Chapter 30: The Archer
The following day May and her friends were gathered at a Pokémon Center. They were discussing the news relayed to her by Wallace last night. "I guess that means you'll head to Castelia City next?" Clemont inquired.
May nodded, "That's right, Wallace says he needs me there immediately." She was disappointed by the reality that as soon as she came out of her hiatus, the coordinator had another commitment.
"I wonder what proposal he wants to make to you," Serena pensively placed her fingers on her chin.
"Then that means we're heading to Castelia City, Pikachu!" Ash announced to his friend. He didn't give the idea a second thought.
"Pika!" Pikachu was ready to tag along for their next destination.
Serena eyed Ash and May with slight jealousy. He didn't even hesitate, the girl from Vaniville Town tried not to make her jealousy too obvious. However, she wasn't good enough to hide it from May.
"Clemont, can we go?!" Bonnie begged with her hands clasped together.
"Nenne," Dedenne joined Bonnie in her request.
Clemont sighed, "Bonnie, you know we have to return to the gym by this evening. I have other responsibilities." He wished he could accompany his friends, too.
"Aw, you're right," Bonnie remembered with disappointment.
"Then I guess we'll be saying goodbye today?" Ash put his hands behind his head. He looked at Serena, Clemont, Bonnie, and Dedenne. He would miss his friends, but seeing Serena's disappointed expression caught his attention. Serena looks like she's taking it pretty hard, Ash remained unaware of what bothered the performer.
Before he could say anything to comfort her, May interjected. "Serena, why don't you come with us? The next contest in Hoenn isn't for another few weeks," the coordinator suggested.
May's offer surprised Serena. She didn't think negatively of May, especially after their discussion last night. Nevertheless, she assumed the brunette preferred to travel with Ash alone due to her feelings for him. Serena thought about it. Serena seemed unsure of May's invitation. If there was potential for them to get together, she didn't want to get between the coordinator and the trainer. "I'm not sure," Serena shyly grinned. The performer rubbed her boot against her leg while she contemplated it.
"C'mon, Serena, you know it will be fun!" Ash made an excited fist. His bright auburn eyes beamed at her with insistence.
Serena didn't expect Ash to insist. Maybe he's too dense to notice what's going on, unless…Serena remembered May's belief that Ash felt something for Serena, he just hadn't fully acknowledged it.
Suddenly, May grabbed her hands. "Please come. We can talk about combination attacks and tips to improve each other's coordinator skills. We might even get the chance to shop. Imagine how many stores we'll get to explore in Castelia City!" May's eyes illuminated with excitement.
The Kalos girl could tell May was hyped about the idea. With Ash and May's insistence, how could she refuse? Serena warmly smiled, "Alright, I'll come!" She decided it would be nice to spend more time with them.
"That's great!" Clemont cheered for Serena's decision.
"I'm jealous, but in a good way!" Bonnie was gleeful over the result.
Ash eagerly crossed his arms, "Speaking of Pokémon coordinating, why don't you have a battle? It'd be fun to watch the two of you practice before we split up."
"Huh?" Serena gasped. She nearly wanted to kill Ash in that moment. Me against May?! Is he crazy?
May looked at Serena with a confident smile. She liked the sound of that, "That actually sounds pretty fun. Don't worry, Serena, this will be a good experience for the both of us." The brunette knew the blondie might feel some intimidation about the faceoff.
"We'll root for the two of you," Clemont encouraged his friends.
"I can't decide who I want as the winner," Bonnie found herself in a dilemma. Serena was flattered that the little girl believed she could defeat May.
"As long as both of you have fun, I don't think it matters who wins. Just give it your best!" Ash worked his magic by reminding the girls what mattered.
With words like that, Serena realized Ash was right. Regardless of the outcome, she'd have fun and gain plenty of experience from battling May. "Alright, let's have a battle then!" Serena became motivated.
"That's the spirit," May got fired up. She was excited to challenge her new rival.
Clemont served as a referee for the battle while Ash, Bonnie, and their Pokémon watched from the sidelines. Luckily, the Pokémon Center had a battlefield they could perform on. Serena stood on one end while May stood at the other end. "This is a one-on-one battle between Serena and May. There will be no switching Pokémon during the battle. Whoever faints the other Pokémon first is declared the winner," Clemont recited the rules.
"Don't hold back on me, May. I'm going to give this everything I have," Serena winked at May.
"You bet I won't. I'll make sure to bring out the best in you," May winked at Serena.
The girls smiled at each other as they grabbed for their Pokéballs. They hadn't even called out their Pokémon yet, and it was already shaping up to be an interesting faceoff. "Begin!" Clemont swung his arm down to indicate the start of the match.
"Skitty, take the stage!" May brought out her kitten-like Pokémon.
"Pancham, come on out!" Serena summoned her panda-like Pokémon.
"Serena has the advantage with Pancham being a Fighting-type," Bonnie remembered that Skitty is a Normal-type.
"Good job, Bonnie," Clemont was proud of his little sister's knowledge.
Bonnie giggled, "Thanks!" She loved it when her nerdy brother praised her intelligence.
"We'll see how May works around that. I have a feeling we're in for a good match," Ash and Pikachu eyed the battle with interest.
Pancham arrogantly crossed his arms. He was not intimidated by the top coordinator, "Pancham pan."
"Nya nya nya," Skitty eyed Pancham mischievously. She swung her tail back and forth as if prepared to pounce on the Kalos Pokémon.
Serena extended her arm forward, "Pancham, use Stone Edge!"
"Cham, Pancham!" Pancham slammed the ground, causing blue pillars to erect as they charged toward Skitty.
May smirked, "Not starting with a Fighting-type move? Interesting." The coordinator pointed at the stones, "Skitty, leap over them."
Skitty immediately ran toward the incoming Rock-type attack. Serena, Clemont, and Bonnie were perplexed by the move. Ash and Pikachu predicted May's counter against Stone Edge. Skitty gracefully jumped onto one of the blue pillars and hopped from one to the next without taking any damage.
Clemont gasped, "It's using Stone Edge as stepping stones to get closer to Pancham!" The gym leader found the counter brilliant.
"Yeah, I've seen that before," Ash was impressed that even a small Pokémon like Skitty could counter Stone Edge in that fashion. He remembered when Pyroar used the same technique to counter Tyranitar's Stone Edge.
Pancham's jaw dropped as the pink cat came for him. "Don't let up, Pancham!" Serena warned Pancham not to let surprise ruin its guard.
"Now, Skitty, use Tackle!" May yelled, punching her fist forward.
"Nyyyaaa," Skitty leaped off the last stone and lunged toward Pancham.
Serena swung her left arm to the side. "Pancham, use Arm Thrust on the ground!"
May raised an eyebrow, wondering what that would do. "Pan cham!" Pancham's paw glowed. The bear-like Pokémon slammed Arm Thrust on the floor hard enough to create a cloud of dust that ruined Skitty's accuracy.
"Nice one, Serena and Pancham!" Ash cheered for the performer, catching May by surprise for a second, but quickly recomposed herself. Serena smiled, but she remained focused on the battle. Bonnie and Clemont were just as impressed with the method Serena and Pancham used to outwit May and Skitty.
Skitty's Tackle hit nothing except dust after Pancham used Arm Thrust as cover. "Clever," May smiled over the tactic. Her Kitten Pokémon purposely rolled on the ground to absorb the force from missing her target.
"You haven't seen anything yet," Serena smirked. "Pancham, use Dark Pulse!" With the dust cloud as cover, Serena's Pancham fired a sneaky Dark Pulse at Skitty.
"Skitty, counter with Double Slap!" May ordered. She knew what she was doing.
"Nyaaaa!" Skitty saw the incoming Dark-type attack. It somersaulted in the air and swung its tail to send Dark Pulse back.
"Cham!" Pancham cried in pain as it got blasted out of the dust cloud. Now, Pancham was visible to his opponents.
Ash got psyched up from watching the battle, "Awesome, May and Skitty!" May winked at the raven-haired teen, who pulled the brim of his hat to hide a subtle blush. Bonnie and Clemont didn't notice since they focused on the battle.
Serena disregarded any exchange between Ash and May. Stay focused. We can't win if we're thinking about anything else. The performer reminded herself.
Pancham winced in pain as it stood up after receiving its own attack. "Let's go, Skitty, use Blizzard!" May barely gave her opponents a chance to catch their breath.
Serena wasn't deterred. She knew how to counter, "Pancham, counter with Ice Punch!"
Skitty fired the powerful ice attack from its paw while Pancham's paw glowed icy blue. The Playful Pokémon charged at Skitty's Blizzard. Pancham's Ice Punch allowed it to cut through the attack and endure the force of the wind. "Pancham!" Pancham proclaimed that it wouldn't give up.
"Impressive," May nodded with approval. "Skitty, kick it up a notch!" the coordinator demanded.
"Nyaaaaaaaa!" Skitty meowed. It added more power to Blizzard, which caused Pancham to face more resistance.
"Don't give up. We can do this!" Serena expressed her belief in her Pokémon. Pancham clenched its teeth as it slowly pushed against the powerful Blizzard.
Bonnie stared with awe, "How can Pancham punch through that Blizzard?"
Clemont adjusted his glasses, "Pancham's special ability is Iron Fist."
"Which gives any punching moves added power," Ash added. Bonnie acknowledged her friend and her brother's words. The three spectators and their Pokémon were impressed by Serena and Pancham's tenacity.
"Paaaaan!" Pancham gave nearly everything he had into Ice Punch. It pushed itself through with a leap, successfully striking Skitty.
"No way!" May put her hand over her mouth in shock.
Skitty squealed with pain when it felt the icy force. "Wrap this up with Arm Thrust!" Serena didn't waste their opportunity.
Pancham kept Skitty at close range to allow for multiple strikes. The Fighting-type delivered various jabs that made the Kitten Pokémon cry in pain. "Cham!" Pancham used his final strike to send Skitty crashing to the ground.
"Nya!" Skitty whined with pain. A cloud of dust formed upon making an impact on the floor.
Serena confidently grinned to see what the outcome was. Ash and Clemont also carefully eyed the battlefield. There wasn't movement for several seconds, prompting Bonnie to ask, "Is it over?"
"Not yet," May proudly grinned with clenched fists. When the dust cleared, Serena and the others were shocked.
Skitty was on all fours, playfully swinging its tail and smiling. "Nya nya," the pink cat cried.
"It barely took any damage!" Bonnie shouted with astonishment.
"It's too high-leveled," Clemont noted. He knew this battle wouldn't be easy for Serena.
"And look at Pancham!" Ash noticed. The auburn-eyed trainer knew Serena would have difficulty battling with Pancham's current condition.
Serena frowned, "No, Pancham is infatuated." She hoped she'd find a way to snap her Fighting-type out of the status effect.
"Courtesy of Skitty's Cute Charm ability," May held a peace sign. The coordinator believed victory was assured now.
Clemont rubbed his chin, "Remarkable. May anticipated physical attacks from Pancham, so it allowed Skitty to take the hits so Pancham would fall under Skitty's Cute Charm. Now it won't be capable of attacking."
"Pancham, snap out of it!" Serena tried to break through Pancham's attraction, but the little bear twirled around hopelessly with heart-shaped eyes.
"Skitty, Assist!" May wrapped up the battle.
Skitty happily nodded. It lifted its paw into the air to use Assist. What move would come out was anyone's guess. All they knew was it would be from one of May's Pokémon. Then Skitty's paw started glowing white with white energy particles gathering around it. Serena pleaded with Pancham to get his senses together, but Pancham remained charmed.
"If Pancham doesn't snap out of it, this is over," Clemont nervously clenched his fists.
"It's about to get hit with Solarbeam!" Bonnie panicked.
"Dedenne ne!" Dedenne also worried for his friend.
"Serena, Pancham," Ash muttered. Pikachu looked at the intense look in Ash's eyes. They supported Serena and May in the battle, but watching either one lose would not be easy.
Skitty's Solarbeam finished charging. The kitten aimed it at the confused Pancham, "Nyaaaa!" Skitty cried as the bright beam fired. Serena clenched her teeth when Solarbeam blasted Pancham. Unsurprisingly, when the light faded, Pancham was unconscious.
"Pancham is unable to battle. Therefore, the victory goes to May and Skitty!" Clemont raised his right arm to declare the winner.
Skitty skipped over to May with a satisfied demeanor. May kneeled to pet her kitten, "That was wonderful, Skitty. Take a good rest."
"Nya nya," Skitty smiled as she got recalled into her ball with the red beam.
Serena recalled Pancham and looked at his ball. "You did the best you could do, Pancham. That's all that counts, and I'm proud of you for it," Serena put his Pokéball over her heart. Then she placed it away.
"Sorry you lost, Serena," Bonnie sympathetically looked at Serena.
"You did your best. Against a top coordinator, no less," Clemont grinned, praising his friend for her efforts.
"A loss is never easy, but don't forget how hard you fought together and let that make you better for the next battle. I think you two were amazing out there," Ash approached Serena, placing his hand on her shoulder to remind her of how fantastic she was.
"Pikachu!" Pikachu added praise to Ash's remark.
"Thank you, everyone," Serena appreciated their praise, but she blushed over Ash being so close to her. She lowered her head to hide her reddening under her fedora.
May walked over to them, noticing the interaction between Ash and Serena. The brunette sighed, then gently smiled. She came up to May, "Serena, you were incredible. If it weren't for Skitty's high stamina, I think this battle would've gone in a different direction. You have a lot of potential to become a top coordinator and Kalos Queen." The sapphire-eyed coordinator winked at her friend.
"I appreciate that, May. I learned so much from battling you," Serena bowed with thankfulness. She felt better to receive such high praise from May, Ash, and her other friends.
May nodded with delight, "That's good. I'd love to battle you again sometime."
Serena nodded back with a poised smile. "Next time, I'll remember to avoid physical attacks against Skitty," the Kalos performer enthusiastically noted.
Abruptly, a stomach grumbled as loud as a Snorlax's. Serena, Clemont, Bonnie, Dedenne, and Pikachu looked at Ash. "Ash!" Bonnie scolded her usually hungry friend.
Ash was startled by the accusation. "It wasn't me," the boy put his hand behind his head.
"Actually, it was me," May raised her hand with shame, trying to laugh it off.
"Looks like Ash's appetite has competition," Bonnie joked when May confessed.
"I hope you're stocked up, Clemont!" Serena jested as the friends continued their laughter.
"Always, I'll whip something right up!" the Lumiose Gym Leader pulled out a basket. "I anticipated a situation like this one," he proudly announced.
Bonnie cautiously eyed the basket, "That's not going to blow up, is it?"
"Of course not!" Clemont became defensive, making his friends laugh even more.
After calming down, they all agreed to organize a picnic on the pasture outside the Pokémon Center. It would be their last meal together. Everyone sat together on the blanket while Clemont finished cooking a stew for all of them.
"May, you have no idea how awesome Clemont's cooking is. Wait till you get a taste," Ash praised his friend.
"My brother is an amazing cook, for sure!" Bonnie energetically threw her hands in the air.
"They're right. You haven't lived till you try Clemont's food," Serena giggled.
Pikachu and Dedenne cheered for Clemont as they happily ate the Pokémon food that Clemont prepped for them. "No praise is necessary," Clemont modestly laughed while he stirred the stew.
"Wow, all this hype is going to make me drool. I'm so excited!" May squealed with her hands pressed together like a child.
Clemont fetched plates for each of his friends and started serving them stew. "Here's one for you and you and you and you!" The electric gym leader happily went around them in a circle.
May took a spoonful of the stew. Upon slurping it, her eyes turned into hearts, and she swore she could see stars for a second. "Clemont, this is delicious!" the coordinator praised the gym leader.
"Tasty as ever!" Serena expressed after taking a spoonful.
"You've done it again, big brother!" Bonnie raised her spoon in the air with some stew around her lips.
"I can't get enough," Ash slurped his stew as if it'd be his last. In his carelessness, he spilled some on his blue shirt. "Aw, man," the trainer regretted eating so fast when he felt the stain.
"Ash!" May and Serena nagged him with their hands on their waists.
"And I thought I was the kid," Bonnie teased after taking another spoonful.
Ash apologized for his sloppiness, scratching the side of his face with his finger. "Fret not, we'll get that cleaned up after lunch. For now, I hope everyone has room for dessert. Courtesy of Serena!" Clemont revealed a tray of PokéPuffs.
"Good thing Chespin isn't here," Bonnie joked, remembering Clemont left Chespin in charge of helping Clembot with the gym's maintenance while he was away.
"I'll take one," May reached for one after finishing her stew. When she took a bite, she pictured herself blasting off into space. The girl put her hand on her cheek, "Serena, I'm speechless," the coordinator gushed.
"You're too much, May," Serena became bashful due to May's compliments.
"Serena's PokéPuffs are the best," Ash grabbed one for himself and Pikachu.
Bonnie teased Ash again when she fetched one for herself and Dedenne. "Careful not to get frosting on your shirt, too." They all laughed over Ash's childlike antics.
The friends were enjoying themselves so much that they failed to notice that the noon came and went in the blink of an eye. In the afternoon, everyone gathered at the Laverre City Port, where they prepared to say goodbye to Clemont and Bonnie.
May stepped forward to wish them adieu. "It was wonderful meeting you, Clemont, Bonnie, Dedenne," the sapphire-eyed girl warmly smiled at her new friends.
"Likewise, May, we wish you all the best on your journey!" Clemont reached his hand out. The brunette happily shook it.
"We're going to miss you!" Bonnie put her small hand over May and Clemont's handshake.
"Dedenne ne," Dedenne jumped onto the grouping between the three friends.
"I'll make sure to stop by the Lumiose Gym one of these days for another battle," Ash reminded Clemont with a confident attitude.
"Pika pikachu!" Pikachu made a fist while he stood on Ash's shoulder.
"I'm counting on it," Clemont smirked. He would wait for Ash and Pikachu's return.
"We'll be waiting," Bonnie giggled. She looked forward to the day.
Then, the siblings turned their attention to Serena. Clemont reached his hand out to Serena, "Good luck with the rest of your contests in Hoenn, Serena."
"Thank you, Clemont," Serena pulled him into a hug. Reminding the boy genius how much she cared for him. The Lumiose Gym Leader slightly blushed for getting caught off guard. "Don't be a stranger," the performer stated when she pulled away from him.
"I won't," Clemont sweetly nodded.
"I'll make sure of it!" Bonnie chimed in.
Serena kneeled to hug Bonnie with Dedenne between them. "Goodbye, Bonnie and Dedenne. Bonnie, you take care of your brother until you find him someone special," the performer teased.
"Oh c'mon," Clemont sighed, the glare on his glasses hiding his dismayed eyes.
"You know I will," Bonnie giggled with a soft smile. A tear formed in the corner of her eye that Serena brushed aside with her finger. The performer kissed the little girl on the head.
"Aw," May fell in love with the sight while Ash and Pikachu admired Serena's affection for her friends.
The siblings boarded their ship and waved from the deck until they were gone from sight. Now, it was only Ash, May, Serena, and Pikachu.