After the breakfast in Ash's house, Serena had begin to consider to resume the practice for the showcase. Because there's no material for building the stage for Serena to practice yet, Ash can only able to find the empty space for Serena to practice of the upcoming Pokemon Showcase in Kanto.
Serena had never felts such tension before, as this time her opponent are neither Aria nor May, but the 99 candidates that she never seen before!
Now that she have Absol as the addition of her team and she wanted to try out Absol for her showcase, but she have to ask if Absol willing to practice with her. Ash, Pikachu and Greninja gathered around the stage to watch the rehearsal. Ever since she was saved by Ash in Kalos, things had slowed down enough that Serena started to think about performances and competitions again.
"Sol?" (What does Pokemon Showcase means?)
"Delphox!" "Sylveon!" Delphox and Sylveon explaining what Pokemon Showcase is
"Sol!" (Sounds interesting...)
Serena checked her pokedex, she founds that Absol currently have only two moves: Dark Pulse and Rain Dance. With former have the exact same move with Pancham and latter is the full range water type move which will hinders Delphox from performing any fire type moves.
Absol is curious what does Pokemon Showcase looks like, but it have no idea what does Pokemon Showcase looks like "Sol..." (Serena...can you show me what does Pokemon Showcase looks like?)
"Sure!" Serena said
Serena begin to practice with her Delphox and Sylveon with only glances and gestures, as she had founds that calling out commands will be very troublesome for even more complex showcase. Sylveon used the fairy wind to sent Delphox flying, Delphox spins and used her magic wand to cover herself with fire. After few seconds, Delphox slowly landed in a kneeling position and stopped spinning.
"Serena, you improved a lot!" "Pikapika!" Ash and his Pokémon oohed and aahed at the sight.
"Thank...thank you..." Serena went slightly brushed
"Sol...!" (That's awesome...! Can you show me more?)
"Sure!" Serena said
Pancham and Sylveon performs the next move; Sylveon's ribbon charging fowards Pancham, but Pancham attempted to dodges it.
"Sol!" (Serena, can I try out myself?)
"Sure!" Serena said
Absol, Delphox and Pancham performs for the next move: Pancham and Absol both shooted the Dark Pulse to each other, the dark pulse clashed and the energy shooted to the sky, resulting the blinding light which makes everyone reflexively squeezed their eyes shut and winced in pain briefly.
"Looks like Absol also wanted to perform too...and it's learning so fast!" "Pikapi!" Ash and his pikachu said
"Gren..."
"Good job Absol, you learned so fast!" Serena said
The next move would be involved with Delphox and Absol. But when Serena used the gesture to told Delphox use Mystical Fire, Serena and Delphox frowns as they felts like something had strikes through their heart.
"Gren?!" Greninja had noticed something familiar
"What is it, Greninja?" Ash said
"Gren..." (Serena and Delphox have strong bond just like us, can't it be...)
"Serena?" Ash said
"Sylveon?" "Pancham?" (Serena, are you alright?)
"Nothing...I'm fine..." Serena said
Serena decided to continue the practice and attempted to overcome it. But the more they attempted to focus, that weird feelings had just become more and more lingering. Serena and Delphox were breathing became more rapid and cry out in surprise and pain.
Greninja noticed that Delphox was suffering in pain and pulled her close and put an arm around her shoulder.
"Gren!" (Delphox are you ok?)
"Del..." (My memories when I got dirty during that time...it's hurts...)
"Sylveon!" (Serena!) Sylveon stepped up and wrapped a ribbon around Serena's arm, The Pokémon immediately screams from pain and rolling on the ground painfully as she experienced her trainer's distress.
"Pikapika...!" (What on earth happened had Serena experienced...?!) Pikachu begin to feels disturbed to imagine what kind of terrible thing her trainer had experienced.
Ash took notice, pulled her close and put an arm around her shoulder. Serena had never felts such warmth from her boyfriend before.
"Serena are you ok?" Ash said
"I'm fine...Ash..." Serena said
"Just tell me what happened" Ash said "You're acting weird those days"
Serena unveils what that weird feelings is "The giant rock incident in Coumarine City...it's feels...terrible..." Serena pants and her body was trembling.
Ever since Ash saved Serena from the Pokemon Hall in Coumarine City during Giant Rock incident (See Chapter 3 to 5), Serena had tried so hard to hid her true feelings inside as she didn't want to concern them and refuses to give in to their grief. This not only end up worsen her trauma, but also makes her suffers from the increasingly insecurities when Ash was not around; Doing practice for her showcase will only reminds her that traumaic moment and the fears of dying inside.
Her Delphox also suffers from the trauma at that time as well: Serena's Delphox is the clean freak that have zero tolerance to any kind of mussed or dirty on her body, that fire disaster had end up makes her entire body covered by the smoke which tooks 2 days to cleans it. It might sounds nothing compared to what Serena experienced, but for Delphox, having her body mussed or dirty is as painful is something that worse than death. To make thing worse, the trauma that they experienced had affected their strong bond and results them suffers at same time!
"Relax, Serena." Ash said "As long as I'm here, nothing bad will happen!"
Serena and Delphox had never felts such comfortable before. At this moment, they were only enjoying the time with her awesome boyfriend.
Unfortunately the relief was being interrupted by some unknown smoke bomb that thrown towards them.
"Gren!" (Delphox watch out!) "Del!" (Serena look out!) Both Greninja and Delphox hugs their trainers, protecting them from the smoke bomb.
"What happened Greni-" before Ash could finish his sentence, a smokescreen erupted. Everyone was caught off guard and failed to realize that their Pokemon were being rounded up.
To make thing worse, they can heard that Pikachu were screaming, and Ash was yelling Pikachu's name. Later, Serena had realized that her Absol, Pancham, Sylveon, Ash and his Pokemon had went missing!
"Ash! Absol! Pancham! Sylveon!" Where are you?" Serena said
Laughing then erupted from the air as the smoke cleared, revealing Ash's Pikachu ,Serena's Absol, Pancham and Sylveon were struggling inside the energy net that came from the drone before the net retracts and Ash was riding Pidgeot to chasing at that drone.
"Team Rocket!" Serena screeched angrily.
Then there comes the very familiar- eh no, this time it's a little bit different duo.
"You're joking right...?" Serena appears to recognize those two and wents panic
"Delphox..!" (You...!) Delphox looks very angry at those duo.
"You might as well give up, you already tried your best and lost!" The Male agent laughed out.
"Biff is right, you already tried to beat us and lost. You might as well give up or else we'll be forced to put you down for good!" The female agent cackled out.
"The name's Butch! How many times must I tell you people?! Cassidy, we've been partners for around eight to nine years now and you still can't get my name right! Why is it so hard to remember one simple name?! I swear you all do this on purpose!" Butch was angry about how Cassidy called his wrong name again.
"Calm down, Billy. I didn't mean anything by it." Cassidy rolled her eyes while steam poured from Butch's ear. "Anyways Blily, isn't that the poor little twerpette who need to be saved by her boyfriend and Hoenn Princess?"
Butch and Cassidy once gaves Serena and Delphox a very terrible experience in Hoenn: They managed to stole all of Serena's Pokemon and it tooks May's one week to get Serena's Pokemon back
Butch and Cassidy once gaves Serena and Delphox a very terrible experience in Hoenn: They managed to stole all of Serena's Pokemon and it tooks May's one week to get Serena's Pokemon back. Unfortunately, this also makes Serena missed the first Hoenn Contest at that time!
Serena had witness that Ash was struggling to protect their Pokemon from Genesect, she desperately wanted to be out there helping, but they still couldn't find any courage to overcame the trauma
"That's nonsense! I'm not the same like before!" Serena's body was trembling.
"Looks like you remember how hopeless you were while you got curb stomped by us in Hoenn, twerpette"
"Like I would lose to you!"
"Yes, You'll. Houndoom come on out! " Cassidy said
"Mightyena come on out!" Butch said
"Delphox, are you ready...?" Serena breathed and reluctantly able to focus. "Del..." (Back then when I was still Braixen in Hoenn, I was easily being defeated by them. But now that I had evolved... I think we can win!)
"Houndoom use Flamethrower!" "Doom!"
"Mightyena use Dark Pulse!" "Might!"
A Flamethrower and Dark Pulse was heading to Delphox.
"Delphox dodge!" Delphox dodged those 2 attack, resulting the 2 attack clashed themselves. Houndoom and Mightyena then charges towards Delphox.
"Delphox use Psybeam!" Delphox releases multiple multicolored rings of energy and stunned Houndoom and Mightyena.
"Ugh! This twerpette indeed much more troublesome than before!" Cassidy snarled out as her patience wore thin.
"Who's the hopeless one now?" Serena barely restore her confidence
"Don't too happy yet! This is where you true nightmare begins! Charizard, Granbull, Sableye, Tentacruel let's finish her!" Cassidy said
"Primeape, Hitmontop, Cloyster and Aggron come on out!" Butch said
"Wha-" Serena lose her confidence once again as she see that she have to deal with all 8 Pokemon at once! "No, I can't give up! I have to prove myself that I won't lose!"
"Sableye use Psybeam!"
"Delphox dodge and use Myscial Fire!" Delphox dodged the multiple multicolored rings of energy that came from the Sableye and was about to draw the fire circle, but Tentacruel used it's tentacles to restain Delphox.
"Delphox!" Serena lose her confidence again.
"Now! Charizard use Blast Burn, Sableye use Shadow Claw, Tentacruel use poison jab!"
"Aggron use Hydro Dump, Primeape use Body Slam!"
Tentacruel used one of the tentacles to inject the poison jab to Delphox, and then there's 4 remaining attack directly hits it, resulting Delphox being severely injured and unable to stand up. This is the exact same way of how her Braixen being defeated.
"Delphox no!" Serena struggled to hold back sobs.
"You know that you'll never able to become the Top Pokemon Performancer. Ever. And you're nothing without your boyfriend Twerp" Butch said
Meanwhile, the water Shuriken had landed between Butch and Cassidy.
"Gren!" (Don't dare you touch Serena!)
"Greninja...?"
"Gren!" (Sorry I'm late, Ash was worried about you, so he told me to protect you)
"Damn, not this Twerps Pokemon!" Cassidy angered
All Cassidy and Butch's Pokemon went to attacks Greninja, but Greninja easily dodged all of their moves and hits them with Water Shuriken.
"Ugh! That's a tough one!" Butch was annoyed at how even the combined effort of their 8 Pokemon was not able to land any single attack to Greninja.
At the mid air, Ash had finally caught up the drone.
"Pidgeot use Gust!" "Pidgeot!" Pidgeot flaps its wings to create a miniature tornado or gusts of wind and destroyed one of the door on the drone, revealing Ash's Pikachu and Serena's Pokemon inside.
"Pikachu, I'm going to save yo-"
Just before Pidgeot was about to charge inside the door, a metallic purple bug-like Pokemon appears on the top of the drone, transforming itself to flying saucer form and slammed Pidgeot.
"Gene...Genesect?!" Ash was suprised
On the ground:
"Gren!" Greninja throws Water Shuriken and defeated all of Butch and Cassidy's Pokemon.
Meanwhile, Butch and Cassidy grinned again.
"Now this is where the real battle begin!" Butch pulled out the remote control and pressed some button. The restain device appears on all Butch and Cassidy's Pokemon had covered with Purple aura and woke up painfully.
"Gren..!" (That's...!)
"Have the taste of the power of shadow pokemon! Hahaha!" Cassidy grinned
"Delphox! Delphox!" Serena attempted to use the Ultra potion to heal Delphox, but Delphox was still to weak to stand up.
"Del..."
At the mid air...
"Lucario use Aura Sphere, Pidgeot use wing attack" "Lucario!" Ash was commanding Lucario and Pidgeot to distract Genesect while Ash trying to get inside the net that captured his Pikachu and Serena's Pokemon, but Genesect's superior speed had dodged all of Lucario and Pidgeot's attack and barely able to keep Genesect away from it.
"Pikapi!" "Sylveon!" (Ash, I'm here!)
"Pikachu! Grab the hand on me-" Before Ash finished the sentence, he realized that the Genesect was about to shoot the Techno Blast on them. Ash instantly shield those Pokemon from Genesect's Techno Blast, causing Ash groan in pain. To make matters worse, the net was begin to loose itself!
"Pikapi!" (Ash no!)
"Dammit, I have so much trouble of getting rid of that genesect and saving our Pokemon at the same time! What should I do?" Ash said
On the ground:
Greninja seemsly able to gains the upper hand against all Butch and Cassidy's Pokemon. However, thanks to the restain device's power, those Pokemon now have perpetual endurance and eventally weared down Greninja, resulting Greninja too tired to stand up. Delphox had finally stands up and was about to heading towards those Pokemon.
"Metagross use Takedown!" Butch and Cassidy exclaimed the commanded to Mega Metagross, and slammed Delphox so hard.
"Delphox!" Serena wailed.
"Ah, what a poor delicate girl. You'll never able to become Kalos Queen. Ever. Metagross use Use Hammer Arm!" Butch and Cassidy exclaimed the commanded, Mega Metagross quickly moved forward as one of his forearms glowed white as it came straight towards Serena, Delphox stumbles and stand in front of her trainer. This is the exact same happened of how Serena being curb stomped by Butch and Cassidy during Hoenn.
Seeing that the past tragedy was about to reenact, Serena is now complete collapsed, closing her eyes and only able to blubbering "If only I'm as fearless as Ash...IF ONLY!"
At this moment, Serena had felts that she shared the same pulse as her Delphox, and Serena can hear there's some voice that sounds like Delphox from her mind.
"You're scared too, right?"
"Del...Delphox?!"
"What you're scared of?"
"I was so scared when I got trapped in the fire distrater Coumarine City, I'm so afraid that we would get killed, and now I'm afraid that I'll having my dream being cutted shorted by them! What about you?"
"I'm so afraid that those 2 will kidnap me and torture me again like back then... and gaves permanent stain to my fur!"
"But why you still fight against them while you're so scared that they might torture you again?"
"But why you don't run away from them while you're that scared?"
"Because I'm your trainer, and I can't afford of losing you!"
"Because I'm your Pokemon, and I can't afford of losing you!"
"What should I do?"
"What should I do"
"I don't know, but my instinct told me to fight them till the end!"
"This is exactly what I'm doing!"
Serena opened her eyes, she saw herself and her Delphox was being covered by the fire pillar which similar to Ash and his Greninja.
"What is this, Butcher?" Cassidy confused
"I don't know when will you get my names right?!" Butch said
"Serena!" Ash worried Serena as he don't know why there's fire pillar covered her
"What...what's happening?! It looks like Ash's bond phenomenon!" Serena have no idea what happened.
After the fire pillar disappeared, Delphox unveiled the different appearance: Her eyes become Sapphire Blue, the tufts from each ear had turned blonde, a small mane of white fur covers her shoulders and chest with the Blue Ribbon attached to the chest, the orange colored robe had been changed to the gray which resembles to Serena's upper body color; her wooden stick had been upgraded to the longer magical staff, and a magic circle formed at the back of Delphox. Everyone was utter shocked at this, Especially Ash and Serena.
Everyone was utter shocked at this, Especially Ash and Serena
"Is this... Bond Phenomenon?!" Ash said
"I feels like...I've become Delphox herself...and I can understand what she fears of!" Serena said "And I can feels like... my fears and trauma no longer overwhelms me after we shared our feelings!"
"Delphox?!" (I feels like...I can understand that my trainer was trying to fight against her trauma...just like me!)
"Gren...?" (Delphox...you made it...) Greninja got up and moved to help Delphox, but Delphox held her hand back.
"Don't thought that you can win just because you're transformed Twerpette! Houndoom use Dark Pulse, Aggron use Rock Tomb!" while Houndoom shoots the dark pulse towards Delphox while Multiple gray rocks outlined in white energy form around Aggron and it throws them to surround Delphox to prevent it from escape.
"Delphox dodge and counter them!" "Del!" Delphox dodged them gracefully like dancing, then pulled out the magic stuff from her back to break through the Dark Pulse.
"How does it possible?" Cassidy confused
"The power of bond" Serena said "Because I wont lose the Pokemon with no bond like you!"
"I can feels it...I can feels Delphox and me were trying to fight against our own fear!" Serena in thoughts
"Nah that's because you suck, Cassidy. I'll show you how to deal with Twerpettes! Tentacruel use acid Spray!" Butch said. Tentacruel attempted to restain Delphox with it's tentacles again.
"Same trick wont work twice!" Serena said. Delphox turns around and swing the Magical Stuff to repels Tentacruel.
"Such movement...despite in battle, it still looks as gorgeous as in showcase!" Ash said
Meanwhile, the restain devices makes Tentacruel, Houndoom and Aggron stands up like nothing happened.
Suddenly there's some disturbing feelings passed by Serena and Delphox "I can feels it...those Pokemon are suffer from being manipulated against their will! How Anvilicious those two are! Even the Pokemon that belong to team rocket shouldn't deserves to suffer like this!"
"It's all those device's doing! We have to destory them!" Serena heard Delphox's voice her mind.
"You can't defeat them, they can't feel pain and tired" Butch said "Houndoom, Granbull, Sableye and Tentacruel beat that Delphox to hamburger meat!"
"What are you doing Ban? I thought we're going to steal that Twerpette's Pokemon?"
"I have to make sure it won't struggle, Miss-never-get-my-right-name" Butch complained
Houndoom, Granbull, Sableye and Tentacruel charging towards Delphox.
"There!" Serena ordered, Delphox slashing with her staff, taken the restain device down from Houndoom, Granbull and Sableye, freeing them from control and rendering them unconscious.
"Can you stop command such many Pokemon all at once Bob? Charizard use Flame Blitz!" Cassidy said in desperation
"Can you stop getting my name wrong at once? Hitmontop use Triple Kick, Primeape use Body Slam!" Butch said in desperation
3 Pokemon lands their attacks to Delphox in all directions. Charizard covers itself with fire and charges towards Delphox at behind, Hitmontop jumps up and spins on his head and charging towards Delphox at right side, and Primeape falls forward onto the Delphox at front side.
"See if you can able to survive or dodge this one! Hahaha" Butch grinned
Serena slimes confidently
"What's so funny?" Butch said
"You'll know" Serena said
At mid air...
"Seems like Serena were trying her best to fight against them. In that case, I can't afford to lose!" Ash said
"Pikapi!" "Pancham!"
"Pikachu you wants to help them fight too?"
"Pikapi!" "Pancham!" (Throw me to Pidgeot!)
"Here you go!" Ash grabs Pikachu and Pancham and throws them to Pidgeot.
"Pikachu use Electro web, Pancham and Absol use Dark Pulse!" "Pikapika...Chu!" "Pancham!" Pancham and Absol used Dark Pulse to prevent Genesect from dodges, allowing Pikachu's electro web to restain Genesect; Sylveon used it's ribbon to restain Genesect to prevent Genesect from moving.
"Good, now we should leave here asap" Ash said
"Delphox use Fire Blast on the ground!" "Delphoxxx!"
Delphox placed the staff on the floor, covering herself with fire, bounced off Charizard, Primeape and Hitmontop, destroys their restain device in progress. Now there's only Cloyster, Aggron and Mightyena left
"Cloyster use water pulse, Aggron use Thunder, Mightyena use Snarl!" As Cassidy and Butch commanded, 3 Pokemon combinated the water, electric and dark type move and facing towards Delphox.
"Say your prayer!" Butch said
"Yeah, you!"
"What?"
"Delphox use Mystical Fire!"
Delphox swing her staff to draws a sparkling circle, release the steam of fire and pushed back the combined move from those 3 Pokemon, engulfing those Pokemon in flame.
"Uh oh." Cassidy and Butch had horrified to see that Mystical Fire was heading to them and blasted them away.
"Ugh, I can't believe we're not only being blasted off again, but being blasted off by that GOD DAMN TWERPETTE! This is all your fault, Bob, for wasting our Pokemon like this!"
"At least I know how to command the Pokemon properly unlike you!" The two continued bickering as they flew towards the horizon.
Serena and Delphox were very exhausted and breathing so hard like asthma. They both lose their strength to even stand and her knees fells.
"(in thoughts) I have to find Ash and save our Poke-" Serena have no energy to even speak
Something suddenly shot through Serena and Delphox's mind, causing them unable to move and Delphox had reverted back to normal. Greninja cames and carried both of them to his shoulders as Serena and Delphox.
"Serena! Are you alright?" "Sylveon!" "Pikapika!" "Pancham!" "Absol!" "Lucario!" "Pidgeot!" Ash and their Pokemon rushed on Greninja's side, who was carrying Serena and Delphox.
"I feel tired... I'm sorry Ash...I make you feels worried" Serena said
"Gren!" (Did the Trauma still brothering you?)
"A little bit...but I feels a little bit better now" "Delphox..."
"Sylveon!" (Maybe because they finally expressed their feelings and shared their pain to their loved one. I overcame my shyness when I let her knows my shyness)
"Greninja, what happened to Serena and Delphox?" Ash said
"Gren" (They used Bond Phenomenon for the first time and weared down)
"Bond Phenomenon?" Ash said
After Ash, Serena and their Pokemon had came back to Ash's house. Ash, Serena and their Pokemon were sitting and talking about what happened to them
"So you says that I also have Bond Phenomenon too?" Serena asked
"Gren!" (Yes.)
"But isn't we only get Bond Phenomenon just because of the ancient legand?" Ash said
"Gren..."(Yes, and you only saw the first part of that ancient legand. Long before I met you, I went to the Ninja Village and heard the second part of the ancient legand:
Long before I met you, I went to the Ninja Village and heard the second part of the ancient legand:
One day, then Ninja Village had been invaded by the powerful enemy who even overpowered the transformed Greninja. However, that Greninja's wife and his 2 best friend cames to helps him to fights. Their strong bond with each other somewhat results those 3 also obtained the abilities to transform. Later, that Greninja and his wife devloped another new power- Hey Delphox are you listening?)
Both Serena and Delphox were blushing so hard by hearing the word "Greninja's wife"
"So- so you means that I obtained this-this power because I-I'm in love with Ash?" Serena said
The door rings. When Ash opened the door, he saw Clemont and Chesnaught sweating a lot.
"Ash, Where is the closest Pokemon Laboratory in Pallet Town?" Clemont said