Serena's Epilogue: Paper Rings
Serena stared into the mirror. She wore her signature performance outfit that May gifted her years ago. She closed her eyes and took deep breaths. Finally, the time arrived. The performer would compete against Aria once more to claim the title of Kalos Queen. Unlike last time, Serena traversed the world much more to build more experience and unlock her potential. You will become Kalos Queen, this is your dream, Serena reminded herself between exhales. Show the world what you're made of. The blonde-haired girl thought of Ash and May. They were out living her dreams. It was her turn.
"Serena, you're on in five minutes," Palermo opened her dressing room door to inform her.
Serena nodded while still looking at the mirror. She maintained a stern expression, "I'll be right there." Palermo closed the door after Serena acknowledged her.
"This will be my best performance," Serena turned her hand into a fist. She looked at her wrist and sheepishly smiled, "At least my wrist is fine this time." Serena turned around and walked to the door. The girl slowly turned the knob. Her moment of truth was here.
Serena was in awe of the enormous crowd present tonight. It was one of the largest crowds she had ever performed for and much bigger than the first time she performed against Aria. There was a lot of hype around the second showdown between Aria and Serena, so the high attendance was expected. By this time, it was undeniable that Serena was only second to Aria amongst all the Pokémon Performers in the Kalos region. People from far and wide came to see how they'd settle their rivalry.
The girl from Vaniville Town confidently stood beside her Delphox, Sylveon, and Pancham. They were just as fired up as she was. Her Pokémon were ready to give everything they had so their trainer could finally become Kalos Queen.
Aria stood near Serena and her Pokémon. The reigning Kalos Queen was accompanied by her Delphox, Aromatisse, and Vivillion. They were just as prepared to defend the title, but Aria and her Pokémon knew the Serena they were facing this time was much more experienced. They weren't going to let their guard down.
"Serena," Aria called her name. Ash's friend turned to look at her. "Good luck," Aria smirked at her.
Serena formed a confident smile. She didn't say a word but nodded at her fiercest rival. "Let us begin with the reigning Kalos Queen's performance, Aria!" Monsieur Pierre pointed his cane at the red-haired performer.
"Right," Aria took the stage with her Pokémon. "Aromatisse, use Reflect!" Aria had the Fairy-type Pokémon create a dome-like structure of mirrors all over the stage. Their multicolor reflections glowed beautifully, which awed the crowd. "Vivillion, follow it up with Psybeam!" Aria commanded. Her butterfly-like Pokémon fired a blue wave of energy at one of the Reflects. The powerful Psychic-type attack bounced off the reflection and hit another reflection that it bounced off of. This pattern repeated itself throughout the stage.
Many people became nervous about the risky performance. They worried what would happen if Aria accidentally got struck with Psybeam, but the Kalos Queen knew better. She trained for this moment. "Delphox, let's dance!" Aria extended her hand out to her Fire-type.
Delphox nodded and grabbed her by the hand. Thanks to its psychic abilities, Delphox had superb coordination and guided Aria in their dance around the bouncing Psybeams. The crowd roared over how nimbly they avoided the blue streaks while gracefully dancing. Aria was enjoying herself. It was time to wrap up this performance. "Delphox, use Mystical Fire!" the Kalos Queen instructed.
As they continued twirling around the Psybeams, Delphox unleashed Mystical Fire. Their dancing created a unique effect where Delphox's flames enveloped Aria and Delphox like a spiral. The pair now danced like a spiraling fireball around the blue beams of energy. Everyone watching went wild and clapped for the fiery style on display. "Finish this. Take us up and light the stage!" Aria raised her arm in the air.
Delphox used its psychic powers to lift itself and Aria in their fireball into the air while avoiding Psybeam. When they reached an adequate height, they descended like a shooting star. Upon making an impact, the fireball burst into flames that consumed the field covered in Psybeams. The roaring flames captivated the eyes of every member of the audience. Then, the fire seemingly appeared to get sucked into the center of the stage until it got revealed that Delphox used its stick to absorb the fire like a black hole. Aria, Delphox, Aromatisse, and Vivillion took a bow once her Fire-type sucked in the remaining fire. Her bold and bright performance had viewers in a frenzy.
That's a tough act to follow, but we've got this, Serena firmly believed in herself and her Pokémon.
After Aria and her Pokémon removed themselves from center stage, Serena took her place with her Pokémon. How would Serena outperform Aria this time? People were about to find out. "Serena, you may begin!" Monsieur Pierre lifted his cane in the air.
Serena's eyes held an unquestionable determination as she commenced. "Delphox, use Mystical Fire!" Serena instructed.
"Del," Delphox released the powerful flames from its stick. Upon unleashing the fire, it took the shape of a Moltres that flew across the arena. People were astonished at the sudden appearance of the fiery bird-like flame. The apparition flew around the arena until it descended in front of Serena. It eyed Serena while mightily spreading its wings, which intimidated the audience behind it.
Pancham stepped up to the plate. "Pancham, use Ice Punch!" Serena pumped her fist in the air. She knew how to continue her act.
"Pancham!" Pancham got between the bird-like flame and Serena. It slammed its fist into the ground, releasing an icy blue energy that froze the fiery bird. The fire got contained within ice shaped like the flying creature. It was unfathomable but beautiful. Serena's creation was made of ice and fire.
"Quick, Pancham. Get me up there with Stone Edge!" Serena extended her arm forward. She ran toward Pancham, who slammed the ground once more. Stone pillars of blue energy spiked out of the ground, with each pillar getting taller than the previous one. Serena leaped from one pillar to the next with excellent pace and coordination until she jumped on her bird-like structure. The performer now positioned herself around its nape. People couldn't believe how Serena gracefully used Stone Edge to get herself near the top of her 12-foot sculpture.
Serena signaled Pancham to join her at the top. The panda-like Pokémon used Stone Edge and settled with Serena. The blonde-haired girl was having the time of her life. "Let's keep going. Sylveon, use Fairy Wind!" Serena called upon her Fairy-type to follow up on their performance.
"Syl!" Sylveon leaped into the air to unleash the mightiest Fairy Wind it could muster. The sparkly pink gust blew in all directions with force. Some people needed to hold down their hats as sparkles flew everywhere, but the force got concentrated on the bird of ice and fire. With enough power, Fairy Wind lifted the structure off the ground, and Sylveon used its dance moves to control the trajectory of Fairy Wind.
People gasped when they saw Serena and Pancham riding the creature around the stage with Fairy Wind underneath it to give altitude. Aria and Palermo watched with captivation. Neither of them had ever witnessed anything like this. Serena excitedly waved at the crowd. The crowd roared and waved back at her. Things got even more interesting when Serena and Pancham stood on the bird. It was nearly time to end this.
Serena pointed downward to indicate the bird's direction. As it started to descend, she made her move. "Pancham, use Arm Thrust!" Serena shouted. The girl leaped off the bird while Pancham lunged itself with Arm Thrust. With a single strike, Pancham obliterated the creation. Red and blue sparkles rained on the stage while Serena graciously floated down thanks to Sylveon's Fairy Wind. The shower of blue, red, and pink sparkles made Serena and her Pokémon stand out even more stunningly. When Serena's feet touched the ground, the four performers took a bow. The conclusion of their performance caused an uproar of thrill. There was so much excitement it seemed like the floor was shaking.
No one was more surprised by the audience's energy than Serena. Nonetheless, she didn't get her hopes up. Nothing got decided. Monsieur Pierre and Aria appeared on the stage as people pulled out their glow casters. The moment of truth was about to begin. Pierre reminded the audience that even people at home could cast their vote. Many friends Serena made from all over the world cast their votes for her. From Clemont and Bonnie to May, Lisia, and Chloe. All eyes were on Serena as the orbs gathered around Aria and Serena. Serena's votes were represented by the color pink. Aria collected votes from the color green.
Aria remained calm under the pressure, but Serena had a tense expression. She clasped her hands over her chest as all the votes came in. Her Pokémon gave Serena a nod. Serena took a deep breath. There was a quiet pause in the room as the votes accumulated. Finally, a decision was made.
"The revered title of Kalos Queen belongs to….Serena!" Monsieur Pierre ecstatically declared.
Everyone in the crowd erupted with joy and applause over Serena's triumph over Aria. The long-awaited rematch between two of Kalos's greatest performers concluded, but Serena was victorious this time.
Serena stood with Delphox, Sylveon, and Pancham. Her Pokémon were thrilled by the victory, but Serena remained frozen due to shock. She worked many years to reach this point, and now it was a reality. "I'm…Kalos Queen," Serena acknowledged with disbelief.
In her moment of shock, Delphox, Sylveon, and Pancham wrapped themselves around the performer. The affection her Pokémon gave her snapped Serena out of her shocked state. Serena started to smile with joyful tears swelling in her eyes. "We did it!" Serena celebrated. She returned her Pokémon's affection in a warm embrace. The blonde-haired girl dropped to her knees, wailing as she released the stress from the culmination of her career.
"Delphox," Delphox rested its head on Serena's shoulder. She provided warmth to the trainer, who always believed in her.
"Syl sylveon," Sylveon smiled as it nuzzled itself against Serena's face. She reminded Serena that she deserved this.
"Cham Pancham," Pancham had tears in his eyes, too. He hugged Serena around the waist to show his love for her.
"Thank you to all of you. I couldn't have done it without you," Serena calmed down to appreciate the love and support of her Pokémon.
Aria approached Serena and her Pokémon to congratulate them. "That was an amazing performance, Serena. I'm so happy for you." The former Kalos Queen had no hard feelings over her loss. She believed Serena earned the title.
"Thank you, Aria," the new Kalos Queen stood up and hugged the red-haired performer.
Aria returned the embrace. She remembered the day they first met and was proud of how far Serena had come. "Today, the most important person you made smile was yourself. I know you'll keep making people around the world do the same," Aria praised her rival.
"I will," Serena formed a confident smile through her teary eyes.
From a distance, Palermo watched the embrace between the two Kalos Queens. She nodded with approval, "Well done, Serena."
The new Kalos Queen returned to her dressing room after her victory and was surprised to find a note on the counter near her mirror. "I wonder what this is," Serena eyed it with curiosity. When she picked up the note, she read it:
Meet us at the top of the Prism Tower to celebrate ASAP!
Love,
Bonnie and Clemont
Serena smiled at the note, "I guess I'll be there!" She assumed Clemont and Bonnie felt bad they couldn't make it to the actual show because they were "busy" despite being hosted in Lumiose City and wanted to make it up to her. The Kalos Queen was excited to celebrate with her Kalos friends.
Serena stepped off the elevator that took her to the rooftop of the Prism Tower, but she didn't find anyone there. The performer sighed, "I wonder if they're late." Luckily, it was a clear and starry night. She could distract herself by observing the stars while she waited for her friends. Her eyes glimmered as they remained fixed on the balls of fire in faraway space.
Suddenly, the area became illuminated by a string of fairy lights hung around the rooftop. It was a beautiful display, but Serena wondered who activated it. "Guys, are you here?" Serena looked around with surprise. Abruptly, fireworks shot into the air from the outskirts of Lumiose City. Serena immediately looked at the fireworks display and recognized it as a message. "Serena, Congratulations!" the performer's eyes brightened from the light show. More fireworks got shot into the air in the shape of Delphox, Pancham, and Sylveon. It was a touching moment for Serena. She assumed Clemont and Bonnie summoned her to the rooftop so she could witness this, but she still didn't understand the purpose of the fairy lights.
However, the biggest surprise came when a familiar voice said her name, "Serena!"
Serena's eyes widened. The performer felt her heart beat a million times per second because she recognized the voice. She turned around to find Ash and Pikachu standing before her. The last time she had seen him was in Lilycove City when she first met Chloe. She couldn't believe the most influential person in her life was standing right there.
Pikachu leaped off Ash's shoulder and ran up to the blonde-haired girl. "Pika pikapi!" Pikachu warmly greeted the girl.
The Electric-type's greeting brought Serena down to earth as she acknowledged him. "Pikachu," Serena kneeled to pet the top of the mouse's head. She warmly smiled at him, making him coo.
"It's been a long time, Serena," Ash walked up to the girl with an apologetic smile since he failed to see her more often. His auburn eyes were as warm as ever.
Serena stood back up with a sweet grin, "Ash, what are you doing here?"
"I'm here to celebrate your victory. Congratulations, Kalos Queen!" Ash made an excited fist when he congratulated Serena.
"Thank you," the blue-eyed girl kindly bowed at him. She was grateful that he was present for her triumphant day. Abruptly, she remembered, "I thought Clemont and Bonnie were supposed to be here."
Ash rubbed the back of his head with a sheepish grin, "Actually, they're the ones running the fireworks show behind you right now. The reason they couldn't make it to your show was because they helped me and Pikachu prep all this for your victory." Ash looked around the setup.
"That explains it," Serena blushed with a giggle. Everything made sense now. "Were you at the show?" the girl asked him.
Ash nodded. "Yep, but we were pretty well hidden. This was meant to be a surprise anyways, so I didn't want you to know we were in Lumiose City," the trainer explained his intentions.
"Wow, I never would've imagined," Serena lowered her head, with her blush becoming more prevalent.
Ash's face lightened up with excitement. "You were mind-blowing today, Serena. In one of those moments when you were flying around the stage, I felt like jumping along for the ride!"
Serena smiled with amusement, "Oh, Ash. You say the funniest things."
Ash laughed with her. When the laughter settled, Serena looked up at him. "You said that you, Pikachu, Clemont, and Bonnie had this set up for my victory, but what if I had lost?" The performer wondered if she still would've seen him had she lost. The thought momentarily saddened her.
Her friend nodded sideways, "We knew you were going to win. We never stopped believing in you after all these years. I've always been in your corner, Serena, but I would've still done all this for you even if Aria won. I just wanted to make your big day as special as possible!" Ash clarified his motives.
"Ash…" Serena's eyes gleamed from the tears swelling in her eyes.
Ash's excited face turned into a soft look. His eager smile became a gentle one. "There's also another reason why I am here, Serena," the raven-haired trainer started to blush. Pikachu eyed his trainer as Ash took a few steps closer to Serena. Serena's eyes fixed on Ash as he inched near her face. "I've decided what makes me happy," Ash leaned his forehead on Serena's.
Serena felt her body shaking but took a deep breath to calm herself down. Ash could feel her minty, warm breath on his lips. "What's that?" Serena softly asked with her lips inches away from his.
"It's you, Serena, and since you kissed me first the last time, then it's my turn," Ash answered her. The auburn-eyed trainer nervously pressed his lips against hers.
At that moment, Serena felt her heart flutter with new life. She wrapped her arms around Ash's neck while his hands were on her waist. The boy of her dreams was finally in her arms. The challenges they endured brought them together and pulled them apart multiple times throughout their friendship, but love ultimately prevailed. Ash and Serena were together.
Fireworks shaped like hearts got fired in the background, courtesy of Bonnie and Clemont. When Serena separated from Ash to gaze into his eyes, she teased him. "You know, you've never been the romantic type, so I'm a little surprised that you came up with this," the performer giggled, resting her head on his chest.
"Pikapi," Pikachu snickered over Serena's comment. The mouse knew the story behind that.
Her lover timidly smiled. "Actually, Bonnie helped with that. Clemont helped more with the technical stuff," Ash admitted with a light blush and a tone of embarrassment.
Serena giggled again, "I see. Well, I'm still grateful that you went through with this. You're the best, Ash." Serena looked up at him to peck his cheek.
"Only because you bring out the best in me," Ash cradled Serena in his arms. The couple and Pikachu stared at the fireworks for the rest of the evening. Their happy ending was only starting.