the ceremony is private and being held behind closed doors everyone out here is eager to get the first comments or photos of the couple since their mysterious return."
Meanwhile inside the domino coliseum:
Kali alongside an aid from Clemont's workshop had just inputted the setting Serena picked into the hollo-web system and flipped the switch which changed this big pokemon battle arena into an Oceanside beach in a matter of minutes. which brought awe to all the guests that had gathered there not just because of the impressive and realistic view but Clemont's machine also perfectly emulated the sound of a quiet beachside the smell of ocean air as well as a warm ocean breeze for added effect simply put if you didn't know better you'd think you were at the ocean it was that realistic.
meanwhile in the audience as Kenny, Kate and Katie were still awe struck by the scenery in front of them grace and Delia began talking to one another as they agreed that there kids certainly had done well for themselves and that they never seen them so happy before. as kali, Seto and two additional aids ask ash if everything was "good to go?" ash instructed them that they weren't ready yet that is until a strong voice cut through the air forcing silence from the crowd as the god like voice announces; "sorry to keep you waiting ash..."
before a rift appeared over the left side of the coliseum out of which came Dragonus and the other guardian dragons bringing shock to everyone as the ruler of the divine dragons explained that they wouldn't miss this for the world a statement that brought a smile to ash's face that
The divine guardian dragons accepted his and Serena's invitation before turning to the minister that would be presiding over today's events and told them that now they were ready. Hearing this; the minister who was still in shock by seeing the ten divine dragons there nodded his head as music played that signaled Serena's entrance.
As Serena made her entrance and walking towards ash the raven haired trainer was left just as stunned as he was when he and Serena first got married. just like she always did Serena looked perfect in her pink dress something ash couldn't help but compliment her on as she finally took her spot next to him; "you look amazing Serena" it was a small compliment but one that managed to bring a smile to her face as the minister finally got the ceremony underway; " ladies and gentleman we're here today to witness the couple of ash and Serena Ketchum as they renew their vows to one another; so with that ash would you like to begin!?" it was an opportunity ash wouldn't have passed up for the world as he nods to the minister before facing Serena and beginning his completely from the heart words to her;
"Serena we've been through a lot these past few years and we've had a lot of good times but we also have had some bad times too but, after everything we've been through... our adventures across the dimensions one thing hasn't changed and that's the fact that we've been there for one another every step of the way!" as ash paused in-between his words the room fell to silence as his auburn eyes met Serena's electric blue eyes and it was only then ash continued his words to Serena; "Serena your support has meant the world to me and together we've made a pretty good life for ourselves and, Serena just like that day when we stood together to begin our new life together; i promise you i will do everything i can to continue to keep that beautiful smile on your face because i love seeing you happy; you're not just my wife Serena; you're my best friend, my partner and my soul mate i truly am the luckiest person in the world to have you by my side Serena!"
as Ash finished his words to Serena she notices not only ash's smile but also that his face has started to go red just like hers was proving that he meant every word and to Serena they were truly romantic and beautiful words so much so it brought not just the performer but the entire audience to tears as Serena took her turn to tell ash her renewed vows to him;
"Alright ash, you're words to me just a second ago echo exactly how i feel. Ash you were always there by my side during both the good times and the bad. You always were able to put a smile on my face when i was sad and would always come to my rescue when i was in trouble. During our adventures we've learned a lot, we've reached new heights together and most of all we continued to grow closer. Looking back all those adventures have allowed us to build a great life together and i wouldn't change a single thing about it; you're more than just my husband ash; you are my best friend my partner and my hero ash Ketchum i love you more than anyone could ever know and i want to continue on with you until the day our journey in this world is over."
It was a proclamation ash could only respond with two words; "likewise Serena" as his face continued to turn a darker shade of red and tears of joy sliding down his face. as ash and Serena finished their words to one another their wasn't a single dry eye in the room as the minister takes a handkerchief and wiped his eye before proclaiming; "and with that this ceremony has concluded; ash and Serena Ketchum i once again declare you husband and wife." it was only then the domino coliseum broke out in applause as ash and Serena took part in their favorite part sealing their renewed vows with a small kiss.
The following morning:
As a new morning rose on domino ash groaned as the sun shined in on him as he slept until he finally rolled over and opened his eyes to Serena who was staring at him. After gazing at one another for a couple of minutes they shared a smile before telling each other good morning in unison. as the two trainers bedroom went quiet ash decided that since both he and Serena were doing better ash felt it was time to run something past Serena as he asked her; "Serena can i run something past you!?" ash's question threw Serena off as she answered ash with a confused tone; "sure ash what is it!?" hearing Serena's response ash asks Serena his question; "well you know how later today Kenny and Kate will publically give the control of the domino battle coliseum back to us well after talking to Kenny, kali and some of the others we figured what better way to celebrate than hosting a new tournament!"
Serena of course was listening to every one of ash's words she still didn't hear a question there so Serena decided to ask one herself; "a new tournament!?" after hearing his wife's response ash ironically realized that it wasn't him that asked the question but rather it was Serena as ash continued on; "that's right Serena everything has been setup but before we made any official announcement; i wanted to get your "blessing" and of course ask you to be my partner during this tournament just like the good ol days."
it was a proposal Serena was reluctant to sign off on and give her blessing the thing ash wanted before going through with this but, ash had one more trick up his sleeve as he scooted closer to Serena and wrapped his arm around her before whispering to her; "come on Serena after all there is no one else I'd want by my side during this than you we're an unstoppable team Serena!" predictably ash's trick worked because there was no way Serena could say no when he explained it that way as the honey blonde woman giggles and whispers back to ash; "okay I'd be happy to!" it was a response that excited ash as the raven haired trainer began hugging Serena tighter and whispering to her; "thank you so much Serena you're the best; i love you!" before the two trainers reluctantly let go of one another to get ready for the day.
Later that day inside the battle coliseum:
once again just like yesterday reporters began to swarm around the domino coliseum for the day press conference and of course it was domino city news that got to the air waves first as their reporter fills everyone in on what was going on; "we're coming to you live inside the domino coliseum where just the other day hosted a private ceremony for world champions ash and Serena Ketchum's vow renewal will today host a major press conference by the Ketchum family!"
Jan the reporter for domino city news couldn't get the words out fast enough because as she finished ash and Serena flanked by Kenny, Kate and, Katie stepped out in front of the cameras and began to speak with Kenny and Kate starting them off; "good morning everyone!" before Kate stepped back opening the floor to her brother; "now as you know while our parents were away me and my sister Katie temporarily took charge of the domino coliseum." followed by Katie; "but now that our parents are back we are officially returning control of the domino coliseum back to its rightful owners." before Kenny and Kate finished their statement in unison; "mom... dad..." and it was then ash and Serena stepped forward to Kenny and Kate allowing ash and Serena a moment to remind their kids that they did a great job and that they were proud of them.
before ash and Serena made their joint statement to the camera starting with ash; "yes it's true we're back and now that we're in charge again me and Serena would like to make a special announcement" as Serena picked up where ash left off; "that's right ash soon the domino coliseum will be hosting a new tournament1" as the young couple finished their statement in unison; "we're calling it clash in the coliseum 2.0, we've place a request to all of the regional professors to select their regions two best trainers and send them to domino to participate; all expenses paid of course!" before the young couple dropped the big bombshell of the announcement!
"we hope everyone that is selected takes the opportunity to participate as me and Serena will participate too, after all this is a great opportunity to compete for the title of world champion but, anyway we look forward to seeing what all of those that come are truly capable of so mark your calendars everyone clash in the coliseum 2.0 begins soon!" after ash and Serena finished their announcement ash, Serena, Kenny and Kate walk down the corridor together until all four of them disappear out of sight." as questions and requests flood the room domino city news reporter Jan turned back to the camera to address her viewers; "and you just heard it here everyone Ash and Serena will be hosting an exclusive tournament here in domino; and so the gauntlet is thrown once again can any of the selected trainers defeat world champions ash and Serena Ketchum and, their unstoppable dimensional god dragons!? I personally can't wait to see the action myself and find out!
