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Aquacorde Town

"Water and civilization in harmony."

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The blue gates were already open as Serena passed through, and met a small, slightly winding pathway. From the looks of it, Vaniville town, where her current house was located at, was a pretty tiny place. Here she was, already outside the town by passing out the gates.

And...The next town... Was right there. Right there, merely ten steps ahead. Why did the blue boy and pink girl want the three of them to meet there, and not in Vaniville, when the two towns were so close to each other?

Soon enough she saw the reason why. There were chairs and tables for them to sit at. Well, for five of them to sit at, actually. Serena saw the pink girl and blue boy at the table, but as she got closer, there were two other individuals seated there as well that she hadn't noticed before. The blue boy and pink girl sure were confident that she was to come, weren't they?

The blue boy motioned for her to sit down in the chair next to his and Serena, not seeing any harm to, obediently sat in silence, staring at the two new people seated across from her. One was a hefty looking guy with barely any visible hair on his head, and the other guy was the complete opposite. He was skinny with an orange helmet full of hair.

"Everyone!" A voice yelled out of nowhere. It was the pink girl. She was literally right in Serena's ear. "This is Calem's new neighbor that just moved in days ago! Say hi!"

Did these people not get new neighbors that often? Serena thought. She couldn't understand the extremely large aura of excitement surrounding her.

"Nice to meet ya! I'm Tierno, and ready to rumble!" the large guy greeted.

"I'm Trevor. Hello," the other kid said quietly, almost like he was whispering. He bowed his head, fidgeting with his fingers.

"Trevor! Lighten up! You're always like this with new people," the pink girl exclaimed.

"Am not!" He retorts.

"Are too!"

"Am-"

"Anyway!" The pink girl shoved her face towards Serena's, filling her entire vision. Serena unconsciously leans back, her insides terrified. "As I was saying. I'm Shauna. The guy sitting next to you, his name's Calem."

Serena looked at said guy who sat there calmly, seeming to be pondering about something. Then he snapped to at the mention of his name, his eyes landing on Serena. In fact, everyone was putting their attention on her now.

"And your name, new person?" Calem asked, a faint trace of curiosity on his face. He rarely showed emotion, Serena noted.

She sighed. This question was the one she hated the most. It would always be the first thing people asked her. Why not ask her, "how are you" or, "how's your day been"? Then she wouldn't have to explain what she had to do next.

She made a fist for them to see, then another fist, then a peace sign, then-

"What are you doing?" Shauna said almost immediately, her brow raised. And of course that was the first question Serena would constantly receive after her magic spell of a sign language.

"I think that's sign language," Trevor noted, practically reading her mind. "No wonder she's been quiet all this time."

Serena nodded almost too energetically. Never in her whole life had another kid near her age notice right away she was using another way to communicate.

Maybe Trevor would understand it too, she thought. So she formed the signs for 'Blink twice'.

He did just that.

"Why do you know how to read sign language, Trevor?" Tierno asked. "Or how? …Why? Wait…which one is it? Is it 'how' or 'why'?"

"I've got a relative who's similar to Ser." Trevor nodded towards Serena.

Serena blinked. Ser? Everyone else ooh'ed and ah'ed at Trevor's explanation.

"So your name's 'Ser'?" Calem tried to confirm, but Serena shook her head. She managed to hide her annoyance as she formed the rest of the letters to her name. Trevor slapped his forehead, his cheeks going aflame.

"My apologies, Serena," he drawled, "I guess I got too ahead of myself."

Serena raised her arms as if to shrug.

Calem had begun to speak again, though Shauna unknowingly cuts him off.

"Serena, huh? What a nice name! Now it's time for the Pokemon, right Calem? It's what we all came here for!"

Calem sent Shauna a wary look before taking out a capsule. "Sorry, but Shauna's been desperate for a Pokemon a while now." Serena shrugged again, and he clicked a button on the capsule and revealed three pokeballs. Serena cocked her head, and made signs to Trevor.

"She asks why you guys already caught the Pokemon, and why they're being given out like trinkets."

Calem grimaces. "We're doing no such thing like that."

"They're from Tierno," Shauna explained. "He wanted Calem to do the honors…and the professor kinda wanted us to have a big group. Faster way to fill the pokedex."

"Therefore, luckily, we found you," Calem concludes.

Serena narrows her eyes and turns to Trevor once more.

"Erm…she says that doesn't explain anything, blue and pink people..?—"

"I took great care of them. Promise!" Tierno pipes.

"You pick first, Serena," Calem says, totally disregarding her complaints. Serena sighs, and shakes her head, nodding towards Trevor and Tierno, pretending to be courteous because inside, the last thing she wanted to do was get forced to pick a pokemon. Why couldn't she get one herself? And what was this about a Pokedex? Why did she have to do this?

"Trevor and Tierno each already have a Pokemon," Shauna assured.

Serena wanted to run back to her house and lock herself in her room. She couldn't start another journey. Not so soon. Not after what happened. She couldn't.

She. Couldn't.

"We'll be with you all the way. You won't be alone."

She searched for who said those words. It wasn't Trevor, Tierno, or Shauna. They were all eyes on Calem, nodding their heads, smiling. Serena never saw such a determined look on a boy's face such as Calem's.

Her body, acting on its own will, chose a random pokeball, only Calem seeming to notice her arms shaking a little, but he didn't comment about it as he chose his own pokeball. Shauna chose one as well.

Serena stared at the red and white orb in her hands, shiny and precious, holding a living creature within. He/she didn't know her, as she didn't her/him. If she couldn't handle the new responsibility, she had to back out now. It was now or never. But the people around her, their faces radiating with their own unique, positive emotion, made it difficult. Calem and Shauna went to get her. Everyone willingly introduced themselves, even one introducing the other. Trevor understood her language. What may seem small to others, all of this was a big deal for Serena.

Why they tried, she didn't know, but it was a bit comforting, if not uncomfortable.