I told you this arc would be very long, sorry ^^. But this chapter is the last one in Lavaridge Town, so at least I'll give you a change of scenery. And I promise, Serena and Ash's reconciliation isn't that far away (still a few chapters to go).
You don't want to see orties that hurt him
Your arm. The only thing Ash could think of as he followed behind her. The asymmetry, the way she avoided moving it too much, the way she tensed when it moved too much. And yet, she forced herself to keep going, not worrying about reigniting the pain.
The shapeshifter no longer had any trouble keeping up with her, and could have easily overtaken her if he'd wanted to. The advantage of evolving into a Charizard: even as a human, he couldn't have hoped to reach such a size. Nothing to smile about, certainly nothing to celebrate, but it was the only thing approaching 'good news' as he observed his trainer's mended clothes. Moore had done a good job, so much so that it wasn't so easy to see the threads suturing the fabric. However, Serena hadn't been able to repair the damage herself.
Premonition, prophecy, intuition, the name didn't matter, only that Ash knew he had to get closer, stand by her until... She stumbled, a small cry of surprise escaping her. She was falling, right in front of him, Serena was falling. Ash stepped in, his arms wrapped around the trainer's hips, his wings covering her frail body, blocking out the sun, isolating her from the rest.
"Charizard?" the young girl murmured.
For a few seconds, he saw a vague hope in his comrade's eyes. She wanted to believe that his anger had subsided, that time had finally calmed him. Because he had seen on the volcano her determination, her willpower, the proof that she could sacrifice herself for him. She could go on, even if it hurt. She raised her hand, her fingers close to the creature's face, would it bite her if she tried to touch the scales?
"Why are you looking at me like that?" he murmured.
The hand froze and the dragon lifted its head, out of reach. The wings released the girl, exposing her once again to the cold of this late evening.
"I see."
She started off again. She refused to listen. Words of hate, his tiredness to be with her, his resentment to belong to her, everything she imagined without even looking at him.
"You'll feel better, as soon as Joy takes care of you, you'll feel better."
And she walked on, not slowing down, not settling down, not worrying about what might happen to her.
"Why do you refuse to listen?"
The Center hadn't quite recovered. There were still holes in the roof and broken windows, but all the machines and equipment used for care had been repaired or rushed in from Mauville. The essentials, what made up the heart of a health institution, because human expertise was no longer enough... or had never been enough.
Quiet, too quiet, not even background music in the lobby. No trainers either, except for Serena. Had they preferred to return to Mauville or had they not yet heard the news, the young trainer thought vaguely.
What if she called her mother before the nurse returned? At least she'd feel like she was doing something instead of waiting around. Serena stood up and found the corner where the videophones were lined up. Wires dangled from the sides of the large green carcasses, most of them definitely dead, the others turning on and off intermittently. Useless, and that was just as well. What could she tell her mother? The volcano, the charmeleon that had evolved too quickly, the fire pokemon that hated her. As for pretending that everything was fine, she could hardly imagine that her mother would not see through the lie.
A call. The name the nurse spoke into the microphone made her heart race. The promise of seeing her pokemons healed, the bad memories erased, the whole story finally settled. Serena ran, but a shock ripping through her arm. She stopped and forced herself to walk back to the nurse.
"How are they?" the coordinator asked.
"You have to be careful with Pancham's knee, but overall they've recovered well."
There were no monsters on the cart, just the opaque, unmoving capsules. Serena picked them up one by one and put them in her pocket, trusting Joy. But when she reached for Minun's, when the pokemon's empty gaze came back to her mind, she couldn't help but ask:
"Are you sure he's okay?"
"The treatment went without a hitch, and he was even wiser than usual," the nurse assured her.
But no matter how discreetly Serena pressed the button on the capsule, the pocket monster wouldn't come out.
"That's just it... wasn't he too quiet?"
"Well, it's true that I didn't have to put on rubber gloves this time, but that doesn't mean he was too quiet..."
Serena stared at her reflection in the smooth surface of the pokeball. She nodded, a light, steady motion that she repeated over and over again to lull her mind.
"It's good he's not upset anymore," the trainer admitted.
"Yes, it's good to see things calming down after what happened."
Joy took great care to banish the words "Team Aqua" or "Attack" from her vocabulary. She was also careful not to look at broken windows, gutted benches, or even the tired face of the trainer. Serena didn't bother the nurse any longer and put Minun's pokeball away. All that remained was to retrieve the sixth ball... which wasn't there. Of course, the ultimate capsule was still in her bag, a place she hadn't moved from since a certain Charmander had made it clear that he didn't like being locked up.
"Where is he now?"
She tried to look behind the nurse, but there was no sign of orange scales or flames.
"That's what I wanted to talk to you about," Joy smiled.
A smile was reassuring. For Serena, not seeing the reptile was terrifying.
"Is it serious?" the young girl asked in a choked voice.
"Oh no, no, don't worry. It's just that I'm a little maniac, so I like to check pokemons myself in addition to the scan. Except for Charizards... you know, it's always the wings."
"Wings?"
"It's not easy enough under normal circumstances, but the inside of your Charizard's wings is far too sensitive for me to touch."
Serena didn't understand what the nurse was getting at, and something told her it was better not to know. Unfortunately, Joy was eager to share her vision:
"Usually we use a pretty strong anesthetic when we have to treat that part. But in my case, I just want to make sure there's nothing there, and I'm certainly not going to put Charizard to sleep for it, so... that's where you come in."
"What do you mean 'come in'?"
"It's done very regularly. We let the trainer calm his pokemon while we watch the wings. It's so effective, in fact, that we can sometimes treat serious wounds without even the slightest anesthetic."
"Do you really have to look? I thought with machines..."
"You can never be sure of making a mistake."
One could only admire the nurse's rigor and caution. No doubt a bad experience in the past, a negligence she had regretted, still regretted, and which now dictated some of her principles. Principles the young trainer could do without at the moment.
"I'm not sure..."
Knowing that some trainers took care of their dragon's wings themselves, Serena's hesitation was irrelevant to the nurse. True, all she had to do was talk to Charizard a little, maybe give him a caress or two, and she'd be all set. But Serena had spent too much time, or precisely too little time, with the monster to know that she wouldn't be any help.
"You're having trouble getting him to obey you, is that why you're hesitating?"
There were also problems talking to him, not irritating him, feeding him, and taking care of him. In fact, everything was a problem.
"Ever since he evolved, we don't get along very well," the young girl summed up.
Joy was familiar with the sometimes difficult behavior of charizards. Oh, she wouldn't claim to be an expert either, since her patient base consisted mainly of zigzagoons, machops and other local pokemons, but she knew the basics.
"You're still his trainer. I'm sure he'll listen to you if he sees that you want what's best for him. Besides, every charizard trainers must have had a Flamethrower or two when they started out."
Serena crossed her arms behind her back and waddled slightly. So charizards were the type to attack their trainers, just as charmeleons could be cruel and merciless. The young trainer smiled thinly; the nurse didn't know that this pokemon never did anything like its peers. Be it Charmander, Charmeleon, or this new form...
"He never spat his flames at me."
The young girl felt good saying that, this little detail that made her hope that she still had a chance with the dragon. Or maybe he doesn't want to waste his time on me.
"It's true, he wasn't very mean when I took care of him," Joy smiled. "So, what do you think? Can I count on your help?"
The young girl thought for a moment. It was hard for her to imagine that he would calm down for her. On the other hand, with a little luck, she could play the 'we'll leave faster that way' card. Serena pulled her hand back to her ribbon before taking a deep breath.
"He's a nice pokemon, you know."
"I'm sure he is."
"I want him to get better."
"This will only be possible if you're there."
As Serena was led through the corridors of this world that rarely revealed itself to trainers, she was careful not to stray too far from the nurse. This place wasn't a labyrinth, far from it, but the young girl was sure she could get lost in it. Serena followed in Joy's footsteps as she read the numbers on the doors.
"Considering that three quarters of these rooms are still unusable," Joy commented after noticing her companion's expression.
"There are so many of them..." the trainer observed.
"Fortunately, they're not always full. But it's not that many, really. It only takes four trainers with a full team and all my beds are taken. Speaking of which, I was surprised when you brought me Charizard. You'd never introduced me to him before, so I thought you only had five pokemons."
Joy should have stopped there. Or at least wondered why the large reptile was never with his trainer when she visited.
"He doesn't like being caged."
Had Joy turned around, she would have noticed the fareway look and the tight mouth. Distrusting the words of a trainer, an aberration that would have been necessary at that moment. But Joy believed what she was told, she trusted her clinic, the machines that helped her, the results she found. A pokemon with a broken leg? The trainer explained that it was a battle accident, so Joy checked to make sure there was no emergency. A Heal Pulse to ease the pain, an X-ray, then a cast or surgery - which she performed herself, Joy's nurses being monsters of versatility in pokemon care - and finally a Soft-Boiled to speed and enhance healing. The injured pokemon left, its problems solved, Joy unaware that the trainer had waited three days to bring his friend. Three days with a broken paw, and the master was not worried... But deliberately waiting before calling the center was an eventuality Joy couldn't even imagine.
"We're here," the nurse trumpeted.
Well, not quite. The first door led to a kind of control room. From here, Joy could easily operate the mechanical arms or rotate the scans while keeping an eye on pokemons in the treatment room directly opposite. The nurse checked that the several centimeters thick glass was not cracked and that the second door was securely closed. She didn't want Charizard to hear her.
"You should have shown me earlier instead of trying to treat his wounds yourself," the woman admitted.
Serena had moved into a corner so her pokemon couldn't see her through the glass.
"I know," she said, leaning her head against the wall.
Just as she knew that she hadn't been the one to bandage the pokemon's wounds, she had never had the opportunity to do so. Already when she had fainted and even afterwards, Flannery had always taken care of him. Where and when had she managed it, how had she even managed to touch him... In any case, it was thanks to her that Charizard's wounds hadn't gotten any worse, and Serena should thank her for that. One day, she thought vaguely.
"Besides, the pain must have ruined his appetite, though I know it's not always easy to notice with charizards... In the future, don't hesitate to ask for advice."
The pain? It was just because of the pain... Now that he has no pain, he'll eat again. Could it go any faster? Does she have anything to make him feel better faster?
"I'll give you some supplements," Joy says, anticipating the trainer's question. "It's not the best thing in the world, frankly, but there are enough different flavors to find the right one."
Serena nodded obediently, drinking in the nurse's words.
"As for the wounds on his arms... Has he fought any other pokemons lately?"
"I don't know," Serena admitted.
The trainer narrowed his eyes. Charizard, on the other hand, had long since noticed the nurse. He'd moved closer to the glass, his tail tapping the floor as his head bobbed up and down, searching for the slightest blind spot. He was searching. The dragon was searching for someone.
"He likes to fight," the girl finally said.
Joy motioned for the monster to sit down and wait. But he didn't seem to obey, smoke coming out of his nostrils as he fretted about not finding anyone.
"He needs to rest," the nurse grumbled.
Lucky, who she had left with the dragon to make sure nothing was damaged, grabbed the pokemon's arm and motioned for him to return to the examination table. The charizard took one last look through the glass before deciding to do as he was told.
"I've already explained it to him. But Serena, it's up to you to make sure he follows my advice."
Ash continued to wonder if Serena had really come. He regretted not being able to control himself, but the sensations spreading through his wings were too unbearable. No sooner had the nurse swiped her finger across the thin membrane than he wanted to flee to the other side of the room. And Joy had to think it would be a good idea to ask the trainer for help.
"Don't scratch the table, we just replaced it," Lucky warned.
The shapeshifter lowered his head. His claws had already left deep marks on the cold metal. He quickly pulled them back, tearing off a few silver shards in the process. He turned his head toward the pink, egg-shaped pokemon who was cleaning up the countertop.
"Too late?" the assistant asked.
Ash had always thought of luckies as helpers who obediently followed the nurse and said "yes" to everything she asked. A pokemon that was more like an extension of the nurse than a truly independent entity.
"Will I be in trouble if that happens?" the former human asked.
The pokemon picked up one of the used syringes, aimed, pulled, and the needle twirled in the air for a moment before falling into the trash can. "'Basket!" Ash thought before Lucky turned to him.
"Don't tell Joy and I'll keep quiet about the table."
Did the nurse only need her pokemon to tell her to notice the stripes? Maybe... She hadn't understood anything when he had begged her not to bring Serena, so maybe she wouldn't see anything there either.
"Would you tell her... I don't want Serena to come," Ash murmured.
"Wouldn't you rather I explain to your trainer everything you've told me?"
Ash lowered his head and looked at his bandaged arms. There was no point in keeping them on anymore; the Center's machines had worked wonders. Under the soothing waves, he had watched his wounds close and cover themselves with young scales. In a few days they would harden, leaving no trace of his old wounds. Healed. Would Serena be happy? To see her pokemon as good as new, without a single scar, in perfect health, all problems solved.
"Not a good idea," Lucky said calmly.
Ash froze, realizing that his fangs had come close to his arms again. He lifted his head and stared at the pokemon he had confided in. The one who could not change anything, who would only listen without doing anything, the last one Ash would have to talk to.
"I know."
"Then why do you continue?"
Because it was abnormal, because it didn't make sense, because... The shapeshifter's lower lip quivered. If the tears refused to show, then the voice would replace them, would flow from that burning throat. Drain the pain, drain the hardened magma abscessing in his belly.
"Because the only one who can... who will listen to me is you. You, only you, while she..."
The click of the handle stopped the fire dragon dead in his tracks. He didn't utter a word, not even a grunt, as the nurse with her outfit that crudely mimicked a fortune teller stepped towards him. And of course, right behind him, who was there? Yes, exactly! Ash clenched his jaw so tightly that he thought he could feel his teeth sinking into his gums. Why had she agreed? Especially if it meant putting on that frightened face.
"Excuse me, Charizard, but I really need to check your wings," the woman explained as seriously as she could.
Joy approached, and Ash hoped that Lucky would come to his aid. But the egg pokemon had resumed his usual role, ready to knock the dragon to the ground if his mistress gave the order. The nurse touched the green membrane, but the fine scales covering the wings vibrated and the limb retreated.
"Serena, I can't do this without your help."
The wounds and bruises were gone. They'd gotten along well when he'd been Charmander, he hadn't hated her when he'd been Charmeleon, and now... he'd caught her when she'd almost fallen.
If she found the right words, if she did what he expected of her, maybe they'd be a team again, or at least close to it. Ash had taught her that a "good trainer" was capable of sacrificing himself for his pokemons, and... maybe the monster would at least appreciate her for that.
"You can fight as much as you want again," the coordinator promised.
The impostor stepped aside. Rumbling in his throat, his orange scales heated up. He'd promised Serena another chance, and Serena had promised him redemption. So he waited, ready to spit his flames into the sky and avoid getting too close to anything flammable for a few hours when she apologized for worrying him so much. Then he'd give her a hard time for a few days, just to make sure she got the message, and finally... well, he'd see about that when the time came. For now, she should stop looking at him like she was ready to throw herself back into Sharpedo's jaws!
Serena took one step back, then two. She'd felt it, that point of balance that kept the pokemon from unleashing its fury. So fragile, so unstable, if she approached her hand again...
"Serena?" the nurse called again.
The trainer could not answer Joy. She could only watch as the woman did her best to haggle, to explain, to coax the reptile that stubbornly refused to reveal the inside of its wings.
"Isn't there another way?" the trainer finally asked.
Serena lowered her head as she felt the nurse's reproachful gaze. Annoyed, Joy threw her hands up in the air and grumbled:
"It's bad enough that a charizard used to having its trainer touch its wings is complicated to examine..."
Ash grunted. The inside of his wings really felt like something... Fragile? Intimate? Whatever it was, it was a place he couldn't see getting used to Serena's touch.
"Charizard, I'm asking you a question, so answer honestly: can you fly without difficulty?" asked Joy.
"Char," he nodded without hesitation.
The nurse sighed, reluctantly and regretfully, but sometimes it just didn't feel right and you had to accept it... Or restrain it? Uh... no, accept, better stick with accept.
"Let's just say the scan was enough... But only under one condition."
While the nurse paused for effect, Lucky nonchalantly made her way to the trainer. Well, not exactly to the trainer, but to the drawer right behind her where she could keep her tray of instruments. Joy spoke and Lucky's body glowed. Serena blinked several times, as surprised by the nurse's suggestion as she was by the fact that her shoulder felt less heavy than usual.
A discreet Heal Pulse that could not heal the wound, but could at least make it more bearable for a few hours. A gesture that wouldn't last, a simple palliative that wouldn't solve anything. But for Ash, the only one to notice the pokemon's trick, just knowing that she'd feel a little better, even if only temporarily...
"Thank you," he breathed.
Sitting cross-legged, Ash waited by the wooden door. The evening atmosphere was so peaceful, slightly humid but warm. The shapeshifter took a deep breath to enjoy it. A scent caught his attention. Light and sweet, that was how he defined it, it warmed his heart and soothed his thoughts.
He stood still. Ash knew this scent well, from the beginning of his journey in Kalos region. Serena... The false pokemon now had a nose so sensitive that he could distinguish her perfectly without even having to concentrate! The shapeshifter closed his mouth and blocked his nostrils, but he couldn't completely isolate himself from the scent. In fact, using only the olfactory information, Ash felt able to draw his friend's shape and guess her movements. I'm not well, I need to calm down and... He could hear her voice. Did he have to join her after all?
"No! This is wrong!"
He tried to focus on something else, but nothing helped. The same idea kept coming back to him, the same desire, even though it wasn't like him. Only now it was unbearable, as if Brock had taken over his body and his mind. Unable to stand it any longer, he turned to see Braixen's threatening face. Ash quickly returned to his original position.
"So we're not interested?" scoffed the vixen.
The former human lowered his head, his wings covering his face to hide his shame. It was all because of Joy... She'd taken great pleasure in extolling the virtues of the hot springs behind the Center, which even fire pokemons enjoyed, and had encouraged Serena to share them with her friends.
Ash groaned at his own stupidity in accepting. He should have realized that the bath wasn't just for pokemons. And of course, it never occurred to him that the usual boy/girl separation didn't apply to him, the fake pokemon. Serena had been very insistent, and Ash had had the hardest time convincing her to go swimming with her other pokemons without him. He had refused... and she had gotten that frightened look again.
"Thanks for protecting her," the vixen said suddenly. "If it hadn't been for you..."
"I wasn't going to leave her," he muttered.
But I could have, I almost did... the shapeshifter remembered with horror. The warm dampness of this place suddenly felt suffocating. And Archie is still out there. If we ever run into him again... Ash thought he felt his blood explode in his head. He'd forgotten! How could he forget something so important?!
"She knew Archie!" he cried in horror.
The vixen's fur bristled in surprise. She shook her head, hastening to correct:
"Archie knew her. It's not the same."
"Do you know anything?" the fake pokemon asked.
"Nothing more than you do. Archie claimed to know her, and Serena said he was wrong."
Ash clenched his fist. Had he been so wrong as to try to rip her arm off and throw her into the volcano? As if he could believe it was just a mistake, as if he could still believe her...
"If Serena was lying..." he breathed.
Braixen's ear twitched as she replied indignantly:
"Why would she do that? And how would she even know him?"
"That's what I'm trying to find out! Maybe it was before she became a trainer, that would be why neither you nor I..."
"Don't you just want to trust her when she says she doesn't know him?"
The dragon's tail flame flared and rose as it licked the reptile's back.
"I've seen it done before."
Braixen waited for the flames to die down. He no longer looked like the Ash who believed in his friends no matter what. Anyway, with his reptilian body, there wasn't much left that resembled the human he used to be.
"Has Serena told Flannery about this?" asked Ash after he had calmed down.
The vixen held back a snarl. Even though he hadn't been around much lately, he must have noticed that there wasn't much camaraderie between the leader and the coordinator.
"I don't see why she should know," Braixen replied dryly.
The shapeshifter's tail slammed to the ground. Whether Braixen liked it or not, Flannery was a leader, someone who could do something when it was explained to her. And if Serena wasn't up to it, he would take care of it himself.
"If Archie knows her, he'll try to hurt her again. That's why we have to ask Flannery for help."
"Do you want us to stay here? Honestly, I think even running into that Archie again would be less bad than..."
She paused, realizing the horror of what she was about to say. She would have understood that Ash would never forgive her if she had continued.
"We should leave and make sure that Serena never sees this man again," she said finally.
The former human felt his scales tremble with displeasure. If only Flannery would behave better with Serena, and if she hadn't... He swallowed the flames of anger, remembering the first time he'd met the leader as a trainer. That image, he had to keep that image.
"Flannery is not a bad person. I know her and... she'll keep Serena safe."
For a second, he thought he'd convinced the Kalos pokemon, but Braixen quickly regained his composure to answer:
"I find it hard to believe we're talking about the same person."
Ash exhaled loudly. He still wanted to hold on to the leader who had offered him his badge, who could have become a friend of the coordinator under different circumstances... She burned his shoulder.
"I know I couldn't do anything to help her back then," the vixen continued, "but I'd like to at least allow her to pursue her dream. "
Ash lowered his head. To stay or to go, he had the feeling that both would hurt Serena. If she wasn't putting herself in danger, we wouldn't have to worry!
"It's not easy being her pokemon," he sighed exasperatedly.
He noticed an amused smile on the vixen's lips.
"What?" he asked, not understanding the reason for her expression.
"You're such an idiot, Ash."
Braixen continued to tease the fake pokemon. Her trainer was always too nice when it came to Ash, whether he was human or pokemon. She defended him, didn't like it when people said bad things about him, and even the vixen, her first pokemon, didn't feel free to make fun of the shapeshifter when she was around. So tonight, she was going to make the best of it. However, her game was soon interrupted. First, because she was no longer the focus of the giant reptile's attention, but also because of the red-haired woman who was approaching them, surrounded by her team of fire Pokemons.
Two high, cliff-like palisades on either side narrowed the passage. Braixen stood in the middle, his cloak puffing out, trying to close the strait once and for all. There was no way around, only back or forward.
Magcargo stepped forward first, a friendly smile on his liquid face, and the ambassador graciously asked to be let through. The vixen growled, flames leaping from the cracks in her shell. The gastropod raised his voice and repeated his request, arguing that these springs belonged to everyone and that no one had the right to appropriate them.
"Afterwards. You'll go after. For now, let my trainer rest. It's the least you can do."
The snail knew exactly what she meant. He also knew that without his intervention, the trainer might not be resting right now. The living lava felt he had a right to do so, especially since he'd spent his day and the previous ones helping to repair the city, and now he deserved his reward.
Magcargo then considered the forces at play. Six fighters on their side, two on the other. Still, one of them seemed reluctant to take sides, perhaps even ready to betray. Feeling his superiority, the pokemon stepped into the narrow path, only to regret it the next second. He lowered his head just in time to avoid the glowing claws and heard them crunch against his thin shell. He stepped back, lively flames shooting from the new cracks.
"You'll have to come back later."
But this was his city, and he wasn't about to be run over by pokemons who weren't even born in Hoenn. His cause was soon joined by Houndoom, who rode at his side to the front of the line. As for Torkoal and Camerupt, just behind them, despite the apparent calm on their faces, the smoke whistling from their bodies betrayed their hostility. A just cause, the defense of values - not enough to motivate Magmortar to fight a hairball. On the other hand, he was interested in testing his strength against the fire reptile.
At two thousand degrees, the stakes could go as high as ten thousand if these pokemons were allowed to run wild. Blaziken knew that if they wanted to spare the battlefield, which was still the pleasant hot springs, the only option was to surrender. But it was doubtful that her comrades would be so inclined, even on the orders of their commander-in-chief.
Assuming Flannery decided to stop them. She might just as well decide that it would be a good opportunity for her troops to vent the frustration they'd been holding in. Not that it would be a very commendable way to do it, or that the nurse would be happy to see the pride of her center damaged once again. Completely reduced to ashes, if we decided not to minimize things.
Blaziken felt her own wrists warming. Perhaps she, too, finally had some anger and frustration to let out. The gallinaceus felt the powerful muscles that held his legs tighten. They had not intervened in Team Aqua's attack on Moore's orders. The old man had thought he was doing the right thing by keeping his granddaughter's pokemons out of harm's way. It was a prudent, thoughtful, and wise act, but one that didn't sit well with the leader's team. She had entrusted them with the city while she was away, willing to neglect her own safety by taking only the snail. And now, upon her return, she discovered that the guards she had trusted so much had remained hidden in Grandfather's house.
Blaziken regretted having listened to the old man, and was even more angry at herself for having allowed herself to be convinced. She wanted to go back and fight, to protect, to prove herself worthy of her role. Flames shot from her wrists, her desires echoing those of her comrades. This Kalos pokemon had done nothing serious, nothing worthy of the beating they were about to give her. But she was an idea, the memory of those who thought they were kings in a city that wasn't theirs, a behavior they would not fail to punish this time.
"Enough," the leader intervened.
The magma boiling in their veins was forced to cool. Pokemons turned to their leader, questioning her resolve.
"I'm not in the mood for a headache tonight," she explained simply.
The pokemon hesitated again, glancing at the entrance to the hot springs. Flannery called out to them again, unconcerned by their annoyed looks. The vixen grinned broadly, her nose raised pretentiously. No words were needed, the gleam in her eyes was enough to know she was mocking them.
"Braixen, don't provoke us," the leader warned.
"Brrrraix," the pokemon apologized in a honeyed voice.
Her act didn't convince anyone, and Ash, who miraculously also recognized the vixen's irony, feared that this ultimate defiance would inflame all the pokemons present.
"Is this all Serena's training is worth?"
Braixen frowned at the remark, just as Flannery had hoped. The leader wasn't proud of it, but her pokemons seemed happy that the vixen had been put in her place. All the better, if it was enough to calm their burning souls and keep them from harming the Kalos pokemon. But the trainer wasn't quite ready to leave as she watched the dragon try to defuse Braixen's anger.
"You still won't join me?"
The pokemon's eyes darkened. He lowered his head, his wings drooping. His scales were too pale, his body too thin, his flame too dull. It was too late.
Too late for Flannery to avoid the Flamethrower. It grazed her cheek, turning her skin a caramel color. She touched the burn with her fingertips before looking at the pokemon that had attacked her. Her staff in hand, a burgeoning flame at its tip, Braixen's next attack would be a Fire Blast if the woman dared to interrupt.
"He has made an effort to stay, and even if it hurts him... So don't make fun of him! Don't talk as if it's pointless, as if he has to leave her! And even if it was the only thing to do, at least... Every time I hear you, it's as if you don't care about them, as if... You. It's all about you when you talk and..."
There was a terrible noise, smoke, and Braixen's horrified face as Flannery's hand closed over the end of the staff, extinguishing the flames.
"Charizards love strength, that's why they follow the strongest trainers and abandon the weak."
She pulled on the stick, knocking Braixen off balance and onto her stomach.
"But that's just an excuse. An excuse that would have suited me, but..."
She paused, the tiny arteries in her sclera dilating, impregnating the white with their misty red.
"Tell me, Charizard... How do you feel when Serena looks at you?"
The fake pokemon's face crashed against the cornea, hit the lens, drowned in the mood, inverted on the retina. But despite all these obstacles, Flannery saw it. She interpreted it, too, filling in the blanks, however false the image, Flannery saw.
"You hate the way she looks at you. No matter how much you scream for help, how much you cry, how much you suffer, she continues to see what she wants and ignores the rest. Really... You'd think she hates you. So cruel..."
The monster's pupils narrowed as he brought his hand to the center of his chest and dug his claws in.
"The easiest thing is to leave Charizard. That's how it ends. No matter how long you try to hold on, one day you'll wake up and think there's no point, that all this time hesitating was for nothing. And yet..."
Flannery tugged gently at the monster's fingers, removing the claws embedded in the flesh one by one.
"Why do I think you might stay? Why do I pray that Serena will finally see you? Why... Why would I want what I'm proposing to you to be the worst solution when... It's the best... This damned solution is the best, do you believe that?"
Braixen had risen. Ash looked down at his hand resting in the leader's scorched palm.
"Oh dear, I was hoping for a quiet evening..."
Flannery wanted to pass. Did Braixen agree? In any case, she did nothing as the woman's pokemons passed her by. She didn't even grunt as the leader conquered the Hot Gates. Ash heard Flannery's last words, the roar of victory that was only a whisper:
"I promise you nothing."
Serena calmed herself. Leaning against a stone, the misty water relaxed her senses as she ran her fingers through the moss-covered bristles of Pancham. Their softness was so pleasant. The trainer looked up and saw the hill beyond the palisade. A wilderness where she could occasionally see shadows moving through the foliage. What if Archie was there, hiding among the trees? What if Sharpedo lurked in the water? The gleaming teeth would emerge, swooping down on her... A gentle aura spread, combining with the warm water to soothe her. Sylveon was there, lying on one of the stones in the pool, her ribbon wrapped around her trainer's wrist.
"Pan!" the little monster gasped.
Some foam had gotten into his eyes, and he rubbed them vigorously to get rid of the bubbles that were swelling on his eyelids.
"Don't move, I'll rinse it out."
Plusle remained strangely calm beside them as he wiggled his feet in the water. Alone, separated from his brother, Serena would have thought he'd insist that Minun get out of the capsule.
"Pancha?"
"We leave in the morning. If we hurry, we should make it to Fallarbor in time for the contest."
"Cham..." he groaned, looking at his trainer's shoulder.
"'It'll be all right, don't worry. And you too, a few more contests will do you good."
"Champanch."
"I know you can wait, but I'm not sure about Charizard. He has a lot of energy to burn, you know."
Plusle suddenly pricked up his ears and stood up, staring at the newcomer. Serena noticed her as well and widened her eyes. What was she doing here? Well, this was public baths, but...
"Plus," she heard a growl.
"No electrical attacks!" Serena panicked and put her hands on the monster's cheeks.
Although a little electrocution would be a good excuse for her to leave the bath. Besides, why did she have to stay? She could just as well leave. But Flannery might take it the wrong way... She would understand that a Kalosian wasn't as used to sharing her bath as the Hoennians.
While Serena thought of a good excuse, Flannery slipped into the water, breathing a sigh of relief as she felt the gentle warmth. Her other pokemons joined her, some staying at the edge, others diving in without hesitation, forgetting that the element was their natural enemy.
Serena's three pokemons quickly moved away from the pool, the hot springs having turned into a veritable bain-marie with all these new arrivals. The coordinator couldn't take it anymore either, her skin was turning red and she didn't need to torture herself like that anyway, Flannery had to wait for her to leave.
"Have you thought about my proposal?"
Serena froze, oblivious to the hellish bath she was cooking in. To say she hadn't thought about it would be a lie, but... She turned when she heard Pancham's scream. The fire turtle spat smoke in the face of the little monster, who made no secret of his displeasure.
"Pancham! Calm down!" the young girl panicked.
Her cries had little effect, however, as Flannery simply gave Torkoal a look and told him to stop bothering the fighting pokemon. With slow steps, the turtle backed away and dove back into the water, raising the temperature even higher.
"My gym's that way," she said, waving her chin. "It's in such bad shape because of those men... I wonder if it brought back bad memories."
Flannery's ramblings... it was as interesting as when she asked her to pass the pepper or salt at the table. Though we didn't eat together often, Serena remembered. The leader always told them not to wait for her and that she had a lot of work to do... so why did she always refuse her help? Was it to spare her, or because she didn't want to be burdened with a cripple?
Serena suddenly remembered the white bandage still on her shoulder. If the water had loosened it, if Flannery could now see the disgusting wound... But the young girl had nothing to worry about; not only was the bandage still in place, but her right hand had already come mechanically to cover it.
"It was my grandfather who saved it. He repaired the windows, washed the walls, restored the woodwork and the courtyard. It became his gym, our home. Yes, it meant a lot to Grandpa, and that's why he couldn't let just anyone take over, why he had to stand firm."
"You must be proud that he chose you then," Serena grumbled.
Blaziken, who had been lounging around until then, opened an eye, not appreciating the young human's tone. Flannery calmly moved her leg to her side and rested her cheek against her burning knee.
"You're not listening," the woman said without a hint of irritation.
Flannery's reflection mingled with Serena's, oppressing her, drowning her. The girl just wanted to relax in the hot springs, and even out of respect, she had no desire to participate in the leader's history lesson.
"You still haven't asked. About the burn on your shoulder."
All of Serena's muscles froze, some contracting to the extreme, others tensing to keep the bones from breaking under the pressure.
"It's not important," the Kalosian articulated with difficulty.
"It's not? Then why did you hide it from Joy every time she came to visit? Even now, the way you grip your shoulder is enough to understand."
"Who cares?"
Serena lifted her head suddenly, thinking she understood what Flannery had in mind:
"I'm not going to get revenge on Archie, so there's no point..."
"Sharpedo bit you, that's true. But that burn, do you really think it was that pokemon that gave it to you?" Flannery stopped talking, amused to finally see some anger in the Kalosian. A lot of anger, in fact, but Serena had a certain talent for containing it. "Oh, you don't even hesitate with Charizard?"
That was too much. Serena let go of her wound, her hands plunging into the boiling water, her legs tensing and... She stopped, then rebounded backwards, curling up into herself. Her reflections had separated. Flannery dipped her finger into the water and watched the ripples spread.
"You knew, so why didn't you say something earlier? Were you afraid you'd get into a fight, that I'd blame you if you accused me? Or did you think I wasn't worth it and it would be easier to leave?" Flannery stepped out of the water and sat on the stones, as hot as the rest, while her feet continued to soak. She towered over Serena, their reflections overlapping. "I left you up there, burned your shoulder, and now I'm threatening to take away your Charizard. But this situation, the reason he's running away from you... You're the only one responsible."
"What do you know!" yelled Serena.
She stood up, her fists clenched, the cool air biting into her burning skin.
"I know what he's thinking, I can see what he's thinking, but... I'm not giving up!"
"Well, well, he's lucky to have a trainer who understands him so well," Flannery scoffed. Serena raised her head, meeting Flannery's gaze for the first time since the discussion began. "That's fine with me, Serena. That you think I don't know anything about him, that you think you understand him, but... Can you do anything for your pokemon?"
Serena closed her eyes and grabbed her towel. She wrapped herself in it and breathed without looking back:
"Coordinators aren't weak."
"It would only take a fight to decide that, wouldn't it?" challenged Flannery.
Serena's hands tightened on the towel. The leader beaming in her gym, the little coordinator being crushed, and the fire dragon choosing her trainer, the best trainer.
"We can't waste any more time. The Fallarbor competition is right around the corner."
"Does this competition mean that much to you?" This time, Serena turned to meet the leader's gaze. There was no doubt in her answer. "Serena, Serena, Serena," Flannery despaired. She held out her hand, thumb and little finger bent, while the three middle fingers remained raised. "Three questions. I'm going to give you three questions to understand. I will not try anything until you have asked them all. But once you've done that, if it becomes clear that you're incapable of taking care of Charizard, I'll do everything I can to have him join me."
Serena's skin ached and was even peeling in places. But all she could think about was this strange proposal. Any questions? A respite? A chance to keep Charizard... Serena put her hand to her chest. She already had a question, words that had been running through her head since she'd woken up, maybe even before.
"Is it because you think I'm a bad trainer? Is that why you want to take him away from me?"
Flannery sighed in annoyance as she brushed the hair from her eyes.
"You really don't pay attention to what people say... No, Serena, you're not a bad trainer. I could even say that you're a good trainer. Yes, you are for Braixen, Pancham, Sylveon, Plusle and Minun. But Charizard... You're a good trainer, but I'm not sure you're good for him. No, it's not even like that, if I had to be really exact, I'd say... You're not the right trainer for him."
"I haven't been able to prove it to him, not yet. But I'm sure with a little effort he'll understand!"
"Oh, is that why you were so eager to help me repair the roof of the center? With your arm..."
"I can move it!"
"And break it. It's always possible, you know."
Serena said nothing more; she didn't feel like saying anything more. She could still bear it, knowing it would all be over tomorrow.
"Serena, have you thought about how not to get lost in the desert that separates us from Fallarbor?"
"With my navi-map, I should be able to..."
The leader laughed.
"You'll never get away with it! Especially with the contest coming up soon, if I'm not mistaken." Serena could feel it coming. Flannery's teasing that she wouldn't even be able to enter the competition, that she'd be too late, that she could give it all up now. "I'll come with you."
Serena's mouth opened in astonishment, giving her the look of a slowpoke who'd just realized that a shellder was biting its tail.
"Why?!" she cried.
"We have an agreement," Flannery replied naturally.
Magmortar's beak twisted to suppress a laugh when he saw the young trainer's uncomfortable expression. How playful his mistress could be! After all he'd just heard, there was no way he was going to miss the rest.