The Way We Will Be

by TheCartoonFanatic01

REWRITTEN AND REPOSTED! While in Kiloude City for a Pokémon Showcase, Ash and Serena meet a girl who claims to be their daughter from their future. This startling turn of events results in an adventure like no other, and quite perhaps...something a little bit more? AmourShipping, Ash/Serena, SatoSere! R&R!

35. A Dance With Fate

A/N: Here we are, everyone! The chapter that we've all been waiting for, and that's the outdoor dance party mentioned by Mandy Buzzington all the way back in the beginning of Chapter 5! (Yes, I've been planting the seeds for THAT EVENT for THAT LONG.) And you bet your top Poké Dollar that there's gonna be AmourShipping hints galore! And not to mention other strong hints for other shippings galore! Keep your fingers crossed, everyone! :D :D :D

By the way, I'm very sorry if this chapter was late for any of you guys and gals. I was hoping to have this posted several days earlier, but numerous rewrites and revisions (not to mention a VERY BRUTAL work-week) just kept throwing wrenches into my plans. Ah, well. Life is just a bee-otch sometimes, I suppose.

Alright, enough rambling! On with the long-awaited chapter. ENJOY!

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---

"Good evening, citizens of Kalos! This is Mandy Buzzington, live at the lovely Laurier Maison of Kiloude City fame! As I speak here now, this year's hotly-anticipated Exhibition Pokémon Showcase has come to a blazing close. And my, oh my, that Showcase was rife with highlight after highlight! From a series of amazing Theme Performances to a mysterious, yet-to-be-explained security incident, to the remarkable upset regarding the crasher Yancy Gabena, to a mighty finisher that was the all-hands-on-deck Freestyle Performance, this Exhibition Showcase was truly an event that even the celebrated Kalos Queen Elle would be proud of, Arceus rest her soul.

"But unfortunately, all good things must come to an end, and it surely did in this case. Everyone's leaving the Laurier Maison and heading home with memories to cherish and stories to tell. As for the Performers that participated in this event, they are all attending a private celebration that I've been told has just begun at a venue within the Laurier Maison itself. As others and I have previously reported, the event, according to the official schedule, is supposed to be a dance party wherein all Performers are invited to participate with partners of their own choosing.

"And according to some of my confidential sources, there are rumors of a big surprise that will unfold at the end of this dance party. Unfortunately, there is no further information on what exactly this surprise is supposed to be, like whether it's an announcement or a performance or whatnot. But this reporter will not be easily swayed! I shall continue to dig, even if I must do some physical digging into the depths of the earth itself, and I intend to find out the truth behind this little surprise before the dance party is over, or my name isn't Mandy Buzzington!

"And now, on to other news, I've been receiving unconfirmed reports of increased activity by what are purported to be Pokémon Rangers in the area..."

---

Kiloude Forest

Underneath the deep, cool, moonlit shades of Kiloude Forest, numerous wild Pokémon wandered around the fertile forest floor. Many moved in herds, others in smaller groups, and a few of them traveled alone. But together, they grazed on the bountiful vegetation and dozed off in their natural resting places in peace and unity. It was a quiet, tranquil night to end what had been a warm, peaceful day, a welcome change of pace from the unnatural occurrences that had been occurring in their domain for the preceding dew days. It was such a restful night, in fact, that some of the wild Pokémon even decided to take the time to stop for a moment and gaze up at the exposed Moon, the view of the natural satellite being unhindered thanks to a complete absence of clouds in the night sky.

Just then, a strange, mechanical creaking noise broke through the forest's tranquility in an uncomfortable, oppressive way. It was coming from the distance, faint and harmless at first, but it grew louder and louder in volume by the minute. All of the forest Pokémon within earshot curiously turned their heads in different directions, wondering where exactly the noise was coming from and quickly becoming restless from the newest unnatural occurrence.

Suddenly, the Pokémon's collective confusion was answered. Before long, a horde of various construction vehicles came roaring and rumbling into view, knocking down trees and mowing down vegetation in their wake. Each of them bore a company logo of a badly-drawn Dedenne holding a hammer, and riding in each of them was a small crew of construction workers dressed in grimy outfits bearing a patch reading 'Nick and Sons Oil and Construction Company'. Many of the workers hollered and hooted in manic delight while their vehicles mercilessly destroyed everything in their path, leaving mulch behind. As a result of the mayhem, all of the wild Pokémon fled in fear at the sight of it.

But that wasn't the end of the forest Pokémon's misfortunes. As soon as the construction vehicles passed by, the ground shook mightily, causing the soil to stir visibly and the trunks of any remaining trees to buckle. This was swiftly followed by the ominous sound of creaking, then a gargantuan shadow that enveloped the destruction and despair before it. The Pokémon that were able to evade the destruction looked up in fear and saw something that they had never seen before, even in their years of interacting with the nearby human settlements.

It was a pair of four-legged mechas of similar design; one of them was a couple dozen feet tall, while the other was about a couple hundred feet tall, towering easily over the canopy of the forest and able to reach a small yet sizable portion of the mountain that watched over them. Dozens of tentacle-like arms with pincers for hands dangled from their undersides. The larger mecha had red lights that shone from a row spanning the entirety of its circumference, illuminating the way for its entourage of construction vehicles. A logo of sickly purple was emblazoned on its sides, resembling an eight-headed Seviper.

Deep inside the smaller mecha's cockpit, Parker was at the controls, moving the mecha forward at a pace matching its larger counterpart's. He was multitasking between staring ahead at the path the construction vehicles were creating for him and warily looking up at the larger mecha alongside his Sceptile. With every movement the larger machine made, its joints and cogs would creak and groan from the lack of lubrication. On the floor, Nick, Sid, Cecile, Floyd, and Lloyd were seated in crisscrossed positions; most of them were covering their ears in visible discomfort, while Nick was humming a jolly tune to himself with orange, Dedenne-themed earmuffs over his ears.

After another couple of minutes spent in observation, Parker pressed down on an earpiece that he was wearing.

"Kay, this is Parker," he greeted.

"Yes, Parker," replied the familiar voice of his superior. "What is it?"

"Forgive me for speaking out of turn, ma'am, but are you confident in the Alpha Mecha's operationality? Its movements are slow and noisy." The poacher then scanned the larger mecha from head to toe, absorbing the totality of its size. "Not to mention it's enormous. Those accursed children are going to see it from far away-"

"We're not conducting an ambush, Parker," Kay interrupted in a harsh, venomous snarl. "Those children have interfered with our affairs for the last time. And for their long history of meddling, they are to pay dearly."

Parker crooked an eyebrow at his superior's words, but he allowed her to continue speaking.

"I'm going to take Nate Gray in these claws." Kay snapped two of the Alpha Mecha's claws in emphasis. "I'm going to take him, and I'm going to make him watch as I destroy everything that he took for granted. In fact..."

Parker couldn't see it from his angle down in his own mecha, but he knew Kay was sneering malevolently.

"I'm going to capitalize on our current situation. First, I'm going to wipe Ash Ketchum and Serena Gabena from the face of the planet, and I'll make Gray watch as that girl of his disappears in front of him. Then, I'm going to track down his parents in this timeline and destroy them in front of him. And..." She exhaled with immense elation before snickering in an uncharacteristically sadistic tone. "Ohhhhh, I'm going to enjoy watching him scream and squirm and suffer."

She started cackling madly and triumphantly, and Parker could even hear her from the Alpha Mecha's cockpit as she relished in her revenge fantasy. Then, after a few minutes, Kay abruptly ceased her laughter and cleared her throat to recompose herself.

"That is, after we retrieve Celebi and use it to put an end to these time-travel shenanigans."

"That sounds like an excellent strategy, ma'am," Parker replied calmly.

At that moment, a sudden impact buckled Parker's mecha, nearly tipping it over. Sid, Cecile, Floyd, and Lloyd all screamed and held onto the nearest surface they could find, while the earmuffs-wearing Nick obliviously remained seated, continuing to hum to himself. Fortunately for everyone, Parker seized control of the mecha and helped it regain its balance. Once he did, he peered over the dashboard, through the thin veil of smoke emanating from the point of impact, and ominously narrowed his eyes at the sight before him.

Their entourage of construction vehicles had stopped a few yards away from him and Kay's mecha. In front of them was a large horde of forest Pokémon, consisting of various herds, flocks, and colonies belonging to different species. All of them roared, growled, cawed, barked, and squawked aggressively at the intruders. Parker felt Sid, Cecile, Floyd, and Lloyd join his sides beside the mecha dashboard.

"What the heck is this?" Parker snarled.

"Looks like a bunch of upset Pokémon," Floyd replied while scratching the top of his head.

The poacher sighed and shook his head. "I know that, genius. What I want to know is why they're obstructing our path instead of getting out of the way like any stupid, self-conscious Pokémon would?"

"I mean," Cecile said observantly, "we have been trampling over their home for hours now. I bet they're pretty upset over that."

Parker nastily pursed his lips. "You say that like these Pokémon have land rights over this domain or something."

The woman looked at him in slight alarm. "You think they don't?"

"The only purpose of a Pokémon's existence is to be our property and nothing more."

Cecile's, Floyd's, and Lloyd's eyes widened in shock and even horror at the sound of Kay's voice, amplified by loudspeakers attached to the Alpha Mecha. They looked up, just in time to see the many clawed, tentacle-like arms dangling from the robot's underside aim themselves at the horde of forest Pokémon ahead. The claws opened up wide to reveal shining barrels of silver.

"And if a Pokémon fails to recognize who is in charge," Kay's malevolent voice hissed through the loudspeakers, "then it's only fair that they be...reconditioned."

With that, the arms began firing a barrage of purple lasers at the Pokémon. Whenever the lasers hit the ground surrounding their targets, they generated explosions of purple fire, which in turn generated shockwaves of blue electricity. Many of the Pokémon that dared to resist the group of humans were sent flying in all directions, roaring and screaming in pain, while the remainder fled, too intimidated to launch counterattacks. In mere seconds, the field had been cleared out, reduced to a wasteland of burnt and fried vegetation and injured Pokémon. Parker am smirked at this newest development and dusted his hands, as if he had just handled something grimy.

"Now that's more like it," he noted deviously. "I knew we could count on you to enforce your authority over the situation, Kay."

"Of course," Kay replied triumphantly. "Now, let's keep moving, men! The plan is not going to execute itself!"

There were no sounds or acts of protest from anyone in Nick's construction crew. In mere seconds, the entourage of construction vehicles continued onward, crawling and rolling past the groaning, stirring forms of injured forest Pokémon. As Parker's mecha passed over the Pokémon, stepping over many of them in the process, Cecile, Floyd, and Lloyd looked over the sides at the forest's residents, stunned, horrified, and a little remorseful over the sight of destruction and agony.

As for Nick, who never managed to hear a single thing through his earmuffs, he abruptly pumped a fist high into the air with a wide smile.

"Meowth! That's right!"

...

...

...

"What?" Sid asked, glaring at his colleague.

"Hm?" Nick's attention was finally piqued, and he removed the earmuffs. "Oh, I've been listening to some tunes for research."

"Research?" Lloyd repeated. "Research for what, exactly?"

Nick stretched his grin from one ear to another in optimism. "Why, our motto, of course!"

...

...

...

...

...

"What?" Sid, Cecile, Floyd, and Lloyd all said at the same time.

"What?" Nick replied, absolutely affronted.

---

Mt. Kiloude

At the top of Mt. Kiloude, the owner of the red eyes that had been awakened deep within the dark cave was now looking around. It could still sense the major disturbance happening on the ground below, the same disturbance that had unceremoniously lifted it from its peaceful slumber. With a chitter, the being moved, allowing a single ray of sunlight piercing through the mouth of the cave to illuminate a small portion of its sky-blue plumage...

---

Laurier Maison
Northern Kiloude City

"This is such a bad idea. Ohhhhh, this is such a bad idea, this is such a bad idea, this is such a bad idea, this is such a bad idea, this is such a bad idea, THIS IS SUCH A BAD IDEA! Ohhhhh Arceus, why on your good green earth did I agree to do this?!"

That thought of frenzied panic raced across Serena's mind as she sat on the nice leather seat of her table. Her sapphire-blue eyes were boring into the image of Ash's outstretched palm in a desperate attempt to permanently imprint it into her memory. An increasingly secluded corner of her mind recalled how she accepted Ash's proposal to dance with him, how she agreed without even making a second thought.

However, it did not take long for reality to settle, and it settled in so quickly that the honey-blonde was getting dizzy with conflicted emotions. After so long, the moment had come for her to get close with Ash Ketchum, the boy she'd loved for so long, the boy who was finally reciprocating her feelings for him despite the many moments that instilled doubt in her over such a possibility. And yet, despite the presentation of such an amazing opportunity, she was sitting dumbly at her table, waiting for someone else to make the next move. Serena couldn't fathom being the one to make that move now, since the impending prospect of intimacy with Ash at long last had suddenly become too overwhelming for her to bear. It was like watching a wooden fence she was ordered to jump over suddenly grow to the size of Mt. Kiloude, becoming insurmountable and unbreakable.

"I don't know if I can do this," Serena thought in a haze. "I...I don't know if I can do this! Th-This is too good to be true! Wh-What if this is all one big dream?! O-Or one big nightmare?! If I take Ash's hand, am I just gonna wake up in the real world where he's gonna be totally oblivious about my feelings again?! Or worse...what if this is all truly happening?! What if I make an utter fool of myself up on the dance floor?! What if this becomes a bad experience for him and he breaks up with me?! Wait, why am I saying he'll break up with me?! Our relationship isn't even official! If you'd even call this a relationship! Does Ash even think of this as a relationship?! In spite of what he told me, is he still a little oblivious about the whole thing?! Is he just being nice to me for my own sake?! Is he-?!"

"Serena."

Ash's voice yanked the girl out of her oppressive, overbearing thoughts and planted her back to reality. She looked up and was met with warm auburn.

"I know, I'm nervous too," he said.

For the first time, Serena noticed the pink tinged in his cheeks and the way his voice was slightly shaky, behind the usual tone of confidence. Even so, she could see the stars shining brightly in his eyes.

"But we can do this. Remember what I keep saying to you?"

"I've been searching and searching near and far," the speakers blared soothingly. "Searching and searching, and there you are. Our wishes share a star..."

"Come on," Ash continued encouragingly. "Dance with me, Serena." Then, he flashed an upbeat grin down at her. "How hard can this thing be, if we manage to make it work in the future?"

Serena could feel her thoughts of fear, uncertainty, and doubt receding with every word that Ash spoke. She glanced towards the center of the venue and saw the duos of Clemont and Miette, Tierno and Nini, and finally Calem and Shauna joining the other Performers and their dates in their smooth, graceful dancing. All three pairs had their hands entwined, and though everyone (sans a cheekily joyful Miette) looked nervous, there was no doubt in anyone's mind that they were committed to doing this and would never back out now.

Especially Tierno and Nini.

Taking a deep breath, Serena looked back at Ash, and an unknown but welcome instinct drove her to twitch her lips into a nervous smile.

"Okay, Ash," she finally said. "I'll dance with you."

She took his hand, unlocking a new reservoir of golden warmth that was shared between them. In that moment, they felt like their hearts were beating as one.

"I choose you, I choose you. What else can I do? We're just too good together to part. What we've shared from the start feels like one beating heart. I choose you, I choose you."

Serena stood up on her two dainty feet, and the two teenagers walked onto the dance floor together, hand in hand. They kept a close eye on the other pairs while they danced in unison to the flow of the music. Then, once they felt like they were in the center of the floor, Serena turned to face Ash, and he turned to face her at the same time.

Auburn met sapphires. Confident masculinity synced with fair femininity. Two souls melded as one. That was what it felt like to the both of them as Ash gently wrapped an arm around Serena's waist and held her close to him.

And with that, the two began dancing in sync with the music, all the while vaguely feeling everything around them fading into irrelevance, even the distant Mt. Kiloude that watched them.

"Hello, stranger. Don't I know you? Nice to see you, my friend. Did we just scale the top of a mountain, and fly back home again?"

Neither Serena nor Ash knew exactly what was going on. Everything about their environment seemed surreal, like it was all one big dream. But these feelings were swiftly disproven by the sensations that they felt all around them as they continued with their slow, smooth dance. The beating rhythm of the music. The smell of the fresh open air. The sight of each other's eyes gazing deeply and longingly into them.

And most of all, the feeling of each other, daintily wrapped together like a precious gift. A gift that had been waiting to be unwrapped since long ago.

"I've been looking and looking high and low, looking and looking, and...what do ya know? Just like long ago..."

"H...H-Hey, Ash...?" Serena asked, her voice almost flowing out of her mouth like a stream.

"Yeah, Serena...?" Ash replied breathlessly.

"Is this really happening?"

The raven-haired boy chuckled nervously. "You know, Serena, that same question's been racing through my mind endlessly since we came on here."

"W-Well...wh-what do you think...Ash...?"

"Well, I mean..." Ash's auburn eyes briefly broke away from Serena's sapphire-blue to aimlessly gaze at the star-dotted sky in contemplation. "If we're asking ourselves the same thing, then...it can't be a dream. Right?"

"Good point. Then..."

Letting her heart guide her, Serena rested her head against Ash's chest. As soon as she did that, she could feel her heart skip a couple of beats in absolute delight over the development. At the same time, she could also feel Ash's heartbeat quickening by the second, to the point where it was hammering threateningly against his sternum. Despite their innate reactions, the pace of their dance didn't waver one bit, and her lips curled into a satisfied, elated smile.

"Let's stay like this. For as long as we need to."

She could feel Ash's smile. "That sounds like a great idea."

"I choose you, I choose you. What else can I do? We're just too good together to part. What we've shared from the start feels like one beating heart. I choose you, I choose you."

Ash and Serena continued to dance and glide across the venue in smooth, graceful unison. Every step that they took, and every move that they made, was swiftly picked up by their partner, closely scrutinized, and followed up on. Everything about Serena's relative inexperience with dancing and Ash's inexperience multiplied tenfold was forgotten in a reality-bending disregard of logic. To the eyes of outsiders, their dance would be anything but brimming with inexperience. It was like Ash and Serena had transformed into natural, seasoned dancers, just for this single moment, a product of destiny itself.

When Serena moved, Ash moved with her.

When Ash moved, Serena moved with him.

When the beat of the song dictated it, they changed their style and their pace.

But the entire time, Serena kept her head rested against Ash's chest. And eventually, the boy rested his own head atop Serena's own. Locks of his unkempt raven-black hair became entwined with tufts of her sleek honey-blonde hair. Their souls melded into one, and they could feel the other with every last move that they made, all as their perception of the world melted away until it was just the two of them with the dance floor and the tune of the song.

The planet no longer spun with them. It was just them, spinning in their own universe of warm intimacy.

"I choose you, I choose you. On to journeys anew with the wonderful friends that I've found. As the planet spins around, we're eternally bound. I choose you, I choose you..."

---

"Yes! Yes! Yes! Go, Mommy! Go, Daddy!"

"Pichu pichu-pi!"

In the sidelines, Selene was struggling hard to contain her immense excitement at the sight of Ash and Serena dancing. But it was clear that it would be a very difficult task for her. Her entire head was pink, her whole body was trembling with strong emotions, and she was rocking back and forth on the balls of her heels. She could cheer and whoop and holler at the top of her lungs, but she didn't want to disturb the entire dance just because she wanted to physically celebrate the union of her parents in the past. On her shoulder, Pichu was pumping its clenched paws in the air to express its own excitement.

And she wasn't the only one who was electrified by this fateful development.

"Yes! Yes! Yes! Ash and Serena are gonna get together! It's about time!"

"Nenene!"

Beside Selene, Bonnie was keeping her own exhilaration bottled up with all of the effort that she could muster, while Dedenne was hopping up and down on her own shoulder. Both girls' movements mirrored one another, leaving Evelyn to watch them in surprise and even a little concern. But most of all, Squishy and the still-disguised Celebi were sitting on their respective caretakers' chairs, watching both girls in awe and intrigue.

"Whaddaya say, Selene?!" Bonnie asked, looking at the other seven-year-old with a bright glitter in her eyes. "Ash and Serena kiss in thirty minutes?!"

Selene shook her head in vigorous denial. "Nuh-uh! They kiss in five!"

"Hah! Serena's still enough of a scaredy-Glameow to not make a move on Ash that quickly!"

"I believe in Mommy! She'll have the courage to kiss him! And if she doesn't, then Daddy surely will kiss her!"

Bonnie giggled. "But look at him, Selene! His face is redder than a Torchic's fire! He's not gonna do it!"

"He will! She will! Th-They both will, Auntie Bonnie!" Selene looked at the past versions of her parents and pumped her fists in encouragement. "I know they will!"

"Now, now, girls," Evelyn interjected softly. "This isn't a competition, you know. Give Uncle Ash and Auntie Serena some time. They need to figure out their feelings at their own pace." She absentmindedly gazed at Nate and Yancy's direction. "Love doesn't just come at your own whim, after all..."

Selene and Bonnie looked up at the older girl in realization, then at each other.

"Evelyn's right," Selene chirped.

"Yeah," Bonnie replied with a nod.

The two girls redirected their gazes back to the dance floor, and this time, they didn't focus on just Ash and Serena. They also observed the dancing duos of Nate and Yancy, Calem and Shauna, and Clemont and Miette. Calem and Shauna were dancing just as smoothly and with as much synchronization as Ash and Serena. The same went with Tierno and Nini, the latter of whom was quickly becoming accustomed to her partner's increasingly elaborate moves. However, the same couldn't be said for Clemont, who was visibly embarrassed as he struggled to keep up with a disappointed Miette's pace.

To Selene and Bonnie's simultaneous annoyance, Nate and Yancy were the only ones who weren't dancing. They hadn't even joined hands to initiate some sort of dance of their own. Instead, they were staring deeply into each other's eyes with faces as pink as Yancy's hair. Despite their environment, it was clear that it was going to take more encouragement to get the two teens to begin dancing on their own.

Then, all of a sudden, an idea came to Selene. With a smile stretching from ear to ear, she grabbed Celebi and tucked it in one arm, while she took Bonnie's hand with her other hand.

"Auntie Bonnie!" she cried. "Let's dance too!"

"Huh?!" But Bonnie's eyes lit up with thrill at the idea. "Okay! Lemme get Squishy!"

Once she retrieved the surprised, garbling Squishy, Bonnie followed Selene onto the dance floor. With that, the two young girls started dancing in a manner that was completely unlike the soft, slow, romantic dancing employed by the other participants. Instead, they danced to their own unheard tune, one of childish celebration and optimism that was totally stuck in tonight, with no regard for what lay ahead of them tomorrow. In minutes, Selene and Bonnie got Pichu, Dedenne, Celebi, and Squishy involved in their dancing, with the Electric-types dancing in sync with them by their heels and the green Legendary Pokémon in their hands while they spun around.

Their off-topic yet jubilant, energetic dancing caught the attention of several nearby pairs, including Ash, Serena, and their friends. Some giggled sweetly at the girls' antics before continuing with their dances. As for Evelyn, she giggled to herself and sat down on her chair, watching the dance party continue to unfold by herself.

Unbeknownst to Evelyn, both Aria and Foster were watching her from separate corners of the dance venue.

---

"This was such a great idea. Ohhhhh, this was a great idea, a great idea, a great idea, a great idea, a great idea, A GREAT IDEA! Ohhhhh Arceus, thank you so much for giving me this chance! Thank you so, so, SO much!"

Soaring. That was exactly what Serena could feel her heart doing as she stared deeply into Ash's warm, gentle eyes.

For so long, Serena had been extremely confident that a shot like this would never present itself, that things would turn out the way they were right now. A part of her, locked away deep down in her heart but growing like a flame feeding on oxygen, had been disillusioned with the prospect of not being able to win Ash's affections, what with all of the attention he would place on Pokémon and Pokémon battles. It wasn't like she could blame him for doing so, not at all. After all, it was his steadfast dedication to the Pokémon world and his resolve to experience it in all of its forms that won over her heart even more. Those traits were the reason she was the person that she was now. But she would be lying to herself if she subconsciously felt that his priorities weren't too skewed.

But that wasn't the case anymore. She didn't have any other reason to worry about claiming Ash's feelings, none at all. Because now, she already won them.

"Hey, Serena...?"

"Yeah...?"

"About us being a team if we're gonna be married and start a family together...a-and I'm being totally serious now!"

"Yes, yes! Did...D-Did you really mean it?"

"O-Of course! I-I mean, th-that's our future, right? T-There's no avoiding it, even if either of us wanted to."

"Oh..."

"Plus, I-I really like Selene a-and Yancy. And I'd love to raise them properly, as a father."

"I see..."

"And...I'd truly love to raise them together with you..."

"O-Oh?!"

"As my wife..."

Serena squirmed and giggled in excitement at the memory of their exchange in the Pokémon Center. As clear as day, she could remember the embarrassment in her future husband's eyes when he averted his gaze at the sound of the last sentence.

"Uh, Serena?"

The girl gasped and looked at her partner again. "Y-Yeah, Ash?!" she squeaked, a little too loudly for comfort.

"Are you alright? You look uncomfortable-"

Serena cut him off with a giddy, childish giggle, and she gently placed a fair-skinned hand on his chiseled shoulder, feeling her fingers tapping against his collarbone one by one. As she did, she could feel his skin crawling, even as there was a newfound spark of excitement in his eyes at the contact. With that, she forced her memories of the past to the back of her head. As she did so, a new song began to play, flooding the entire venue with its soothing, uplifting lyrics.

"Out of the darkness, into the sunlight, a whole wide world was waiting."

"There's no more time to think about the past, Serena," she thought. "It's time to enjoy the moment. The Exhibition Showcase is over. Auntie Layla has given birth to my cousins. Ash is returning my feelings now. Forget about Celebi, forget about time travel, forget about the Exhibition Showcase, and most of all, forget about Miette's Arceus-forsaken teasing and trolling. You're dancing with Ash, the boy of your dreams. It's time to make every second of this moment count."

"I'm fine, Ash," she replied. "Really, I am. It's just that...I've been dreaming of this for my entire life."

Ash's eyes grew wide in surprise. "Really?"

Serena nodded slowly and honestly. "Yeah. You're the reason I'm here now. Why I'm a Pokémon Performer. Why I have all these friends."

"Once I was so scared, now it feels so right. I'll cry one more tear and move on, but before this moment is gone."

She looked all around her, and she could feel Ash's gaze following hers. She could see Shauna, Miette, and Nini dancing with their partners with varying degrees of success. She could see Sylveon jumping and hopping around on the dance floor while Pikachu rocked back and forth, attempting to set up his own pace and rhythm. She could see Yancy awkwardly staring at Nate, looking just like her mother would've yesterday. She could see Selene dancing with Celebi and Pichu while Bonnie danced beside her with Squishy and Dedenne.

And most of all, she could see the stars twinkling in the cloudless sky, providing a stellar backdrop for the entire romantic affair.

"Why I'm...me. And because of that..." Serena smiled, gracefully and beautifully. "I fell in love with you. Because I could never be more grateful than I always will be now."

"I want to thank you for opening my eyes, helping me realize just why we are here, to chase down new horizons, eyes on prizes, forgetting our fear."

Ash blinked in awe before flashing her a teasing grin. "Well, I'm glad that I helped you be you. I wouldn't have been able to fall for you and your stunning blue eyes otherwise."

Serena looked at him, responding to his smile with one of her own. "Ash Ketchum. Are you flirting with me?"

"Maybe I am, maybe I am not." His smile widened. "Is it working?"

To his surprise, the honey-blonde began to laugh. It wasn't a derisive laugh, but rather a happy one. After a few seconds of this, Serena sighed and wiped a tear from the corner of her eye.

"It needs some work," she replied bluntly.

Ash's face fell in disappointment. "Oh..."

"And though it's too soon to tell you goodbye, you'll always be close to me in my mind."

Serena felt her heart skip a beat. "Oh, my Arceus. He's really trying!"

With another giggle, the honey-blonde cupped her partner's chin and lifted his head so he could look into her eyes again. Once he did, his cheeks became florid, as did Serena's. But she refused to let that deter her, now that the two of them had already made such leaps in progress.

"Don't worry, Ash," she said. "You've got years and years to work on your flirting. Let's just focus."

"Focus?" Ash crooked an eyebrow. "Focus on what?"

"Searching the corners of skies, you open my eyes."

To both teenagers' surprise, Serena started to bring Ash's face closer to hers.

"On this."

"Out of the darkness, into the sunlight, a whole wide world is waiting."

Before either of them knew it, their lips met.

Once they did, an electric jolt coursed through their bodies, startling them both. However, neither of them refused to break apart; instead, they mustered all of their strength and willpower to keep themselves rooted in their positions. Time elapsed quickly, and the electric sensation continued twice as fast and intensified from the ultimate gesture of intimacy that both adolescents shared. The stars seemed to twinkle even brighter above them.

"First I was so scared, now it feels so right. The child I was once is gone now that I'm feeling so strong."

Ash and Serena eventually broke apart. To them, the kiss lasted many lifetimes, but in reality, a mere second had passed. Even so, their friends had taken quick notice of the kiss. They all stared on in approval, with Selene and Bonnie squealing as quietly as they possibly could and Pikachu high-fiving one of Sylveon's feelers.

"I want to thank you for opening my eyes, helping me realize just why we are here..."

"Wow..." Ash breathed out in stupefied awe. "That...That was..."

"Great?" suggested a breathless Serena.

"No, not great."

The honey-blonde was immediately alarmed. "Not great?"

"Yeah. Not great. No, it was...amazing."

"Oh..." Serena suppressed a sigh of relief. "I'm...I'm glad to hear that. I've never had any experience with...you know...that."

"Me neither." Then, Ash blinked, and his brow became wrinkled in concentration. "Well, I mean, there was that one time where a Latias kissed me-"

"Wait, a Latias kissed you?!" Serena squeaked in disbelief.

"It wasn't on the lips, though; I swear! But it was very close!"

Stunned, she scowled at him. "And you're telling me this because...?"

"Because..." It was Ash's turn to cup his partner's chin, eliciting a surprised squeak from her. "This is a hundred times better than getting kissed by a Pokémon."

Before Serena could respond, he kissed her, and she reciprocated in a millisecond. Even so, the flow of their dance wasn't disrupted for even one second. They simply continued to glide across the dance floor, letting their love and passion for one another guide them the rest of the way.

"To chase down new horizons, eyes on prizes, forgetting our fear."

---

"Will you look at that?!"

"Ohhhhh, I'm sooooo proud of them!"

"Gotta love dat soap-operah drama from da twoips!"

Little did anyone know that a certain trio was observing them in a rather conspicuous manner. Jessie and James were literally blazing their way across the dance floor, shouldering and almost knocking other dancing pairs aside in the former's attempt to pull off a flashy, spectacular dance. Just a few feet away from them, Meowth spun around the dance floor with Wobbuffet, trying his best to put on the facade of a normal, harmless Pokémon.

"I knew those two had the googly eyes for one another," Jessie commented.

"Oh, really?" James looked at his longtime partner. "And what made you think that?"

The magenta-haired woman arrogantly stuck out her chin. "Call it...woman's intuition."

James's expression fell flat. "Is it the same woman's intuition that made you think that you'd blow all of Kalos away with your spectacular performances?"

"Oh, but they did! They just don't know it yet!"

"Of course dey don't..." Meowth deadpanned.

"And speaking of them not knowing it yet..." Jessie's look of jubilation twisted into one of malice as she looked back at the dancing, kissing Ash and Serena. "I hope those twerps are fully kissed up and counting their blessings, 'cause soon, it'll be us who'll be doing the kissing! HAHA!"

James and Meowth both blinked in surprise. "Wait, what?" they asked simultaneously.

Jessie immediately raised an eyebrow at her own words. "Wait, that didn't sound right. E-Either way, the point is that, starting tonight, Pikachu will be ours! All we gotta do is wait for the perfect opportunity, and then, we strike, like a Seviper waiting in the bushes! And then, we will hand it over to the boss, and then, no one will be any wiser!" Her excited grin widened, distorting her facial features with her malicious delight. "Soon, our hearts shall be filled to their fullest with the boss's approval!"

Suddenly, a small grumbling noise emanated through the air, and everyone looked down at Jessie's stomach in suspicion. Her smile immediately turned into a scowl of grim disappointment.

"Guess da only thing dat needs ta be filled to its fullest is yer stomach, Jess..." Meowth deadpanned.

"You can say that again," Jessie moaned. "All this performing and dancing has made me really hungry..."

Just then, James's stomach grumbled as well. "Oh, me too..." He started looking around. "I wonder if this joint's got an all-you-can-eat buffet-"

Meowth shook his head disapprovingly, disappointed with his two accomplices' current states. "Aw, come on, ya guys, we gotta stick to da program here! We got a twoip Pikachu to catch, a boss ta please, and a whole bunch of promotions on our wayses! After all-" He raised a clawed paw in the air. "-WE'RE TEAM ROCKET! LET'S ACT LIKE IT!"

Jessie and James sighed sadly and raised their fists slowly.

"Team Rocket shall triumph..." they chorused in deadpan, unenthusiastic tones.

On cue, a certain fourth member to their trio chimed in.

"Wobbuffet!"

---

"AH...AH...AH-CHOO!"

"Huh? Are you okay, Uncle?"

Adam Glazing shook himself back to reality and forced a smile upon his face while he looked down upon Amelia. The two of them were dancing just a couple of yards away from the disguised Team Rocket. It was clear to even an uneducated observer that Amelia was putting in all of the effort into their dance while Adam was reluctantly going along with it, trying his best to remain in sync with his niece.

"O-Oh, yes I'm alright, Amelia," he replied sleekly. "I'm just fine."

"But that sounded like a sneeze," Amelia said in concern. "Are your allergies acting up? I can get that low-class buffoon Jessilee to leave with her Pokémon! She should know better than to bring a Meowth that could trigger somebody's allergies! I mean, this is unacceptable!"

Adam chuckled and shook his head. "No, no, no. I appreciate your, er, dedication, my dear, but that will not be necessary."

"Oh. O-Okay..."

Then, Amelia lowered her head in shame. Upon seeing this, Adam wanted to snicker, but he suppressed such a reaction. Instead, he mustered all of the interest that he possibly could, which wasn't saying much, and spoke to her again.

"What's wrong, Amelia?"

Amelia took a deep breath and replied, "Uncle Adam...I can't believe I couldn't find an opportunity to shine for one last time in this Showcase..." Her eyes narrowed to slits. "Once again, I was thwarted by those low-class peasants and commoners, and now...now, I have to wait for the next season to come around so I can finally prove to everyone that I deserve to be crowned Kalos Queen!" The girl directed her gaze, now full of wrath, towards the distant Aria as she waved towards some of the other dancing Performers. "Not some overrated has-been who has long overstayed her welcome and is still around thanks to nepotism!"

"Perhaps." Then, Adam saw an opportunity and smiled down at his niece, although it looked more like a smirk than a genuine smile. "But you forgot one very important thing, my dear."

"Huh?" Amelia looked up at him again, and the blatant smirk on his face went unnoticed by her in her starstruck, haughty attitude. "What's that, Uncle?"

"The advice I gave you. To always keep your eye on the goal and always treat everyone as an obstacle to be utterly destroyed."

The girl softly gasped. "The family way..."

"Yes, the family way. So, you could say, and forgive me for my...bluntness, that the fault in your loss lies with you just as much as it does with those unpleasant, meddling commoners."

Amelia's eyes shimmered with dismay. "That's...That's correct... I'm supposed to be better than all of those peasants. A hundred times better!"

"Indeed, you were."

"But I couldn't keep my eye on the goal. I couldn't focus on utterly destroying the obstacles in my way." She lowered her head once more. "The family way... I...I couldn't employ it for my own needs..."

Adam's smirk grew wider. "Now how could you even call yourself a Glazing if you couldn't do that, my dear? What would your grandmother think? Your mother?" He paused for emphasis. "Your father?"

His words clearly had a profound impact on Amelia. She had stopped dancing altogether and remained frozen in place, disregarding all of the other dancing Performers around her while she wallowed in her own despair. Adam towered over her, allowing her to lean against him, treating him as her pillar of support like he always was to her.

All the while, she continued to remain blind to his smirk, which had already turned into a twisted sneer by this point.

Just then, the music slowly faded into the clear, tranquil air, triggering the Performers and their partners to stop dancing. Once the music fully faded out, Monsieur Pierre's voice boomed through the loudspeakers.

"Alright, Performers! I hope you've all enjoyed the dance so far!"

The announcer was met with a tremendous, joyful cheer from the group, a cheer that Amelia didn't join in on.

"Excellent!" Pierre replied. "Now, I'm sure that some of you, or perhaps all of you, would love to continue dancing with your partners, but the schedule mandates that we give you girls and boys a ten-minute break to gather your bearings. As joyful and delightful as these festivities are, they can also get tiring for some people, so the Showcase Committee will give you and your partners some leeway. In the meantime..."

On cue, Foster and a dozen other employees of the Laurier Maison wheeled in several carts carrying dishes of various Kalosian delicacies.

"Please, do avail yourselves of the all-you-can-eat buffet that we set up for you all!"

"It's an all-you-can-eat buffet!" a trio of voices shouted, and everyone was sure they could recognize Jessilee's voice among them.

Indeed, the magenta-haired Performer, her blue-haired partner, and her Meowth and Wobbuffet stampeded towards the carts before the employees could even have a chance to position them properly. Everyone else watched in disbelief, disgust, and disappointment while the quartet began ravenously scarfing down on all of the foods provided to them.

"Oooookaaaaayyyyy..." Then, the stunned Pierre's voice addressed the other guests. "G-Go on ahead, boys and girls! It's on the house, courtesy of the Showcase Committee! Bon appetit! We also have restrooms nearby if any of you need them!"

All of the Performers and their partners immediately started walking towards the buffet. All of them, except for Amelia and Adam. The green-haired man parted from his niece, relishing the look of despair that had completely taken over her facial expression.

"Well, I'll leave you to it, Amelia," he said as he pulled out his Holo Caster. "I've got an important call to make, so give me...five minutes. We'll meet back here once the party gets started up again. What do you say?"

Amelia didn't respond to him. Instead, she kept her head low in abject shame. Her absence of a response didn't matter to Adam, for that was exactly what he needed.

"Alrighty, then."

He walked off the dance floor, leaving his niece all alone up there in her despair. Once he was sure he was out of earshot, Adam began to snicker to himself.

"What a self-centered brat. Thank Arceus she's a malleable one too, or I'd be going crazy! Ohhhhh, once I get my hands on that slippery Celebi, I'm going to truly enjoy wiping her and her father from existence...and take what is rightfully MINE!"

---

"Sooooo...having fun there, lover-girl?"

For once in her life, Serena ignored Miette's teasing without any effort. Instead, she skipped over to the all-you-can-eat buffet table, humming a jolly tune to herself along the way. Miette shot the passing honey-blonde a frown of childish disappointment. In contrast, a jubilant Shauna and a hyperactive Nini patted their fellow Performer's shoulders in approval, once Serena reached the table.

"Congrats, Serena!" Shauna squealed quietly. "I knew you could do it! All it took was some courage and initiative!"

"Hee hee hee, thanks Shauna..." Serena replied with a shaky voice of overflowing excitement. She put a hand over her lips while they curled upward into a bright, angelic smile. "I'm never gonna forget this day..."

"Now Shauna needs to hook up with Calem and it'll truly be a night for the history books!" Nini proclaimed.

As predicted, Shauna's face turned red at the sound of that. "H-Hoo-Hook up with Calem?! M-Me?!" The tan-skinned Performer immediately flitted her gaze towards Calem, who was congratulating Ash alongside Clemont and Tierno at another section of the buffet. "I-I-I wouldn't! I-I mean, I-I can't! I mean...could I...?"

Nini shrugged playfully. "I dunno. You're the one in love with him. You tell me."

Shauna's face reddened even more, and she glared at Nini, desperate for a comeback. When she briefly glanced at the boys again, a realization hit her, and she quickly seized on the opportunity.

"Wh-What about you and Tierno?!" she exclaimed. "You two seem a little too cozy with each other to consider yourselves friends!"

But Nini merely smirked at her. "Ohhh, don't worry about me, sweetheart. The deal's already sealed. The two of us are totally into each other."

"WHAT?!" This time, Shauna's voice was joined by Serena's. "SINCE WHEN?!"

"Since now!" With a rosy-pink tinge on her cheeks, Nini waved at Tierno. "Heeeeey, baby!"

To Serena's and Shauna's collective shock, the dancer noticed Nini and waved back at her. His grin was goofy and spread across his face, which was tinted with a rosy-pink shade of its own. Nini giggled like a schoolgirl, then she shot Shauna a new smirk of triumph.

"See?"

"Hey, leave her alone, Nini," Serena interjected, stepping beside Shauna and clasping her hands atop her friendly rival's shoulders. "Let Shauna approach this her own way."

At that moment, Miette approached Shauna from the other side and mirrored Serena's movements. However, the playful grin on her face communicated the blue-haired girl's unmistakable intent.

"I second that motion," she said. "As long as she doesn't take a million years to confess to Calem like Serena did with Ash, then she should be squared away."

Serena gritted her teeth, and her grip unconsciously tightened around Shauna's shoulders. "You're not helping, Miette..."

Miette broadened her smirk instantly. "Oh-ho-ho-ho, it's good to know that spunk hasn't completely gone away with that confession!"

In an effort to steer themselves away from the topic, Shauna looked around in desperation, hoping to find something that would keep the girls occupied. Indeed, her eyes fell upon someone who she knew would do the trick.

"H-Hey!" The tan-skinned girl patted Serena's hand to get her attention, then she pointed off in a certain direction. "Is that who I think it is, Serena?"

Serena followed Shauna's fingertip, and her eyes grew wide once she saw who her friend was pointing out.

"Yeah, it is..."

---

For the duration of the dance party so far, Clarice had been sitting on a simple bench outside of the venue, her Fletchling perched in her lap. Her position gave her an opportunity to observe the party from afar, but not once did she think about joining in on the festivities. Even now, she wasn't among those who were availing themselves of the all-you-can-eat buffet. People, Performers and dates alike, stared at her curiously as they passed by to return to the venue from bathroom breaks.

"Hey, isn't that the Fletchling girl that got chewed out by Palermo earlier?" a young man whispered to his date, the Trainer with the Pansage, Pansear, and Panpour.

"Hm?" The girl looked at Clarice, trying her best to look discreet but without much success. "Oh yeah, that is her!" Then, she scowled in disapproval. "And will you look at that? She's so attached to that Fletchling that she doesn't even have a date! Unless the Fletchling's supposed to be her date. Now that'd be the icing on the cake."

Though it didn't look like it, Clarice had been strenuously eavesdropping on the conversation. As soon as the couple started laughing amongst themselves, she took a deep breath and released it in a grim, lifeless exhale. Fletchling looked up at her and tried to chirp at her in encouragement, but it fell upon deaf ears. At that moment, another couple passed by them; this time, it was the Heliolisk Trainer and her own date.

"Well, will you look at that?" the girl whispered to her partner. "It's that girl with the Fletchling!"

"Who?" the boy replied obliviously.

"You know! The girl I've been telling you about the past few months! The one who just can't get past a Theme Performance?"

"Ohhhhh, her!" The boy looked at her and couldn't help but scoff. "Yeah, you're right, babe. She looks so simple and unmemorable. No wonder she doesn't have a date of her own."

"Oh, I dunno 'bout that. She looks like she got freshly stood up."

"Hm?" The boy looked at the Performer. "What makes you think that, babe?"

"Look at her attitude. There's no reason for a girl to act that way, other than being let down by the one she loves the most."

The boy chuckled. "Man, babe, you sound like a real expert at women. You should probably write a book or two on the subject."

"Heh heh heh. Maybe I should!"

The couple then began laughing in unison as they passed Clarice and returned to their own table. Like the previous secretive conversation, the Fletchling Trainer managed to overhear everything and sighed again. Then, for what seemed to be the first time since the dance party began, she looked down upon Fletchling, which tried its best to smile at her. Clarice smiled back, but her grin immediately faltered and returned to its original frown.

"I probably shouldn't have come, Fletchling," she said, but her words seemed to be more for herself than her own Flying-type. "Everyone's so happy over there..." Her gaze then swept across the dance venue and all of the attendants, Performer and boy alike. "They're all having the time of their lives. Me? I stand out like a sore thumb."

"Fletchling, fletch," Fletchling chirped in support.

Clarice took yet another deep breath. "No, Fletchling. It's not like I can join them now. Not only would I be late, but I don't even have a date. All the good boys are taken anyway..."

The memory of Ash and Serena dancing and finally kissing flashed through her mind. She tightened her lips in discomfort while she stood up from the bench, causing her Fletchling to fly up to her shoulder.

"I don't know why I did this. Let's just go back to our room, Fletchling-"

"Clarice?!" a familiar voice called. "Hey, Clarice!"

The girl looked behind her shoulder and saw Serena approaching. She immediately felt her heart sink even further as she remembered their little competition over Ash's heart.

"Oh," Clarice mumbled grimly. "Hey, Serena..."

But Serena had nothing but gentle concern shining in her eyes once she caught up with her. "Are you okay? How come I haven't seen you at the party?" She reached for Clarice's hand. "Come on, the food's amazing and the dance floor is just-"

Clarice swiftly pulled away from her. "I'm fine, Serena. I'm just fine." She ignored the bitter tone that was shining through her own voice. "Why do you even care?"

Serena's gaze softened at the sight of Clarice's aggression. Without warning, she took the other girl's hands again and held onto them gently yet firmly.

"Clarice," the honey-blonde said, "I'm sorry."

"Sorry?" The brunette Performer scowled and looked away with a grumpy pout. "Sorry about what? That you got what you always wanted? The guy? Well, I'll save us the drama! Congratulations, Serena! You won! You knocked me down a peg, and you won! So you can drop the condescending act and gloat and taunt and whatever all you want now! 'Cause I don't have the patience for anyone playing suck-up!"

Serena morosely, slowly shook her head. "No, Clarice. I'm not gonna do that. I'm not thinking about that stupid competition anymore."

"Well, I don't care what you're thinking about, Serena!"

Clarice tore herself away from Serena's grasp with such force that Fletchling squawked in surprise and had to fly a few inches high to avoid being knocked off in the process. But for once, Clarice didn't notice that, nor did she seem to care either way. Instead, she stomped a few feet away from Serena and then faced her with a smoldering glower that made the honey-blonde flinch on the spot.

"I lost Palermo's approval forever!" Clarice shouted. "I only won our Theme Performance on a technicality! Ash has fallen in love with you and not me! And...And I'm gonna be forever reminded of my mom in this...this..." She held out her arms, gesturing to the Laurier Maison towering over them both without even looking. "This context! This...This has been the worst day of my career as a Performer! And now you're here, looking down on me and having the gall to apologize like it'll put a Band-Aid on the whole situation?!" She stomped her foot onto the cobblestone pathway, the single clap briefly echoing. "I am NOT gonna let you turn today into the worst day of my life too! I'm NOT gonna let you take my dignity away! 'Cause that's...that's all I've...I've got...left...now..."

Just then, once she felt her fury and her outrage ebb away, Clarice realized that her vision had become blurry. A second later, a new emotion overwhelmed her, and she collapsed to her knees. She tried to muster all of the willpower possible within her to not break in front of Serena, but a voice in her head told her that it was already too late for that.

And so, she buried her face in her palms and began crying.

"Great!" she snapped, her voice muffled between sobs and hiccups. "Great! Look at what you've done now, Serena! Are you happy?! Huh?! Are you HAPPY?!"

She heard footsteps approaching, and then she sensed a shadow towering over her. Then, she heard Serena kneeling down in front of her with a sigh, finally followed by her hands on her shoulders again.

"Clarice," she said. "I'm so sorry. When we first met, officially, I was immature and inconsiderate. I insulted your Fletchling, and that was wrong of me to do. I think it looks absolutely adorable in a tie and a top hat. I was just thinking of nothing but my crush on Ash, so much that I was blind to what else was going on in your life. But, after seeing what happened to you onstage and hearing about your mom, I realized that I should've done what any true Performer would do."

"Oh, really?" Clarice rolled her eyes in her palms. "And what's that?"

"Put a wonderfully radiant smile on your face."

The brunette scoffed. "Yeah? Well, that's a tall order you've got goin' there..."

"Not as tall as you think. Come on, Clarice. Your sadness affects not only you, but also your Fletchling. If you don't wanna do it for me or yourself, then I think you should do it for Fletchling."

Clarice didn't react; her emotions were still too strong for her to act. Suddenly, she felt herself being pulled in, slowly but surely. Before she knew it, Serena was hugging her, enveloping her in her warmth. She wanted to resist, but the warmth was too strong and too enticing for her to bear. She wanted to experience more of it, feel all of it in its comforting glory.

"Clarice, I want to start over again," Serena said gently. "What do you say? Do you wanna be my friend?"

Upon hearing those words, Clarice's mind flashed back to Palermo's harsh comments and all of the whispering about her by her fellow Performers. To feel such warmth in the face of such misfortune that hammered away at her soul over the past twenty-four hours, it was such a stark contrast, and such a welcome relief to her. It made her think of perhaps the only other person in her life who had been so supportive of her and her endeavors, the one person in her life that she couldn't touch and hug anymore...

Before she knew it, Clarice was crying once again. The sounds of her weeping blended with the crisp night air.

---

"This was such a bad idea. Ohhhhh, this was such a bad idea, this was such a bad idea, this was such a bad idea, this was such a bad idea, this was such a bad idea, THIS WAS SUCH A BAD IDEA! Ohhhhh Arceus, why on your good green earth did this have to happen to me?!"

That thought of frenzied panic raced across Yancy's mind as she sat on the nice leather seat of her table. Her sapphire-blue eyes remained glued to Nate, who was still happily scarfing down on as much buffet food as he possibly could. An increasingly secluded corner of her mind recalled how she and Nate were facing each other on the dance floor just a few minutes ago. They were supposed to dance with each other like everybody else, but neither of them mustered the courage to do so and immediately split up once Monsieur Pierre called for the break.

However, it did not take long for regret to settle, and it settled in so quickly that the pink-haired girl was getting dizzy with conflicted emotions. After so long, the moment had come for her to get close to Nate Gray, the boy she'd loved for so long, the boy who was finally close to returning her feelings for him and yet was so dangerously close to falling off the slippery slope back to denseness. But instead of seizing on the amazing opportunity to grab him and prevent him from falling off that slope, she was sitting dumbly at her table, waiting for something to happen and jumpstart things so she could have another chance at winning Nate over.

But now, with her first opportunity painfully missed, Yancy couldn't fathom seeing another opportunity present itself now. The impending prospect of confessing her feelings to Nate and figuring out at long last if he felt the same way was becoming too overwhelming for her to bear. It was like watching a wooden fence she was ordered to jump over suddenly grow to the size of Mt. Kiloude, becoming insurmountable and unbreakable.

"I don't know if I can do this anymore," Yancy thought in a haze. "I...I don't know if I can do this! Th-There's too much at stake here! Wh-What if he rejects me?! If he does, then I just wasted months and months of trying to break through that dense skull of his! I'm gonna look like the biggest fool in the entire Universe! I wouldn't be able to live with myself if everything I've done to get his attention, everything I've done for him, was all for nothing!

"Or worse...what if he does feel the same way about me?! What then?! We may have had crushes on each other, but we were technically still friends before then! What if the rest of our journey becomes super-awkward between the two of us and Finn and Constance and Lane?! What if our relationship gets in the way of our goals?! What if Nate decides to break up with me because of that?! Wait, why am I saying he'll break up with me?! Our relationship isn't even official! Would Nate even think of this as a relationship?! Would he still be a little oblivious about the whole thing?! Would he just be nice to me for my own sake?! Is he-?!"

"Yancy?"

Ash's voice yanked the girl out of her oppressive, overbearing thoughts and planted her back to reality. She looked up and was met with warm, fatherly auburn.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

Yancy started waving her palms in a sweaty panic. "Yeah! I'm alright! Why wouldn't I be alright?! Everything's just fine and dandy! Nothing wrong at all! Nothing wrong at all!"

To her dismay, Ash began laughing. For a couple of seconds, Yancy watched him dumbly, her lower jaw slightly agape. Then, she closed it and puffed her cheeks in a pout. Even in the past, the way he'd laugh at her sometimes was absolutely infuriating, no matter how well-intentioned he was.

"Hey!" she barked. "Now just what is so Arceus-darn funny, Dad?!"

"Oh, nothing, nothing!" The Pallet Town native wiped a tear from his eye. "It's just, well...now that I've officially accepted Serena as my wife, I couldn't help but really notice it. You truly are your mother's daughter, Yancy."

Yancy's eyes widened, and she gasped in awe. "You...You accepted Mom?! As...As your-?!"

"Yeah..." Ash scratched the back of his head in embarrassment, but the rosy-pink blush dashed on his cheeks told Yancy a different story of his feelings. "I can't believe it myself. Until a couple of days ago, girls were the last thing on my mind. But now...now..." His hand moved over his lips, which were turning into a dreamy, goofy grin that made Yancy's heart soar. "Kissing her and dancing with her, it's such a magical feeling..."

"Wooooow... Congratulations, Dad. I knew you two could make it! I mean, I wouldn't be here if you guys didn't." Then, Yancy lowered her head and released a sad sigh. "So...Mom took the initiative and kissed you, huh? If only I had her guts..."

"You're talking about Nate, huh?"

Yancy took a deep breath and nodded, almost with shame. "So much for me being my mother's daughter, huh? Mom's already gotten together with you, while I'm still struggling to get through to my own crush."

Ash's smile faded, and his brow creased as he sat down beside her. "Hey, now. It's not a competition. Love comes naturally to everyone at their own pace. I mean, look at me! In retrospect, I realize just how hard your mom worked to get me to notice her in a more-than-friendly way." Then, he lifted an arm and patted her in the back. "Don't worry, Yancy. If you really are like your mom, then that means you've made great progress with Nate by this point."

Yancy looked at him in hope. "You...You think so, Dad?"

"Uh-huh! Serena's a persistent girl, and I can see that in you too! And I'm not just saying this to be nice. I've seen the way Nate looks at you sometimes."

Ash looked over his shoulder, and Yancy followed his gaze. She could see Nate still eating away at a chicken drumstick, looking like he was having the time of his life doing so. Then, the brown-haired boy noticed her staring at him, and he quickly looked away. Though she couldn't see much of his face anymore, Yancy could've sworn she saw a pink tinge on his cheeks.

"His feelings for you are definitely there, Yancy," continued Ash, "and I think you're starting to really draw it out! Just remember what I always say to you."

"Never give up till the end," Yancy recited in a whisper. Then, she smiled and embraced Ash in a tight hug, earning a surprised squeak from him. "You're right, Dad. Thank you..." She tightened her hug around him. "Thank you so much. You've...You've always been such an inspiration to me..."

"R-Really?" Ash asked bashfully. "I dunno. You seem much closer to your mom than me. I don't see how I'm-"

"Oh, Dad." With a giggle, Yancy broke the hug and looked into his eyes. "It doesn't matter if I prefer Mom over you, or vice-versa. You're both my inspiration and always will be."

His eyes widened slightly. "You think so?"

"Mm-hm. Each of you inspire me in different ways, ways that are unique to both of you. Mom taught me how to instill happiness in others, and you, you taught me that there's a beautiful world out there that I'm missing out on. In my timeline, the two of you are always encouraging me to go out and explore the world. To find new things and make new friends on my own, because there's never any of either in short supply anywhere."

"Well, that's true."

Yancy nodded. "Yeah. I've realized it during the course of my journey. Now, I only wish that I could've done it sooner. But..." She looked at Nate again with a longing gaze and a blush that matched her hair. "I needed Nate as my final push."

"Huh." Ash followed her gaze. "Sounds like fate. Or me when I came to Kalos and inspired Serena to start her journey."

"Yeah..." Then, the pink-haired girl giggled again. "It really is funny. My journey started basically the same way as Mom's, I strive to follow in Mom's footsteps as a successful Performer, and I even have the same taste in guys as Mom. I truly am my mother's daughter."

Ash looked back at her with a wide, optimistic grin. "You see?! If your mom could charm a dense guy like me-" He jabbed his thumb at his own chest. "Then there is no doubt in my mind that you and Nate will make it as well! Just never give up till the end!"

Yancy returned his stare and smiled back. "Yeah! Yeah! Never give up till the end, Dad!"

---

"Here comes trouble!"

"No mistaking!"

"Ne-ne-ne, ne-ne-neeeee!"

"Pichu, pichu-piiiii!"

Selene and Bonnie continued to prance and spin around the dance floor, singing the first song of the night at the top of their lungs in terrible, off-beat voices. Pichu and Dedenne were perched atop their heads, joining their childishly atrocious singing with their squeaks. As for Celebi and Squishy, the two green Legendary Pokémon were safely tucked in their arms like they were babies.

"I'd know you anywhere!" sang Bonnie.

"I could sail to the ends of the ocean and..." Selene chanted.

"Find you waiting there!" they both chorused.

"Dedenneeeee!" Dedenne squeaked.

"Piiiiichuuuuu!" Pichu chirped.

The two suddenly stopped and looked at each other in awkward silence. A second passed before they started laughing in unison, with their Electric-types joining in. Celebi and Squishy looked up at their respective caretakers; the former was smiling at the girls' bursting optimism and youth, something it had clearly not seen before, while the latter looked more inquisitive and analytical in its stare.

"This is the best day of my life!" Bonnie proclaimed, once her laughter died down into a soft chuckle. "I hope we never go to sleep, because I don't want it to end!"

"Mm-hm, mm-hm!" Then, Selene looked at the smiling, beaming blonde and apprehensively furrowed her brow. "Au...Auntie Bonnie...?"

"Hm?" Bonnie looked at her, her smile still plastered on her face. "Yeah, Selene?"

"Does...Does this mean we're now friends...?"

"Huh?" The blonde tilted her head like a confused Lillipup. "But...we are friends, aren't we? Unless..." Her eyes grew wide in alarm. "You don't wanna be?!"

"No, no, no!" Selene waved a free palm in surprise. "I-I didn't mean it like that! I...I just thought..." She lowered her head in shame. "You'd never like me. Since I touched Squishy without your permission..."

"Will you get off me?"

"Why? You don't want to be friends with me, Young Auntie Bonnie?"

"Not in a gazillion years!"

"But why?! We're the bestest of friends in the future!"

"You're very annoying. And too clingy. And you touched Squishy without my permission!"

"B-But I said I was sorry!"

"Well, there can only be room for one girl who has a rare, powerful, green Pokémon as a best friend! I'm the hero of this show, not you!"

"Ohhhhh..." Bonnie also averted her gaze in shame. "Well...if it makes you feel better, Selene...I'm very, very, very sorry for what I said."

Selene looked back up with a stunned gasp. At the same time, Bonnie screwed her eyes shut and bowed her head at the other girl, all the while trying her best to suppress her panic and her fears.

"I'm super-sorry for everything! I'm super-duper sorry, one gajillion times sorry! All you wanted was to be my friend, and I was only mean to you! But I don't wanna be mean anymore! I like having you as a friend! I like having you around! You're super-duper cool, 'specially with Celebi! So can we start over again?! As friends?! Please?! Pretty please?!"

Selene gasped again, covering her mouth at her future aunt's intense efforts. Then, she exhaled with relief and gave her one of the brightest smiles that she could ever muster. The kind of smile that her Auntie Bonnie taught her to make.

"Of course!" she chirped. "Let's start all over. I want us to be the bestest of friends, Auntie Bonnie!"

Bonnie's head shot upward, and her eyes were sparkling like the Sun on a nice summer morning.

"Reeeaaally?!" she cried.

"Yeah!" Selene held one of her arms out while keeping Celebi tucked in the other. "I couldn't think of a better friend than you!"

The blonde's lip quivered visibly with immense relief and delight. With an audible sniffle, she lunged forward and ensnared Selene in a one-armed hug so tight that it might as well be bone-crushing. All the while, she mirrored Selene's method with Celebi, keeping Squishy wrapped around her free arm.

"Me neither, Selene!" she wailed happily. "Me neither!"

Selene beamed with a bubbly elation. "YAY! Auntie Bonnie and I are friends again!"

"Dedenne!" Dedenne squeaked.

"Pichu, pichu!" Pichu squeaked back.

Acting at the same time, both miniscule Electric-types scurried up to the top of their unofficial owners' heads. Then, they rubbed their cheeks together in a sign of unequivocal friendship, quickly setting off a single volt of yellow electricity, small in size but resonant in power.

Just then, Monsieur Pierre's voice echoed in the air, interrupting the tender moment between the group.

"Gracious Performers! I hope you enjoyed your break! Now, it's time for the dance party to start up again! Please, regroup with your partners and take the dance floor once again! It's time to make the stage shine!"

---

In a matter of minutes, the Performers and their dates had returned to the dance floor and taken up their scattered positions throughout the venue. Ash stood deep in the heart of the dance floor, watching as Serena glided towards him in her dress, which he couldn't help but notice was much more magnificent and breathtaking than usual. Once she walked up to him, the Pallet Town Trainer held out his hand, and this time, she took it without hesitation. Electricity shot between their fingertips in the milliseconds before contact, uniting them as one.

And once the newest song began playing, they resumed their dance.

"Once I believed I could do anything, and I built a world with room for only me."

"This is perfect..." Serena breathed out while she and Ash retreated into the world their minds built for themselves.

"You don't have to tell me twice," Ash replied with a nervous chuckle.

"But without you I am nothing, and I've learned how strong together we can be."

"I don't want this to end." Serena laid her head against Ash's chest, letting it rest against the powerful yet gentle beating of his heart. "I feel like I could do this forever and ever."

She could hear Ash grinning as he replied, "Well, I'm sure Aria and Monsieur Pierre wouldn't like us hogging the dance floor. But I think we can set aside all the time we need for our wedding."

The honey-blonde looked up at her lover with a teasing smirk. "Oh? You're thinking about our wedding already?"

He smiled back at her. "Were you surprised?"

"I finally realized; tell me, were you surprised?"

Serena became increasingly more inquisitive. "But what about the Kalos League? What about becoming a Pokémon Master?"

"Well, the wedding will happen after I take care of both goals. But..." Ash took a deep breath and stared into her eyes with a dreamy quality. "Now, after knowing just how exactly I feel about you, I'm just itching to get all of that over with as soon as possible. So then I could be with you. So I could make a family and a home with you at last. That's my wish now, Serena."

"Make my wish come true, to be home at last with you."

Serena's face became increasingly pink at Ash's passion for her. "My goodness! You stop that right now, Ash Ketchum. Y-You're making me blush!"

"And I'm proud of myself for that!" He cupped her chin with his fingers and drew her face in. "Because now that I know my feelings for you, I've come to realize that you're absolutely adorable when you're embarrassed."

Her lip quivered out of overwhelming excitement. "You're such a bully, Ash."

"Heh heh heh!"

"Make my wish come true, to be home at last."

Serena didn't resist any further, allowing Ash to kiss her once again. But their lips were only joined for a few seconds before the heat of their passion was disrupted by a familiar voice with an even more familiar playfulness behind it.

"Ohhh, for the love of Arceus! Get a ROOM, you two!"

Serena and Ash broke their lips apart and glowered at the speaker, who was spinning towards them with a certain unlucky inventor in tow.

"Oh, zip it, Miette!" Serena spat. "You're just jealous because you can't get together with Ash anymore!"

Miette rolled her eyes with a smirk. "You're still on with that paranoid spiel?! Hey, newsflash for you, Serena Gabena! I was only saying and doing all of that stuff because I was trying to play matchmaker! But now it's obvious I'm gonna regret it, 'cause the sight of you two eating each other's faces out is gonna give me diabetes reeeeeal fast!"

"Don't like it?" Serena hugged Ash closer to her body. "Then don't watch. Simple as that!"

Miette pouted childishly at her. "You're no fun anymore!" Then, her smirk returned, and she casually shrugged. "Ah, well! I guess I'll go take my game somewhere else, then! Someplace that's gonna be just as fun, if not more so! Come on, Clemmie! Let's dance the night awaaaaay!"

"W-Wa-Wait, h-hold up!" Clemont begged, struggling to adjust his glasses. "Can we just slow down a sec- AAAAAUUUUUGGGGGHHHHH!"

Ash and Serena both sweat-dropped at the sight of Miette literally spinning away from them while Clemont was dragged behind her like a wet towel.

"I didn't know Miette was trying to play matchmaker," Ash commented. "With the way she's acted towards you and me, I'd say she was just trying to get a rise out of you or someth- Wh-Wha?!"

This time, it was Serena's turn to cup his chin and direct his face towards her own. "Less talking and more kissing!"

Ash couldn't disagree with that notion. Not one bit.

---

"You know every side of me, all the hidden places I can't see that tear us apart."

"Tear us apart..."

"I'm so happy for her."

"Mm-hm..."

"I should've known it'd take someone like Ash to bring out every side of Serena."

"Uh-huh..."

"I'm kinda jealous of Ash. He was able to inspire Serena in ways that I couldn't. I mean, what kind of family am I if I couldn't pull that off?"

"Yeah..."

"...And now the two of them are starting to undress. This scene just took a sudden turn."

"Sudden turn, sudden turn, indeed..."

"Or bring us together."

"Oooooh..."

"Are you even listening to me, Shauna?"

"Huh? What?"

Shauna shook herself out of her absentminded stupor and found herself dancing with Calem. Their gait had some awkwardness to it, but their movements still looked natural, as if the two of them were made to dance with one another. Staring deeply into Calem's eyes, Shauna couldn't help but come to a realization: his pupils may have been gray, but there was a latent energy simmering within them. Then, that energy disappeared from sight when the boy closed his eyelids with a sigh.

"Of course not," he muttered.

"H-Hold up!" Shauna protested. "I was listening!"

"Okay. What was I talking about, then?"

...

...

...

"Bananas...?"

Calem would've face-palmed had both of his arms not been occupied with being wrapped around her. "How in Arceus's green earth did you even come to that conclusion?"

"You know every side of me, all the different faces that compete to share your heart."

"Alright, alright," Shauna grumbled in defeat. "I wasn't listening. Not one bit."

The boy shook his head in disappointment. "You know, Shauna, if we're gonna be married in the future and make that work out, then we gotta work on our listening skills."

"Yeah, we should."

...

...

...

...

...

"WAIT!" An astounded Shauna tore herself away from Calem's grasp. "H-HOW...HOW'D YOU-?!"

"Know we're gonna be married in the future?" Calem completed, calmly and coolly. Then, he pointed over his shoulder. "Your friend spoiled the entire story to me right before the dance."

Shauna followed the direction of her crush's fingertip and identified the snitch. A few feet away from them, Miette was spinning the helpless Clemont around like an overly abused rag-doll. The two girls' eyes met for a moment, and once Miette realized Shauna was definitely looking at her, she winked playfully. The tan-skinned Performer's face became red in a matter of split-seconds.

"Make my wish come true to be home at last."

"WHY THAT!" Shauna made violent, threateningly squeezing gestures at Miette, who simply responded with a snobbish laugh and danced away from her with Clemont still in tow. "AGH! Now I know exactly how Serena felt when she had to deal with that girl!"

"Although, to be perfectly honest," interjected Calem, "I sorta had it all figured out a while ago."

"Huh?" She looked at him, dumbfounded. "You...had it...figured out...a while ago...?"

"Uhhhhh, yeah, I guess." Then, Calem scowled and crossed his arms. "Hey, who'd you think I am? Ash? I'm not dense like him, you know!"

"Hey, I heard that!" Ash's voice called from a short distance.

Shauna stood still in the middle of the dance floor, facing an equally still Calem while everyone else danced around them. For once in her life, the girl wasn't captivated by the beauty of something as romantic as dancing. Instead, she was totally mesmerized by the revelation of Calem's knowledge about her crush on him the entire time. The stars were aligning in her favor, even moreso compared to any successful day in Pokémon Showcases.

"Make my wish come true to be home at last with you. Make my wish come true to be home at last."

Eventually, she found the strength to ask, "When exactly did you figure it out?"

"I guess..." Calem's cheeks turned pink, and he sheepishly scratched one of them. "While we were saving Selene from that bozo..."

The memory of him saving her from falling out of a hole in the Laurier Maison's exterior wall returned to the forefront of her mind. Shauna's cheeks turned into an identical shade of pink, and both adolescents averted their stares.

"Wh-Why didn't you say anything earlier, then...?" she asked in a whisper.

"I didn't want to distract you from the Showcase," Calem replied bluntly. "Of course that event meant a whole lot to you, Shauna, and I didn't want to affect your performances because I told you that I've been aware of our future the entire time."

Shauna's blush grew brighter. "Th-That's very c-considerate of you..."

"You know every side of me, all the hidden places I can't see that tear us apart."

"Y-Yeah..."

An awkward silence fell over the two of them. Eventually, Shauna summoned the willpower to look up at Calem, and it seemed like he had done the same thing at the same time. When their eyes met, a voice in their brains was yelling at them to look away. However, a force deep in their hearts was keeping their heads in place, allowing them to absorb every detail of their breathtaking faces.

"And..." Calem began, before his voice faltered and he hesitated. Then, a couple of seconds later, he blurted out, "W-Well, I-I couldn't tell you sooner 'c-'cause I-I thought you were such a c-c-cu-cute girl a-an-and I didn't have the courage t-to admit it t-to your be-beautiful face!"

Shauna hitched her breath, and she could feel her heart stop beating. "You...You think I'm...cute...?"

The boy's face was unbelievably red at this point. "Y-YES! Ever since when we first met in Vaniville! As soon as I laid my eyes on you, I thought you were the most fascinating and breathtaking girl in existence, and I'd trade all the rare and valuable Poké Balls and items that I have to spend an eternity with you! I'm not exaggerating, Shauna! I'd love nothing more than to spend my future with you from now on! Forever and always!"

"You know every side of me, all the hidden places I can't see that tear us apart."

"Tear us apart..."

At that point, Shauna couldn't control herself. Before Calem could have the chance to proclaim anything else, she sprung forward, took him by the collar, and pulled him in for a hard, energetic, passionate kiss, one for the ages.

"Or bring us together."

"Oooooh..."

---

In the meantime, Aria was the only one in the venue who was not dancing at all. Instead, she had been observing the entire dance, watching proudly while Ash and Serena, and Calem and Shauna, got together. Though by no means was the dance party meant to be an effort at matchmaking, the Kalos Queen nevertheless felt proud to know that she was able to ignite the spark of not one, but two romances tonight. After all, she saw the way Serena and Shauna were looking at their respective crushes all the time and knew that the only way to seal the deal was to use a little force.

After all, that was how her parents got together, according to the stories that her mother proudly regaled to her in her youth.

"You know every side of me..."

Then, Aria looked up at the nighttime sky, watching as the stars twinkled brilliantly. She gave them all a small smile, one of sorrow but also one of happiness and closure.

"Hi, Mom," she thought. "Wherever you are, I hope you're watching. And I want you to know that I'm finally, truly happy. I really am."

"All the different faces that compete to share your heart."

"Thank you, Mom, for showing me the way again. I love you."

At that moment, the redhead felt a presence beside her. She looked beside her and saw Foster sitting beside her. He looked back at her and gave her a smile of his own. Under the platinum light of the venue floodlights and the pale moon, he looked startlingly handsome.

"She's proud of you, Ar," he said. "Wherever she is."

"Make my wish come true to be home at last with you..."

Aria smiled, exhaled, and looked back up at the starry sky. Though she couldn't see him, she knew Foster was doing the same. With the fresh memories of Serena's and Shauna's dual kisses in mind, the girl allowed her hand to creep towards his, slowly but with resolve. Once they made contact, her fingers wrapped themselves around his, provoking a soft, almost girlish gasp from him. But after a half-minute, the Laurier Maison employee finally settled down and returned the gesture with a gentle squeeze from his hand.

"I know she is," she replied.

"Make my wish come true to be home at last."

---

A/N: And that marks the end of this long-awaited chapter! I was originally planning to have another scene that will end this chapter on a high note, but it was becoming clear to me that the chapter would become WAY too long. Because of that, I decided to end the chapter early and save it for the next one. It's not the most preferable course of action to me, in all honesty, but it couldn't be helped. Anyway, keep your fingers crossed, because the next chapter will mark the beginning of an epic final battle sequence that's guaranteed to knock the socks off of all of you! ;D ;D ;D

Anyway, as you can see, the moment has finally, finally, FINALLY arrived! Ash and Serena have the dance that had been long denied to them, and in the process, they finally get to properly reciprocate their feelings for one another and cement a new romantic relationship! HOORAY! :D :D :D :D :D And also, Calem and Shauna get to do the same thing, while Aria is finally having a moment of closure and is even showing signs of returning Foster's deep-seated feelings for her as well! In addition, we get to see some father-daughter bonding between Ash and Yancy, in which he encourages her to go pursue the feelings she's had for Nate for a long time. And in the meantime, Serena is able to make amends with Clarice, and the same went with Selene and Bonnie. Yes, quite a lot happened in this chapter. But my, oh my, I think it was worth the wait.

On the flip-side, I'm not completely happy with how I wrote the dancing, because I hadn't danced in a LONG TIME, nor have I shown an interest in it so to speak, so I've got no proper way to communicate it in words. I do hope all the relationship resolutions were enough to keep you guys and gals occupied from my subpar writing! DX DX DX

-ValorFennekin: Apparently so! DX Anyway, in case you haven't noticed, I did implement your feedback in the previous chapter. However, I guess after looking back at it for a second time, I can see I hadn't done it thoroughly enough. Oh, woe is me! DX DX DX

-Ander Arias:

1) I'm so glad that the wait was indeed worth it for you!

2) Well, now that she's finally claimed Ash's heart, Serena's certainly had enough time to go and console Clarice. And clearly, she did decide to use it, as any responsible Performer would. And it looks like her efforts were rewarded with success! HOORAY!

3) ValorFennekin concurs with that piece of feedback. I was a dimwit while writing that chapter, unfortunately. :(

4) Yep! I mean, it's not like the rules are for Performers to bring dates their own age, let alone ones that are supposed to be romantic dates. (Unless I'm being a dimwit once again, in which case...well shet.)

5) Hope you liked the dance!

6) Guess I gotta tone down the Arceus references, eh?

-Zyraxeus:

1) Thanks for the offer of assistance, but we're already at the last leg of this race and I have a pretty good idea on where I want this story to go. So thanks, but no thanks.

2) As you can see, we've got AmourShipping hints galore! HOORAY FOR SHIPPING MOMENTS! :D :D :D

-assistanceneededhelppls:

1) Buses?

2) I'm very glad that you were able to recognize the song from the first few lyrics that I pulled from it! :D

-IrslanHussain:

1) So I guess teenage Ash going into father mode is in high demand right now, eh? I think I have a moment planned for that... ;D

2) Looks like you read my mind! I hope you enjoyed the moment between Ash and Yancy! I admit that there weren't many moments like that throughout the story, so I hope that scene made up for it.

-F4nficR5der47:

1) Hey, welcome to the site! I hope you have many opportunities to enjoy others' writing, and maybe even try to share some of your own writing to us!

2) Yeah, I'm pretty sure Serena and Yancy did. Boy, this story's been going on for so long that I'm forgetting my own continuity! DX

3) Thanks! I'm glad you're enjoying it thus far! I hope you enjoyed reading more of it here too!

4) Don't worry, I've got a little excuse planned for Trevor's absence.

5) Unfortunately, they didn't have enough time to do that. The party was starting pretty soon by that point, after all. Besides...they're not gonna need any dresses given what they're about to come up against in the next chapter... ;D ;D ;D

Well, hope you enjoyed this very, VERY late chapter! TheCartoonFanatic01 is out. PEACE!