Serena never would've guessed she'd be returning to Notepont Town, so soon. With Ash's Snowbelle Gym battle on the horizon, she'd expected a swift march forward to make up for lost time. But, her eyes couldn't lie to her. She overlooked the maroon brick path leading down to the shopping district, a gentle autumn breeze nudging her bouncy blonde locks with a pensive smile on her lips.
Today, however, she overlooked it from a completely different angle; atop its precipice, with a lively populace and buzzing commerce below, awaiting her, rather than having its peace and tranquility at her back, with only strife and heartache waiting ahead.
She wasn't departing with one of her most precious relationships crumbling; instead, she had that same person beside him with newfound hopes. Ash, beaming with his same old enthusiasm and openness to possibilities, and lifting the brim of his cap to embrace them with his own eyes.
On the other side of him was the impetus of the past few days' events; a giddy Dawn, patting her perfect bangs into place while giving Empoleon some instructions. Ever-diligent, ever the Pokémon lover… At least, that was what Serena could parse from her in the short time she'd known her.
How could someone be so creative and kind, yet so destructive? Those thoughts were worth putting behind her, though, as today only offered the chance for the three of them to create.
"Well…! I suppose now is the perfect opportunity for us to go our own way!" Clemont chuckled nervously, wide pale blue hues darting wildly. The crack in his voice was evidence that he was still doing his best to tip-toe around the awkward subject matter, as he feebly raised a hand to see the main trio off. "Let's meet here by sundown, shall we?"
"Sundown is good with me!" Ash piped up at full volume, closing a fist as if this were a serious goal to tackle. Serena giggled at his candor. "Right at the top of this hill."
Bonnie, on the other hand, embraced the opposite of subtlety. "Good luck on your date!" She screamed loudly, waving to the trio, before her brother snatched her away in a panic with his Aipom Arm. "Ash and Dawn and Serena sitting in a tr-"
"Enough, Bonnie!" With that little bout of chaos, the Lumiose siblings were off, leaving the remaining party to their own devices.
Ash tilted his head with an amused grin. "You gotta love 'em, right?"
"They certainly are a couple of characters!" Dawn giggled. With her attention on that, though, she was late to catch on to her avian partner beside her. His head reared back, frost gathering in his beak for a tried-and-true Ice Beam.
"Empoleon!" Serena hissed.
Empoleons stopped, tilting his head. "...Pol?"
"Don't you remember what happened last time?" She scolded, wagging a finger at the Water-type. "Your Ice Beam set you and Dawn on a slip-and-slide that knocked all of us over! You could hurt yourself or somebody else, if you're not careful with that mode of transportation!"
The ordinarily proud and defiant penguin actually shrunk under Serena's scolding, bowing his head and muttering out a squawk of agreement. "Poleon…"
"Thank you," She huffed, readopting a bright smile. Until then, she hadn't noticed the awestruck look on Ash and Dawn's faces, growing self-conscious. "...What?"
"That was… incredible," Dawn replied, beaming. "Empoleon usually never listens to strangers like that… Well, I guess you're not a stranger anymore, hehe!"
"I think he's accepted you as a new mom," Ash grinned, reaching to pat Empoleon on the back. "But hey, you can't be too mad at him. That stunt of his led to you meeting a total bombshell like Dawn, right?" He laughed, leaning his shoulder into the coordinator's.
Serena coughed into her hand, sporting a streak of red across her face. "...Yes, well… Oh! As long as we're out and about, we should let our Pokémon out too, right?" She reached for one of her Poké Balls and tossed it into the air.
"Brai~!" Braixen appeared in a flash beside her trainer, twirling her favored stick.
"Huh? What about Pancham and Sylveon?" Ash asked.
"Well, I'd love to give them some fresh air, too… But if we all bring out all of our Pokémon, it'll be a bit hectic here, I'd think. We can call everyone out once we settle, somewhere!"
"Y'know, you make a good point," Ash agreed. Having all of their Pokémon out at once might cause a bit of chaos. Deciding on his own pick, he tossed one Poké Ball into the air. "C'mon out!"
Greninja materialized next, standing with his arms folded and his usual, painfully neutral expression. "Ja."
"Then I guess that leaves me! Lopunny, spotlight~!"
Not one to be outdone, Dawn called on her own Pokémon. Lopunny chirped, giving Greninja a nod of acknowledgement and a chirp. After their battle, she'd seemingly gained an air of respect for him.
"Kouga," he nodded back. The feeling was mutual!
Pikachu hopped down to walk alongside her, and the Pokémon all started off down the brick path. That seemed to be the cue for their trainers to get a move-on, and Dawn took the initiative by reaching to hold Ash's hand.
This caught Serena's eye, and she hesitantly reached to take Ash's opposite, despite her nerves. Reminding herself of who she'd grown into, she took the dive and laced her fingers with his. "It'll take a bit longer to get to Snowpoint, with this backtracking," she pointed out, frowning.
"Hey, it's fine!" Ash chimed, looking over to Serena with a wink. "Remember what I told you? Nothing we experience is pointless. We still have some time before the League!"
"Besides," Dawn cut in, pulling Ash ahead, and by consequence, Serena. "We can train on the way, anyway! I really want to see more of that form of Greninja's."
Greninja looked over his shoulder when he heard his name, but didn't pay it much mind.
"Erm…" Serena stammered. She couldn't help but recall what'd popped the cork off of their emotional turmoil in the first place, laughing nervously. "I suppose so, but there's no rush!" Perhaps, if Ash took care of himself, another battle with Greninja would be fine. But, they could take baby steps; just as Ash should pace himself, they could do the same, she thought, taking pensive, calculated steps down the brick slop to enter the shopping district.
Every nerve of hers felt ready to snap with new concerns, and she felt her palm becoming sweaty in Ash's. She loosened her grip a little, grateful that he was wearing gloves and probably wouldn't notice. For some reason she couldn't place, her excitement was quickly turning into trepidation.
"...Serena?" Dawn frowned, looking back over her shoulder. "You're falling behind. What's wrong?"
"...Oh!" Serena flushed, quickly correcting her pace to keep up with Ash and Dawn. "I… guess I've just had my head in the clouds, trying to figure out how to make this into a 'proper' date… though, nothing about this situation is proper, really."
Serena coughed behind her free hand, going to great lengths to ignore the looks the trio was getting. Perhaps it had something to do with the young man between them, holding the hands of two young women on either side of him, simultaneously. She felt her face burn hot, but she was a little relieved when her eyes met Ash's, and she saw the same discomfort on his.
The two exchanged a nod, sharing that same synergy they often had before Dawn had arrived. Without a word, they relinquished one another's hands, and quietly shuffled to switch places with one another. She took Ash's hand with her opposite, and Dawn's with the first.
Dawn smiled at the sensation of Serena's hand in hers. "I should've noticed, before… Your hands are so soft, Serena! You'll have to share your skincare routine with me, later!"
A bead of sweat rolled down the honey blonde's forehead. She looked over to Ash, who met her with an amused grin that she gave back. Dawn either didn't care what people saw or was completely oblivious to it. Either was a trait she envied, but at least that wherewithal was still something she shared with Ash.
"Anyway," Ash coughed into his hand, "I don't think there is such a thing as a proper date. And even if there is…"
"...then they always end in disaster," Dawn finished.
"...Huh?" Serena frowned. "What do you two mean by that?"
"The right idea is just to find things we'd all have fun doing together!" Ash volunteered, ignoring her question.
"Right! Something custom-made for us!" Dawn agreed.
Serena was now nursing the quickly budding feeling that there was something Ash and Dawn knew that they weren't telling her… But, dwelling on fears wasn't in the spirit of today. Not in the spirit of their first date! An aspiring Queen wouldn't fold to that so easily. "Oh! I have an idea, then! If we're doing things we'd enjoy… Then how about a Poké Vision!?"
"Aw, yeah!" Ash beamed. "That's a great idea!"
"A Poké Vision?" Dawn asked. "What's that?"
"No need to worry," Ash replied. "Right, Serena?"
Serena giggled and winked. "You'll just have to see for yourself!"
The next mission of the introductory date was to check in at the local Poké Vision point, and collect their equipment while Ash and Serena filled Dawn in on the know-how and mechanics of their current task. Theatrics weren't exactly new to Dawn, being a Coordinator, so the discussion went fairly smoothly, and they registered for their entry.
They'd settled on a rolling scene of grassy knolls, out on Notepont's borders for their scene. A gentle, neutral scenery, as Serena had described it, nothing to take the spotlight off them, as Dawn had pointed out, and no one to accidentally clock with a Thunderbolt, as so gently put by Ash.
"You'll be alright handling the camera work, Ash?" Serena asked, as she helped him assemble the large tripod into place in the middle of a valuable flat plain among the hills.
"Sure! I've helped with your other Poké Vision stuff, remember? I just need to keep my eyes on the action!" Ash reached for the cap covering the camera lens, proving that he'd remembered to unscrew it before filming, this time around. "Look, babe. I've got it-"
"Babe!?" Serena sputtered, releasing the tripod. Steam was practically leaking out of her ears!
Ash frowned. "What was that too much? I just thought I'd try…"
"I-it's fine! This all just… takes some getting used to, I guess," Serena forced out meekly. As brave as she'd gotten, she felt like her world had been yanked out from under her in the past couple of days. She'd shelve these feelings, for now, and make her way into the focus of the shot. "Let's go, everyone! Everyone remembers the routine, don't they?"
"Brai!"
"Veeon!"
"Cha-cham!"
Braixen, Pancham, and Sylveon joined Serena in retreating to a decent distance, until-
"W-wait!" Dawn yelped. "We can't record now!"
"What? Why not?" Ash asked, frowning.
"It's the humidity… It should not be making my hair frizz, at this time of year! It's autumn!" Dawn fretted, checking herself out in her pocket mirror from a variety of angles. "I can't risk being seen on camera like this! Especially not if we're broadcasting it!"
"Man… you haven't changed a bit, huh?" Ash chuckled, his shoulders slumping.
"Did you expect me to?" Dawn asked in a huff, though she was clearly more annoyed with her malfunction than Ash himself.
"Well, no."
"Now, Ash," Serena chided, walking back over towards the group. "You can be very mindful of others, but you could still stand to learn a thing or two about appearances." She knew better, now, than to prioritize perfection around the clock, but this was a Poké Vision!
She would simply take the reins, herself. "Empoleon," she called, "you know what to do!"
"Pol!" Empoleon saluted Serena, and turned to spit a volley of foam towards Dawn!
Luckily, she knew the drill quite well. Turning away, she let the suds soak her luxurious locks, giving her a proper soak and shampoo all in one shot. "Hehe, you picked that trick up quickly, huh? Eep!"
Serena had already taken command of the situation, fishing out a proper hairbrush before running it finely through the Sinnohan's hair. "A good aspiring Queen is always picking up new skills. That's something that I've learned on my journey."
Dawn couldn't complain, nor would she, basking in the gentle ministrations that set her treasured 'do in its rightful place. She was glowing for it, red cheeks and all. "Well, if you say so! I can't be upset about one more pair of hands that knows how to work a brush."
"Hey, I'm still working on that," Ash pouted.
"And I respect your efforts."
"Ta-dah~!" Serena chimed, taking Dawn's pocket mirror to show her the results.
"Oh! It's picture perfect!" Dawn beamed, placing her headband back upon her head. She turned around, and embraced Serena before she could think two ways about it. "Thank you, Serena!"
"R-right! I mean… you're welcome!" She cleared her throat, and pranced back towards her place in the scene they'd her Pokémon assembled, she inhaled, and exhaled. "...Okay. I'm ready!"
"Alright!" Ash cheered, adjusting the tripod properly. "Places, everyone!"
Empoleon, Pikachu, and Greninja took their places out of the shot, voicing their readiness.
"Great! Lights… Camera… Action!"
"Okay!" Serena adopted a stern expression. "Pancham! Stone Edge!"
"Chaaam!" Pancham raised his paws before smashing them into the grassy earth. Glistening cyan pillars erupted from the earth in a steadily rising sequence, spanning outwards and away from Pancham like a dual set of staircases; very much similar to Serena's prior performances. Afterwards, the panda started performing cartwheels up one of the sets of slabs, while Sylveon started prancing up the opposite set; performing a myriad of stylish flips along the way.
"Let's go, Braixen!" Serena winked to her partner Pokémon as she pranced onto the first step behind Pancham.
Braixen pulled out her treasured stick, igniting its end with a potent Flamethrower. She hopped onto the opposite step with nimble feet, swiping her blaze across the surface to ignite Stone Edge. As she pranced onto the next pillar, she flung her stick to Serena.
Serena caught it in her palm with practiced ease, and spun to swipe the flame across her own pillar. Sparks ignited behind her as she hopped to the next stone, and tossed the stick back.
Serena and Braixen's ballad continued, capturing the grand staircase in an ever-hungry blaze. But, before that was complete, Sylveon cleared the last and highest step! Somersaulting on the way down, she landed with style and poise. Pancham tumbled down next, and he was caught safely in his teammate's dexterous ribbons, before landing on the grass with a proud chirp.
The last two stone stands ignited like a torch, with Serena and Braixen careening off its end in a daring leap towards the grass below! But, Serena didn't show a hint of fear or fright. Beaming with her ever-blue hues, she cried, "Fairy Wind!"
"Veeeeon~!" Sylveon let her ribbons fly, and a pink, glimmering gust captured Serena and Braixen safely before either could hit the grass. The extra propulsion allowed them a brief aerial dance, where Serena took Braixen's paws. They grinned at one another, and tossed one another up higher.
In the midst of skillful backflips, Serena and Braixen were flanked by a multitude of Water Shuriken, flung high above them, shimmering pink under Fairy Wind's glow. Bright yellow bolts of lightning danced among them, cracking and popping several of them, much like a child would gleefully jump to pop bubble wrap left over from a fragile gift.
Finally, a sweeping, silver Flash Cannon tore through the lightning and water stars! The light show burst into brilliant blue, gold, silver, and pink shimmers that rained over a laughing Serena and Braixen, the former holding one of the latter's paws when they touched the grass.
Serena stood up, surrounded by her three Pokémon, with a hand jubilantly tossed in the air. Her pearly whites shone under the afternoon sun and colorful fanfare. "Finish~!"
"And, there you have it!" Ash was at their side, grandly gesturing both of his hands to Serena.
"The future Kalos Queen~!" Dawn mirrored Ash at her opposite side, grinning at the camera.
"Ehehe…" Serena felt her face burn red hot. Lopunny was now holding the camera, while she was forced to maintain her composure and poise. Clearly, they'd conspired that last part of the performance behind her back.
What was she going to do with these two…?
After Serena's performance in the hills, the group had deliberated their next move to keep the date rolling. Among activities that they already knew they enjoyed, Ash and Serena had landed on an old tradition of theirs; baking Poké Puffs!
That'd brought them to Notepont's Pokémon Center. As was customary in Kalos, their kitchens were open to visiting trainers as a show of hospitality, providing all the necessary spaces and appliances for bakers and Performers to work their magic.
Two parallel trays were laid out on the countertop, with paper-thin baking sheets between the metal and properly baked, but not yet decorated pastries lined up in rows and columns. Beside each, bowls of toppings and decorations laid to aid in the process; frosting, sprinkles, whipped cream, and berries; sliced and whole.
On one end, Serena worked meticulously, strategically coating Poké Puffs in frosting to account for both aesthetic and flavor, touching them up with whipped creams, and light sprinkles of… well, sprinkles, and berries on top, when appropriate. Sticking her tongue out between her lips, she maintained utmost concentration.
On the other hand, Ash worked adamantly, but not-so-delicately. Frosting and whipped cream were applied liberally; but maybe not so much as the first time he'd baked. The creamy toppings were loaded with candy and berries, showing a greater enthusiasm for just loading them with colors and flavor than any sort of nuance.
Pikachu watched his trainer with mild exasperation and amusement. Of course, his opinion changed greatly when a spicy Poké Puff was the subject of his trainer's attention. "Pikapi! Pika Pika chu!" Hopping in place, he gestured to the toppings of his choice. "Piiika!"
"Aha, you think so, Buddy?" Ash snorted in amusement. "Well, you're the boss, when it comes to spice! Let's give it a go." Red-hot cinnamon drops became the focus of that particular puff, with red sprinkles and tamato berry slices topping it off. A potent combination of sweet and spicy!
"I think that's a little too much, Ash…" Dawn trailed off, watching him work with a frown. The drops and berry pieces practically covered the puff's surface. "Even Pikachu's bound to burn his tongue on that one."
"Dawn, please. Let me work my magic, here." Ash huffed, moving on to the next pastry.
"I didn't even know you baked!" The Coordinator cracked a smile, shaking her head. She also kept herself occupied; not with Poké Puffs, but with the cooing Sylveon sitting in her lap, while she so-gently ran a brush for fine fur down the Pokémon's back.
She kept herself occupied, while Braixen held the camcorder. Her focus remained squarely on the baking at work, though her ruby eyes did occasionally dart to Sylveon with a glint of envy.
"Well, that's the thing. Serena and I," Ash gestured to the blonde with a wave of a wooden spoon, "have a little rivalry cooking. Have for quite a while."
"You guys are rivals!?" Dawn exclaimed, looking between them. "Since when?"
"It's a tradition that we started early in our journey!" Serena answered, beaming with confidence as she topped a blue dry Poké Puff with lemon frosting, and sprinkles meant to look like a Snorlax's eyes.
"Serena didn't know what it was like to have a rival," Ash added. "So, I played that role to motivate her! She'd just really gotten into making Poké Puffs at the time."
"Oh, that's a great idea!" Dawn gushed, clasping her hands together. "It's really something else, to have a rival to push you. There's this one of mine; Zoey." She explained for Serena's benefit, returning to brushing Sylveon when she complained. "At my very first Contest, she promised to meet me in the finals. From that day onward, she's been one of my short-term goals… But, it never really stayed short-term," she admitted.
"You're still chasing her, then?" Serena asked.
"I haven't beaten her once," Dawn replied. Her grip on the brush tensed. "It's… frustrating. To have someone you respect, but you just can't inch a win out against! We've come close, but she was always just a little bit better."
"It must be frustrating," Serena muttered. "I know I lost to Aria, but I've only lost to her, once. Come to think of it, Ash, didn't you say that you had a rival like that, too?"
"Mmm." Ash hummed, coming to a halt in his decorating to stare off at nothing in particular. "It was this guy, Paul. Dawn would remember."
"Paul was a powerful trainer we met in the Sinnoh region," Dawn explained. "But at the time, he was a real jerk, and he was at odds with everything Ash believed in. The problem was, he was good. Really good. He always had an answer to whatever Ash threw at him. Or at least, more often than not."
"There was this battle we had," Ash explained. "A full battle that his brother arranged."
"A full battle?" Serena echoed, wanting for an explanation.
"It's a six-on-six match, with your entire team," Ash replied. "It was a way to really put our skills to the test! I was really fired up."
"Unfortunately, Ash lost," Dawn filled in.
"Not just lost. I got crushed. He was left with four Pokémon in the game when I had none."
Pancham, Sylveon, and even Braixen gawked at Ash, silenced in disbelief. The latter's camera even focused on Ash. Was someone like him losing so badly even possible!?
"Hey, hey," Ash snorted, leaning over to divert the camera away. "No need to rub it in."
"Merde," Serena gasped, cupping a hand over her mouth. "That had to be devastating. I… have a confession," she said, looking off. "Back when we had that conversation, I wanted to ask you if losing like that ever made you lose faith. But, I think I understand it now."
"It hurt. But it motivated me to improve even more, so we could win! And ultimately, we did!"
"Right!" Dawn chimed. "I know that I'll beat Zoey someday. I just need to keep sharpening my skills and working with my Pokémon to find out how!"
"Brai-xen!" Braixen barked, waltzing over to shove the camcorder at Sylveon.
Sylveon huffed and rolled her eyes. She was quite content where she was, thank you!
"Xen!" Braixen argued back. She'd had quite enough pampering; it was time to trade places!
"Sylveon!" Serena scolded, drawing their attention. "Fairness is an important aspect of queenliness. Kindly trade places and take over the camera for a bit, won't you?"
Sylveon flinched under her scolding. "Syl," she reluctantly agreed, wrangling the camera out of Braixen's paws with her ribbons. She hopped up on a nearby countertop, taking over.
Braixen huffed triumphantly, and settled into Dawn's lap.
Dawn giggled, and switched to a different brush to comb Braixen's voluminous ear fluff.
"Anyway… I think I understand that, now," Serena said, while resuming her Poké Puff decorating. "With Shauna, Miette, Nini, Jesslia… even Aria. Seeing their performances makes me want to work harder! I want to bring smiles to people's faces, in a way that only I can!"
Ash smiled at her enthusiasm. She'd truly, truly evolved. "Come to think of it," he replied, "you made your first rival, that day, in Miette!"
"Oh, she made me so mad that day," Serena huffed. "All of the trash talking…"
"Do you have a future bride, Ash~?" Ash sing-songed, leaning into Serena's personal space with a mock of Miette's perpetually-smug expression.
"H-hey!" Serena leaned back. Her cheeks were blazing to the point where she practically felt steam shooting out of her ears. "You did hear that with an entirely different context, now that I take a second to think about it…!"
"Ahaha," Ash laughed bashfully, leaning back to brush his index finger over his nose. "Yeah… Sorry about that. Being there for it. That must've been tough on you."
"What a weird question," Dawn replied, blinking. "Who even says that?"
Serena stared at Dawn, head tilted. "Well, what about you, Dawn?" Trepidation held her tongue, briefly, but Serena decided she was beyond that. "How would you want him to answer?"
"What does that have to do with anything?" Dawn replied. "I'm his girlfriend, not his future bride. Why would Ash be thinking about that stuff?"
A bout of self-consciousness struck Serena. She reached for a handkerchief to dab at her cheek, as she'd started to sweat. She had to remind herself that they were only just going on a date, now. One step at a time! "R-right… Silly me! There's no point in rushing things, is there?"
"You're the one who taught me that!" Ash said. "I mean, look at us," he said, gesturing to their trays. It only came to the blonde's attention, then, that they'd both just about finished!
"Oh! That's right… I did tell you that baking is more like a marathon," Ash. She tutted, waving a teaspoon in his direction. "And you still have a ways to go in internalizing that."
"Hey," Ash pouted, "I did a lot better than the first time! At least I got my frosting to the last puff."
"You did," Serena replied sweetly. "It's like you say! Nothing you do is ever a waste of time."
"Heh!" Ash grinned, brushing his finger over the bridge of his nose again, proud. "With that said, though… I still think you're the winner! And if you don't mind… I think I'll go for my consolation prize, now!" Wiggling his fingers, he reached for one of his Poké Puffs.
"Pol!" Empoleon squawked, firing a Bubblebeam towards the pastry thief.
Something Ash saw coming, as he ducked under the foam. "You've gotta aim better than that~!" He taunted, about to pop the treat into his mouth.
Before Braixen's Fire Blast blasted him in the face.
"Ash!" Serena gasped, cupping her hands over her mouth.
"Ergh…" Ash emerged from the smoke, coated in soot. Pride before the fall. "Well, this Poké Puff is totally burnt now, anyway, so I'll do you all a favor and call dibs."
Serena tutted, shaking her head. "What are we going to do with you…?"
"Oh, Serena!" Dawn chimed in, ignoring the last little fiasco. "Do you think we have enough footage for a Poké Vision, yet?"
Serena hummed in thought, holding her index finger to her lip. "Hmm… Actually, I think I want to capture our whole date! It's an important first step for us. You know?"
"Makes sense to me!" Dawn agreed.
"I wonder what we can do, next?" Ash asked. "Any ideas, Dawn? Serena?"
"Ta-dah~!" Serena chirped her favorite catchphrase, flashing her small tablet at her dates. "We can take a look at things to do in Notepont! Come over and let's have a look!"
Ash and Dawn crowded the small mobile device, while Serena scrolled through the town's couple of attractions. "There're some shops. I don't imagine Ash will want to do that."
"Only if I'm outvoted," Ash conceded.
"Oh, there's the café we ate at!" Dawn pointed out. "That soup of yours looked really good, Serena… I wouldn't mind trying it again."
"Noted!" Serena said, scrolling once more. "Oh, there's a karaoke site…"
"Oh! Let's do that!"
"That has my vote!"
"Eh!?" Serena stammered. She hadn't expected Ash or Dawn to be so eager. Then again, she had heard Ash singing softly under his breath, every now and then. "Well… I don't see why not! What do you say we pack away our Poké Puffs, clean up our mess, and head on over?"
"Sounds good to me!" Dawn agreed.
"C'mon, everyone!" Ash cheered, pumping a fist in the air. "Let's go have a loud, grand ol' time!"
A chorus of Pokémon cheers finalized the vote.
"So you wanna be a master of-"
"Pokémon!"
"Do you have the skills to be-
"Number one!?"
The Karaoke Bar, aptly named 'Loudred's Roar,' hadn't been terribly far from the Pokémon Center. Getting a room was a matter of one conversation at the counter, and a walk down a hallway. The interior was just a bit more lavish than they'd expected.
Leather couches down the lengths of each side of the room, with several small glass tables arranged between them. A large flatscreen was up on the wall in the back of the room, with speakers playing a steady percussion beat. Colorful lights spun throughout the otherwise dimly-lit room.
"I wanna take the ultimate step,"
"Find the courage to be bold"
"Pi-ka-chu!"
"To risk it all and not forget,"
"The lessons that I hold!"
"I wanna go where no one's been,"
"Far beyond the crowd!"
"To-ge-kiss!"
"Poleon!"
"Learn the way to take command,"
"Use the power that's in my hand!"
"Cha-bu!"
To say the booth was crowded was an understatement. Group activities meant the whole group, which included all of their Pokémon! Greninja, not one to make commotion, was recording the show with Braixen on one side, and a hunched-over Noivern and Talonflame on his opposite.
Pancham was breakdancing atop one of the tables, and Hawlucha was dancing with Sylveon on another, currently being twirled by her ribbons.
All of them watched Ash, Pikachu, Dawn, and her Pokémon hog the microphones… Except for Mamoswine. He, tragically, was too large to fit in the booth.
"We all live in a Pokémon world!"
"Pi-ka-chu!"
"I wanna be the greatest Master of them all!"
"Lo-punn-y~!"
"We all live in a Pokémon world!"
"Pi-ka-chu!"
"Put myself to the test,"
"To be better than all the rest!"
"Phlosionnn!"
Serena's shin-high boots tapped against the wood finished floor to the steady, funky beat of the song her two dates had picked out. A tray of tiny, cutely-cut finger sandwiches sat on the glass table in front of her, along with some diced fruit; Ash had insisted on ordering snacks, despite it tacking on another hefty sum to their bill. She'd have to budget her supplies a little more carefully in the next town, but Serena was grateful for it now, popping one of the sweet and savory sandwiches into her mouth, while Ash and Dawn finished the song.
The way they swung to the beat was… not exactly coordinated or graceful, but they looked like they were having an awfully fun time. Not to mention, the melodious dips in their voices, in her humble opinion, sounded downright dreamy. She felt her cheeks flush at the thought, and blotted at her face with the modest supply of napkins that'd come with the order.
"So you wanna be the Master of,"
"Pokémon!"
"Do you have the skills to be,"
"Number one!?"
"We all live in a Pokémon world!"
"Pi-ka-chu!"
"I wanna be the greatest Master of them all!"
"Got the power right in your hands!"
"Po-ké-mon!"
The song came to an end, and the lyrics flashing on the flatscreen died away with it. The room became brighter again with the end of the song; all-in-all, a sign for a quick breather.
"Whew! That was an oldie, but a goodie." Ash whistled, waltzing over to where Serena sat, dropping next to her to drape an arm around her shoulder. He raised his eyebrows in the charmingly dorky way he sometimes did. "What do you think, Serena? Not bad at all, huh?"
"Eep!" The affectionate gesture made her fumble and drop the fork she was holding, only to just barely catch the utensil by pincering it with her knees. Deep, steady breaths, Serena. "I-I'd say not bad is an understatement! I've heard you sing under your breath before, but nothing like this. And you, Dawn-"
"Ugh, don't even get me started." Dawn huffed, sitting down on the other side of the blonde. Unlike Ash and his performative confidence, Dawn shrank away, one knee crossed over the other, and her arms crossed over her chest. "I couldn't carry a tune the way I could when I was a kid. My voice sounded so scratchy! I'm pretty sure it even cracked."
"Aw, don't feel too bad, Dawn!" Ash said, wearing the snarkiest of 'I know exactly what I'm doing' grins. "Just the growing pains of still going through puberty."
"Hah! When you tell me that, remember that I'm still taller than you." Dawn huffed, leaning on her toes to elevate her off the couch and make her point.
"Only by a hair," Ash retorted, sitting up just a bit higher.
"When you have hair with volume like mine, that's a lot!" Dawn stood completely upright.
"If we're counting your hair, we're counting my hat!" Ash, too, stood to match, leaving Serena… Between two competitive knuckleheads. Just like the other night, Serena felt very much like she'd been shoved into a dynamic that she didn't quite fit into; this sort of confrontational teasing and one-upmanship wasn't her forte. And it wasn't Ash's, either, without Dawn around.
But, she wasn't the Serena of the past few days, anymore.
"Mesdames et Messieurs! s'il te plaît." Serena stood up as well, throwing an arm around each.
"Huh?" Dawn asked, not understanding a word.
"Say what, now?" Ash's Kalosian clearly wasn't much better.
"Don't you think this is a little too contentious for our very first date? Besides," she continued, winking at them both. "I'm far taller than both of you."
Ash and Dawn alike stared at each other and blushed, forced to accept reality. She had probably half a foot over Ash, and slightly less over Dawn. "Oh, yeah? Well, how's the weather up there?" Ash retorted.
"Quite fair," Serena chirped. "I was expecting showers, but had not one, but two sunshines roll right into my life! The breeze is mild, with a very high chance of good looks abound."
The collective of the gang's Pokémon groaned at the terrible flirting session they were forced to bear witness to.
Many of their Pokémon were pointedly looking away. A bit more direct in her disapproval, Braixen tutted and shook her head at it all.
"Oh. Yeah. The rest of you have to sit here and watch us make eyes at each other, huh?" Ash laughed, sheepishly adjusting his cap.
"Pika-chu," Pikachu nodded with folded arms.
"Hey, hey. You guys didn't have anything to say about it, last time we sang this song!" Dawn huffed.
"Then again, by the time we got cozy, I think everyone was asleep," Ash replied. "Including us."
"Oh?" Serena asked. "You've sung this song together before?"
"Uh-huh!" Ash replied. "I actually sang this for Dawn and the others shortly before the two of us started dating." That, alone, was enough to make Serena curious. She didn't interrupt, so Ash continued. "We were traveling through Kanto, but a sudden storm made us take shelter in this cramped up cave. It was the home of an angry Nidoking, but they ended up letting us stay."
"We had to wait it out," Dawn continued the story. "And once we had a beat, Ash just started singing it! It was the first time I'd ever heard him sing… We kept warm by the fire, with the rainfall in the background… Hehe, honestly, there was a point where I almost kissed him!"
"My goodness…" Serena folded her hands over her heart. She could practically picture herself in that scene. Every detail. Every soothing sensation. The sound of Ash's voice, and the warmth of his closeness… Or, maybe Dawn's! Singing a ballad to her, and having her hang on every word and voice her enthusiastic praises…. "That's so romantic… I'm actually a little jealous." Words she quickly regretted, slapping her hands over her mouth.
The noise had been drained out of the booth, right down to the last Pokémon. Everyone had their eyes trained on the blonde, wondering what would come next.
How mortifying.
"Serena?" Ash asked, frowning. He poked her shoulder. "Hey, sorry… It's not like we meant to make you jealous or anything-"
"Why would she be jealous?" Dawn frowned. "She's right here on a date with us."
"Yeah, but-"
"N-no! I'm fine!" Serena piped up. Even to her, it was strange, but she found herself smiling. "Really… I'm fine. A real Kalos Queen couldn't be upset for two dear friends, could she? I'm sure you two have all sorts of precious memories that you've built up, before now."
"Heh, yeah. Well, that's good," Ash chuckled, brushing his index finger over his nose. "The last thing I wanna do is bring you more grief."
"Oh! Speaking of memories," Dawn interjected, "Ash, what about that song?"
"Oh hey, yeah!" Ash's eyes lit up. "Let's do it."
"That song?" Serena frowned. "Now, I am happy for you, but it's not fun to be out of the loop."
"You won't be, much longer!" Ash winked. "Do you wanna take over the camera for a bit, and give Greninja a break? We'll show you exactly what you mean!"
"If it's something special to you, then I can't turn you down! Greninja?" Serena asked, before the frog kindly turned the camcorder over to her. She took it, while Dawn fiddled with the karaoke machine.
"C'mon… They have to have it," Dawn muttered. "Aha! Found it."
"It was, like, a public domain beat," Ash explained. "But, we've turned into something special!"
After Dawn pressed 'play,' a bubbly sort of instrumental beat started to play. She and Ash took their places parallel to one another, tapping their feet to the tune. Dawn sang first.
"We fight, make up, and fight again!
There's a lot I have to say to you,
but first of all . . .
Thank you for being here!"
Dawn's voice was, as she feared, scratchy and cracky with all the growing pains of a sixteen-year-old. But, to Serena, she sounded no less passionate or sincere for it.
"Friends for the journey, friends for life,
I pretend to understand it all!
But, still . . .
I'm glad that you are here!"
Ash's voice, as it was a minute ago, was silky smooth. But, from the Kalosian's perspective, nothing was more beautiful than the glow in his eyes, even if they were trained on another.
"Nice partner!" Dawn sang, putting her back to Ash.
"Nice rival!" Ash turned away from her, just the same.
"I'll push you forth," Dawn sang, giving Ash's back a playful shove.
"And I'll pull you along," Ash laughed, taking her wrist when he stumbled, pulling her with him. Dawn giggled, and they ended up regaining their balance with their fingers interlocked. They pulled their mics together, singing into them in unison with rising enthusiasm.
"When I look up, the sun looks so bright, espe-cia-lly with you~!"
"Hey! Hey! Hey! If it all goes well, then let's high five!" Standing on their tip-toes, the trainer-coordinator duo raised their hands to smack them against each other. The clap echoed through the booth.
"If we're knocked down, then we'll bounce right back!
As long as we are together . . . !"
Ash leaned in, taking the next line for himself.
"I won't give up so easily! Go, go go!"
Serena found herself orbiting the small tables, hoping to catch as many dynamic angles as possible. How could she not? How could she not catch every nuance? The giggles leaving Dawn's lips. The way Ash clutched the mic like his life depended on it. She'd failed to focus on their high five the first time, having not seen it coming, but she was sure to zoom in on the next.
The next slap of their hands came with the crescendo.
"It went well, so we'll high five!"
Clap!
"Shake our foe's hands for a battle well-fought!"
Palm against palm pulled away, ever-so-reluctantly, to meet again in clasped hands.
"As long as we are together~!"
Ash took over once more, belting into the mic.
"We'll go further, much further than before!"
"Go go go…
GO GO GO! GO GO GO!"
The public domain beat came to an end, with each of the lovable, hammy duo striking a powerful pose.. before falling into laughter, throwing an arm around one another.
With that cue, many of the Pokémon gave their praises and applause.
"Oh, man…" Ash laughed, brushing his index finger over his nose. "We've still got it!"
"We didn't miss a beat!" Dawn giggled. "I'm actually kind of surprised. It's been, what? A year?"
"More like two," Ash replied. "But hey, hey! We're too young to be getting rusty."
While the two babbled and boasted, their third, Serena . . . just found herself at a loss for words. Every word dripped with romanticism, in a chummy, peppy way that only Ash, and also Dawn, could intertwine into one. Every wink and nudge that was really a whisper of previous adventures and feelings that endured with the seasons. Every high five that, clearly, meant more to the two than they'd manage putting into words.
One would think she'd feel pain, seeing this unfold before her eyes. A few days ago, it would have crushed her. But a few days ago, she'd been further from her dream. Today, she could see that beauty for what it was. She could see the little nuances of a relationship between two people she cared about, and she could only feel happy. Maybe she was a little closer to her dream.
"...Serena?" Ash asked, tilting his head at her. "What do you think! Pretty cool, right?"
Oh. Had she been silent and slack-jawed? Serena blushed.
Her dream could wait, just a bit longer.
"O-oh! Tres magnifique! 'Pretty cool' doesn't even begin to… Did you come up with this, yourselves?"
"Well, I wouldn't say 'ourselves,' Ash corrected, rubbing his neck. "It was Dawn and Brock."
"Brock?" Serena asked. "You've mentioned that name. Your old friend, the doctor?"
"That's him," Dawn confirmed. "See, Ash was going through a real rough patch, at the time… And I wasn't exactly there to watch his back." Serena frowned. Did this have to do with what Dawn and Pikachu had dwelled on, the other day? "So, we hatched the idea to cheer him up!"
"That's… beautiful." Serena stuttered, wiping at her eyes as she found herself tripping over her words. Were her lips trembling? Was she on the verge of tears? Well, how could she not be?
"Serena…?" Ash asked, reaching out to clasp her shoulder. She could see the concern in his eyes. Compassionate as he ever was.
"No, it's…!" She shook her head, wiping her eyes. "It's just… I'm glad you two showed me what you've had together. I said I was jealous before, but really…" With her eyes dry, she came back with a glowing smile and pink-tinted cheeks. "...I just want to share some of those experiences with you!"
"Well, come on!" Dawn took Serena's free hand in both of hers. "Don't just sit on the sidelines. Isn't there something you'd want to sing?"
"Is there…?" Serena looked off, humming. "There actually is one song… But! I've never really shared it with anyone." Her face filled with red. "It's a little embarrassing."
"Aw, come on!" Ash joined Dawn, clasping his hands on top of and below her own to hold Serena's, as well. "This coming from the gal who put on a master-class performance for the Master Class? I know you've got it in you!"
"You do have a point," Serena conceded. And, he did. What was she scared of? She wasn't the Serena of yesteryear, hiding within a shell that she'd forged for herself with her own indecision. She was the Serena of tomorrow, and it showed in her bold expression. "You're right! I'll do it. I'll put on a show to pay you both back for getting to see yours!"
She pulled back her hand, and offered the camera for Ash to manage. "Come on, everyone!"
Braixen, Sylveon, and Pancham pranced their way to the back of the room, while Serena fiddled with the song selection screen. "The truth is, I tried taking singing lessons when I was younger. Do you remember those little toy recording boxes with the fake mic? I'd prance around singing, so Mom signed me up for classes."
Ash and Dawn took their seats, listening to Serena while she scrolled through the songs.
"I tried; I went a couple of times. But… I really hated my voice. It was one thing to sing along to my favorite shows in my own home; especially when I was alone. But, standing in front of a coach and other kids… I couldn't bear it. I felt humiliated. I quit after a few lessons."
She tapped away at the screen, until the song she was looking for appeared.
"But, there's this one song that I came across, when I was first getting into Showcases. It really struck a chord with me, so I've been practicing it in secret. Whenever you were busy training, Ash, and Clemont was busy with Bonnie. I didn't feel confident enough to show it at the Master Class, but as long as you two are sharing things with me…" Serena beamed, pressing play.
"...I might as well do the same!"
"Sometimes I wonder, just what color would suit me,
way off in the future, oh will my hues change?
As long as you're here, let's try a whole palette, please,
All together, now, one, two, three!"
Serena tapped her foot on the polished floors, twirling in a circle with her Pokémon orbiting her.
"I direct my wishes way up high to the starry night sky,
aiming for that one shooting star,
By the time I launched my hopes up high, though,
my trepidation let that shooting star get away…"
Every line, every word came with a bit of that same old trepidation. That ounce of baited breath, awaiting scowls of disappointment, or confusion, or disgust. A reason to stop singing. This time, though, she didn't look away. While her Pokémon pranced, she met Ash and Dawn, head-on.
"But, now, I've seen . . . That one-and-only precious dream!
The person inside of me, locked in a facade,
is now ready to keep shining on~!"
But, she never found that pain. That scorn she'd long ago feared, and had whittled down into an annoying pin prick. Instead, she saw the joy in their smiles. The awe in their exuberant eyes.
Her breaths would no longer linger. Every word would be heard at full volume.
"Dream Dream Dream Power! Dream Dream Power!
A miracle's bloomed from my loved ones and me,
Dream Power! Dream Dream Power!
It all was born from my one true dream,
The smiles and sorrows, will frame our tomorrows!"
She found, for the first time that she could even remember, singing was purely, and only fun. And she could only thank her Pokémon… And the two miracles before her. In the midst of her tapping and twirling dance, she held both of her hands out, beckoning Ash and Dawn to join her.
The duo shared a look, and grinned, jumping up to offer Serena one hand, each.
The honey blonde took them both, pulling them into a spin; one that neither was quite graceful enough to keep up with, but that was okay. Their laughter was enough for her.
"Thank you! Just the two— three of us combined!
Let's head on! (Come on!) And make all of our dreams shine!"
The song and dance came to its closing jingle, and Serena, with her many months of practice, kept to the rhythm awfully well. But, Ash and Dawn were a different story. Ash was watching Serena's footwork to get an idea of it himself, subsequently lagging behind every step.
Unfortunately, that meant a poorly-timed step forward for Dawn to trip over. And while she wasn't as poorly-choreographed as Ash, she was twice as clumsy. "Wah!" She yelped, stumbling and leaning her full weight into Ash. That brought him down, and to her horror, Serena found herself being bowled over by the dynamic duo.
Naturally, they weren't ones for half-measures, either, as Braixen, Pancham, and Sylveon were taken down in the pile, too, knocked haphazardly across the karaoke booth floor.
"Pikapi!" Pikachu cried, dashing over. "Pikaka! Pipi-ka!"
"Phlo…" Typhlosion shook her head, disappointed, but not-at-all surprised by the scene.
DreamDream Power came to an end, with all of them tangled and disheveled.
"Ouch, ouch…!" Dawn whined. "Ash, your foot!"
"Sorry!" He pulled himself free, pulling Dawn to sit upright, too. "Are you guys okay? Serena? Braixen? Agh, Pancham and Sylveon, too…!"
"Braiii!" Braixen huffed, pulling herself free to dust off her fur.
"Cham," Pancham proudly pulled himself together. Not hurt at all!
"Veeon…" Sylveon stared at him with half-lidded eyes, unimpressed.
"Agh…" Serena sat up as well, fixing her hat back atop her head. "I swear, you two…!" She wanted to be mad, or at least scold them for their reckless behavior. But, she could only snicker. And, as much as she ever tried to suppress it, a snicker was bound to turn into laughter. She laughed, and laughed. Her two paramours laughed, too.
"Sheesh…!" Serena tried to pout, still, but a smirk kept breaking through. "I guess that's my fault for trying that after seeing you at the Shalour Gym, Ash."
"Hey, hey," Ash laughed. "That's a low blow!"
"As much as I hate to admit it," Dawn said, "That's what you get for getting me involved in any footwork."
"She's right, she's right!" Ash slung an arm around Serena, shoving both her and himself towards Dawn to pull her in. "Dawn's a total klutz."
"Well, I'm sorry," Dawn drawled sarcastically, leaning into Serena's other side. "It was a little hard to focus with an angel singing for us! I was too distracted!"
"A-angel!?" Serena sat up stiff, her face a steaming red.
"A little corny, don't you think?" Ash teased. "But, not wrong. You were amazing, Serena! I never knew you had it in you! I mean… I did, but not for singing, you know? You never told me!"
"Well, that's…" Serena directed her eyes towards the floor. She couldn't keep her smile from spanning one cheek to the next. But, she collected herself, throwing an arm around each of them. "Didn't you know? I had to give it my all, after such an amazing opening act! No one warned me that they would be so talented."
Ash snorted, ignoring the blush he sported, too. "Well, Miss Universe, as long as we're talking up our act, we might not want to miss catching it on camera." He reached over for the camcorder that'd hit the floor, pointing it towards Serena. "Any words for your adoring fans?"
"Your adoring fans being us, of course." Dawn added, latching to her date's arm.
Serena looked between her two dates and into the lens, doe-eyed. "Actually, I do!" She leaned in towards Dawn, pressing her cheek to hers. "It's important to bring smiles to others. But, never underestimate the smiles that the people close to you can bring back to you." She winked, sticking her tongue out at the camera.
"Well said! And… cut!" Ash announced, putting an end to their current recording.
"Whew… Well, that was fun!" Dawn giggled. "I think I did work up an appetite, though."
"Me too," Ash agreed. "What do you say we scarf down the stuff we ordered and move onto our next activity? Whatever we decide that is."
"I'm feeling a bit jittery, myself," Serena agreed. "I could go for that! And, as for our next move…" She reflected on the rest of their date beforehand. A filmed performance, baking, and karaoke… Oh. There was still one very important detour she'd meant to take. "I know just the thing!"