Author's Notes (14)
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Full on Serena chapter, let's go.
So, this chapter's more of an experimental one as I wanted to challenge myself to NOT write Ash frequently, only referencing him and not writing his name directly. Don't worry, this is just a warm up before next chapter. And after that, M02 time bby! Chapter 60 too, at that.
Also, there's a short story near the end. But its only a small part of the whole story so look forward to the completed thing in the future.
Now, some revised words from last chapter:
No. I do not like Leon steamrolling Champions. I'm not as angry with it like some people, but disappointed nonetheless at how dirty they did Diantha. Fated!Leon is the strongest, but he's gonna be the strongest in a believable way. He's not gonna steamroll Champions but slightly on top depending on who he's battling.
If you're wondering why I'm so hung up on this, its cuz I really hate writing stuff that people misunderstand. But this'll be the last of it.
Onwards to the questions...
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From FFN:
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USSRParrot: Sooo will Ash get his sword doggo?
This is gonna be funny in hindsight, believe me. But, not yet. That's for sure.
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f46adpg: This was an amazing chapter. Connecting all the dots like that you're a genius. Ice queen Serena becoming reincarnated Arthur. Aura trio's importance downplayed to give more interests to the legendaries which are more versatile and can be used in many occasions. And using mythologies to make the world more relatable. That brings out the option of using religions for plots too so that every villain is not just wanting to conquer the world. I can only imagine how Arceus is going to be introduced. But I think the orange league can be improved a bit. And Ash is like I don't know lacking in something as a character. Like some sort of characteristic unique to him. Something that makes him unique as a trainer. For example in football a good player is very good in certain things like speed, dribbling, spatial awareness, shooting or adaptability, predicting something. Like knowing every move that someone will play. Canon Ash was very good at that and making unpredictable counters to them... Atleast in orange johto and sinnoh. Like Ash vs Clair? Claire? And Whitney's? Miltank. You should use that. Ash has his recklessness but continuing like this will make him stale as a trainer you know. Like he trains his Pokemon but can't improve himself. And try to do it slowly like starting with realising that that is his weapon against an enemy in battle starting to actively use it. Finding trainers with the same weapon as him. Him starting to use it instinctively. I'm hella excited about the next chaps
Thanks for the review, dude.
I'm surprised many ppl are theorizing Serena being reincarnated Arthur.
Religions are gonna be a thing and motivation for the story villains. However, its an original religion and not an existing one like Christianity since I don't wanna piss people off. It's fanfic. But things like Norse myths or Arthurian legends are fair game tho.
Orange League. Yeah, its going kinda fast with Ash speedrunning everything, but I really wanna get to Johto soon, man. So, for the remaining battles, I'll try my best to write them as enjoyable as possible.
Ash's uniqueness as a Trainer. It's gotta be the Fakes that he excels the most at since it parallels with Shirou. However, the groundwork is there for another unique ability Ash can use as his 'weapon' and it correlates well with Shirou. Hint: it's a 4-letter word.
Once again, thanks f46adpg for the lovely review.
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From Wattpad (Yeah, I'm lurking there for some reviews as well. You guys ain't safe):
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Kamencg: I highly doubt that Ash wont somehow be a reincarnation as well
Now, I'll reveal this right now since it doesn't impact the story at all:
No. Ash is not a reincarnation of anybody. There's too many fanfics with him being Aaron's reincarnation and it's gotten so bad that I'm starting to think it's cringe.
Besides, with what Nimue said in the earlier chapters, Ash isn't supposed to be 'here'. What that means will be revealed in the future.
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Tem_Overhaul: I have a theory since zygarde said there are aura signatures of an legendary in the handkerchief does that mean ash is an incarnation of an God?
This is both right and wrong. It'll be too easy if I say it, so get excited when this gets revealed cuz' its a massive bomb.
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And that's about it, see ya.
Chapter 58: A Queen's Treasure
Murmurs brewed among the classmates as they were curious as to how the Queen was affiliated with the cheerful Sinnoh Champion, now substitute instructor to their class.
"Hey, Serena! You know the Sinnoh Champion?! Since when?!" Calem hissed, controlling his voice to a minimum.
The honey blonde could not help but be impressed as to how the black-haired boy could speak so loudly and yet so softly. With a sigh, Serena began explaining.
"She's one of the investigators who came for my questioning along with Diantha—"
"Diantha as well?!"
"How'd you not know?! You live next to me!" Serena got irritated.
"Hey, I'll have you know that I've been practically living in my backyard these days training Chespin," Calem defended, much to Shauna's amusement.
Clap!
A resounding sharp sound struck the class as they turned to attention towards the smiling blonde woman.
"Now, now. Sere-chan aside…"
'Sere-chan?! Other than Blue, no one's ever dared called her the Queen that!' the students panicked internally.
"Don't you guys think it's about time for your first Battling lessons?"
Her question was met with roaring cheers and a fired-up Calem leading the charge.
However, three others were silently gauging the blonde woman. They even noticed a small glance thrown towards Gary by her.
'…She's strong,' Alain narrowed his eyes silently.
'Wah, even I can tell she's strong…' Blue gulped as she continued gazing at Cynthia's platinum eyes.
'Seriously?' Gary broke into a cold sweat as he was severely regretting his previously adopted Power mindset now.
…
The class got to the school's battlefield, now repaired from the explosion the other day, causing Serena to wonder what really happened back then. But as her thoughts naturally went back to the man in red, the honey blonde mercilessly crushed her train of thoughts, crumpled it into a pile of rubble and thrown into her imaginary incinerator.
"Now then, Standard 1v1. Who's up first?" Cynthia asked with a carefree tone.
"Eh? Aren't you going to teach us the basics?" a student threw another question.
"Well, I'll be honest. I'm just here since Dian-chan asked for my help regarding the school attack… And that I'm bored."
'Did she just call herself a freeloader?!' the class collectively thought.
Cynthia was not lying. The Sinnoh Region was considered the second toughest region according to battle junkies across the world with Galar, the region that focused on battling, claiming the top spot. Because of Sinnoh's difficulty, the blonde woman had never been challenged for quite some time since her Elite Four would take care of any up-and-coming Trainers, leaving her with nothing but time for her studies in myths and legends.
However, even a Champion needed a break, so when Diantha came to her for help, she readily accepted.
"Take it from me, a Champion. The fastest way to grow is first-hand experience. Just like those two over there," Cynthia grinned at the Kanto duo.
"I thoroughly enjoyed your battles… Although, you over there."
The platinum eyes glared at the orange-haired boy, affecting the latter to become paralyzed under her sight.
"You said some very audacious words with that sharp tongue of yours, didn't you? Green of Pallet Town."
'I knew it! No way a Champion wouldn't have watched the Grand League!' Gary clenched his teeth, referencing his cursed speech in front of the whole world.
"…I was wrong to say all those things," the orange-haired boy took a moment to calm himself.
"At the time, it was my way of coping with the loss of my friend, but still, I understand it's no excuse to hurl those insulting words towards my opponent."
"A friend… No, my best friend talked me out of it, or rather, he beat it out of it. That stubborn blockhead struggled his way to have his showdown with me, never once giving up on me. That's why, even if I'll never make up for all those grave mistakes, I'll never let his efforts go to waste and repent for them."
Gary's stalwart words had Blue smiling at him as she saw the orange-haired boy's resolute jade green eyes. The boy's answer as well as his acknowledgement of his crimes were met with a satisfied smile on Cynthia's face.
"If I didn't know any better, I would've thought you were a different person, Gary Oak," the blonde woman snickered.
"I sure hope so…" he muttered, not wanting to relapse back into his past self.
…
The class were then grouped into pairs with the same number that represented their turn. The first pair was Calem and Gary.
"So, you're gonna be my first battle, huh, Gary!" Calem grinned.
"Hey, I wasn't the one who drew the ballot," Gary gave a mirthful laugh.
Calem and Gary went to their respective sides as they prepared for battle.
"You ready, Gary?!" the black-haired boy whipped out his sole Pokémon's capsule.
'That's my line, man…' Gary gave a silent nod.
Meanwhile, the spectators were having a blast.
"Who's gonna win? Gary or Calem?" Cynthia asked the students.
"Gary."
"It's Gary."
"Definitely Gary."
"The Tactician."
That last one made Gary's brow twitch in annoyance since he was not a fan of that nickname. He cursed Battlers Board internally.
"Let's do this, Chespin!" Calem summoned his Pokémon giddily.
From the Ball came out a bipedal hedgehog that seemed to be wearing a spiky hood of green. Instinctively, Blue pulled out her PokéDex, attracting the attention of the other students since they had never seen a First Gen Dex. The only Dex they were aware of was the Sixth Gen Dex which was created by Sycamore.
[=]
Chespin, the Spiny Nut Pokémon.
The quills on its head are usually soft. When it flexes them, the points become so hard and sharp that they can pierce rock. Such a thick shell of wood covers its head and back that even a direct hit from a truck wouldn't faze it.
[=]
As Chespin twirled around the battlefield, Gary switched his demeanour to his battle-ready position and summoned his own Pokémon with one smooth movement, raising Calem's excitement higher.
"Porygon, in."
A bright flash of summoning light dissipated as it revealed a pink and blue polygon Pokémon, surprising the spectators as well as Calem.
"Eh?! What's that Pokémon?!"
"A Pokémon I won in Celadon City at the Game Corner. Apparently, it's an artificial Pokémon capable of entering cyberspace," the orange-haired boy grinned in return.
This time, Serena scanned the Pokémon with her thin encyclopaedia with information reflecting on its tempered glass screen.
[=]
Porygon, the Virtual Pokémon.
A Pokémon that consists entirely of programming code. It is capable of moving freely in cyberspace. Porygon is capable of reverting itself entirely back to program data and entering cyberspace. This Pokémon is copy-protected so it cannot be duplicated by copying.
[=]
The students were in awe of such a Pokémon, eliciting a proud huff from the Porygon.
"Wait a minute, I've never seen you using Porygon in the Grand League!" Calem accused comically.
"Porygon's been in my PC and my reserve for some time, dude. Wait, don't tell me… Did you think I only had 6 Pokémon?" Gary questioned incredulously at the black-haired boy.
Seeing the sheepish expression of the boy, the orange-haired boy sighed as he could almost see Calem as a parallel of a certain numbskull who he knew all too well.
"Every Trainer has at least 6 Pokémon to make a full team and at least another 6 for a secondary team just in case," Gary lectured.
"Right now, I have 10 Pokémon caught with 4 of them in the ranch."
The black-haired boy understood what he was saying, silently scolding himself for his naïve assumptions.
"It's about time we start. You ready for your first loss, Calem?" Gary smirked.
"Hah! You're gonna be the one grovelling, Gary!" Calem trash talked back.
And they were off.
"Chespin, use [Pin Missile]!"
"Back, then right."
Three small rockets of green throttled towards the polygonal creature, only for the latter to skid backwards, evading the first two and skidding again to the right, avoiding the last one.
"Yo, that's some creepy movement!" Calem shuddered at the unnatural movements of Porygon.
In response, Gary merely shrugged as he awaited his opponent's next move.
'Back and right… Don't tell me…' Calem hypothesized before going for it again.
"Chespin, I got it! [Vine Whip]!" the boy commanded while pointing at a certain spot.
The green hedgehog noticed his Trainer's finger and understood where he was getting at before launching two tentacles of green from its 'hood', hurling them towards Porygon.
"Right again," Gary simply ordered.
However, as the first whip missed its skidding target, the second one redirected its course towards Porygon's new position.
Bam!
The Virtual Pokémon was finally struck, causing the spectators to cheer wildly at Calem's first blow.
"Cal got him! He landed a hit!" Shauna beamed at her sweetheart.
Tierno and Trevor watched in amazement as their childhood friend drew first blood in his battle against Gary Oak of all people.
Even Serena was similarly impressed as to how Calem was able to think that quickly. But a sideward glance at Blue's nonchalance told the honey blonde everything she needed.
'That boy thinks fast on his feet. But…' Cynthia observed before veering her eyes towards the calm expression of the orange-haired boy.
All the attention got Calem squirming with embarrassment and yet, the excitement of his first battle and his first attack had the black-haired boy clenching his fists in exhilaration.
"…Not bad, Calem. You noticed just from one glance," Gary cracked a smile.
"Yeah! Porygon can only move in 2 dimensions, right?" Calem confidently revealed.
Now with the secret of Porygon's movements revealed, Chespin went into action.
"[Pin Missile] on all four sides!"
"Hari!"
Chespin obliged as missiles of grass sprayed around the polygon creature and a smack down from [Vine Whips] delivered the real attack.
Bam! Bam!
"Alright!" Calem pumped his fist with Chespin mirroring his Trainer's expression.
Meanwhile, Porygon was visibly bruised with blow marks scratched onto its polygonal body. All the while, Gary watched with a soft snicker at the black-haired boy and Chespin.
'Good grief… He really looks like him,' he smiled to himself.
"You're doing it, Cal!" Shauna cheered louder.
"Win this, Calem!" Tierno and Trevor encouraged.
Serena and Blue stayed silent with Cynthia joining them. It was then the chestnut-haired girl allowed a little smirk to show on her face.
'We can finish this! Gary made the wrong move using a reserve against me,' Calem went for it.
"Trap it in one spot, Chespin! [Vine Whip] on both sides!"
"Hari!"
Twin ropes of green shot out again, cutting off the Virtual Pokémon's exits.
'Okay, now Porygon can't dodge this!' the black-haired boy grinned.
"[Tackle] straight ahead!"
And Gary finally retaliated.
"[Tri-Attack]."
"…Eh?"
Three energy beams of fire, lightning and ice erupted from Porygon's beak as they spiralled together into one singular attack that blasted Chespin directly.
Boom!
A battered hedgehog tumbled backwards towards the black-haired boy as it stood with heavy breathes.
"Chespin!" Calem cried out before turning back to Gary.
'He lured me into his attack range!'
"Focus up. [Psybeam]," the orange-haired boy called out.
A ray of psychic energy beamed towards the hedgehog, prompting Calem to react against it.
"Chespin, on the ground! [Vine Whip] outta here like we practiced!"
The Spiny Nut Pokémon nodded as it laid flat on the ground and shot out its two ropes of green and dug them into the earth in front. Then, with all its strength in its [Vine Whip], Chespin pulled itself away from the [Psybeam] attack, successfully dodging it.
'Gary's gotten aggressive!' he gritted his teeth as Porygon approached faster.
"Chespin, cover its right side with [Vine Whip]!" Calem swiftly retaliated towards the polygon creature in front of Chespin.
'Alright, now that its right side's blocked. And now…'
"[Tackle]!" Calem cried out.
The black-haired boy was observant enough to notice his starter was right-handed. So, a body blow like [Tackle] would result in Chespin using his right side as the prime attacker, meaning Porygon's left side. With no way to go but left, Porygon was heading straight towards Chespin's attack.
'And Porygon can't go backwards because of the inertia!' the black-haired boy observed, confident in his victory.
"I win, Gary!"
Finally, the orange-haired boy smirked back with overwhelming confidence that one could mistake for arrogance.
"Jump, Porygon," Gary revealed, much to Calem's horror.
The [Tackle] from Chespin was evaded as the polygonal creature propelled itself into the air, shocking Chespin in the process.
'It can jump?! But that's…!'
"Finish with [Tri-Attack]."
The last thing Chespin saw was a flurry of elements descending upon it.
Boom!
Calem stared with widened eyes at the defeated sight of his starter.
"Chespin's unable to battle. Therefore, the winner is Gary Oak!" Cynthia announced.
The crowd went wild as Gary showed his signature victory pose, though three others were still shocked at Calem's loss.
"But Cal had him right on the ropes…" Shauna mumbled in disbelief.
Gary then went up to Calem and Chespin, handing a Sitrus Berry for his Pokémon.
"Here. Get him something well-rounded," the orange-haired boy stated as he fed the fainted Chespin the food.
At once, the hedgehog shot up from his fainted state and happily munched on the Berry with delight.
Then, Calem returned Chespin as it finished its food and thanking it for the battle. The black-haired boy wore what Gary would call a 'sore loser's face' and began questioning the orange-haired boy.
"You lied! Porygon could move 3 dimensions, you prick!" Calem clamoured by referencing the Pokémon's ability to jump, much to Gary's entertainment.
"True, Porygon has always been able to move normally. But…" Gary grinned.
"I didn't lie."
Now Calem was really confused. But then, he began playing back their conversations during the battle.
"All those times you said that Porygon could only move 2 dimensions, I've never once denied nor accepted them."
'That's right… He just shrugged,' Calem realized now.
"But… But… Then, why did you…!"
"Why did Porygon and I pretend to do exactly that? Simple. It's all for that last attack where I caught you off guard," Gary explained.
It finally dawned on the newbie Trainer that he had been dancing to Gary's tune since the beginning.
"Listen well. And this is to you guys as well!" the orange-haired boy demanded every budding Trainers' attention.
"A Pokémon Battle isn't a straightforward clash of power. There's also a psychological aspect to it. Calem's predictions and observation was very well done from the limited information he had."
Gary's praise towards his opponent had Calem slightly moved.
"But in the end, it's just that. 'Limited' information. His assumptions dictated his actions and so, closed off every other possibility the battle could go."
"In the end, you can't trust your opponent's words nor their expressions. They could be pretending to be in pain, only to launch a surprise counterattack; or evading every move you make to expose the moves you have chosen for the Standard battle, thus revealing your entire hand."
'Those were all his doing…' everyone was beginning to see the bigger picture.
"It all boils down to you. Trust yourself and your Pokémon. Listen to their voices."
'I'm such a hypocrite,' Gary sighed to himself.
"And then there's a certain someone who'll just obliterate every single obstacle in his way. But that blockhead's an outlier," he added, getting his classmates to laugh as they knew who he was referring to.
"Calem. Take this first loss as motivation to get stronger. I'll take you on anytime," Gary grinned.
"…Yeah! I'm gonna surpass you, Gary!"
The two shook hands and returned to their friends, giving way to the next pair to battle.
"Thanks for doing my job, Tactician," Cynthia smirked teasingly.
"You're welcome. Fork over half of your salary," Gary shot back sarcastically.
The orange-haired boy did not really care much about the Sinnoh Champion since he had a sneaking suspicion that she was here to shirk off her duties. He respected her as Champion, but as a person, that remained to be seen.
"That was a nice thing you did," Serena nodded her approval.
"You looked really cool, Green," Blue blushed slightly.
"Really? I thought I came off a little condescending."
"Yeah, you definitely did," Serena and Blue said simultaneously straight-faced before erupting into giggles.
'These two…' Gary popped a vein in irritation.
The turns went by fast as most of the friend group won their respective matches, much to Calem's disappointment. The boy was doing some comical hand movements beckoning them to 'come over to the losing side', unaware that everyone was using that as motivation to win instead.
And then, it was Serena's turn.
'My opponent is…' the honey blonde narrowed towards the opposing side.
"Let's have a fun battle, Serena!" Kimia waved from the other side.
"Yeah!" the honey blonde replied, though her motivation was not as high as the princess.
'Well, I guess I'll join the lose- I mean, Calem in the losers' side,' she glanced at the black-haired boy beckoning like an inviting stranger.
'Hold on. I have a feeling this girl's bullying me!' Calem got aggravated suddenly, seeing the 'heh' on Serena's face.
"Hey, Serena! Do you want to make this battle interesting with a wager?" Kimia suggested with a devious tone.
Seeing how she was aware of her lack of motivation; Serena saw no harm in adding a little fun with some wager. And what came next was…
"Then if I win, can I have a date with your red-eyed knight when he arrives?"
…
…
…
'Ooooooooiiiiiiiiiii, Kimia! So, you haven't given up, have you?!' everyone panicked with Alain flinching a little at the bold wager.
Everyone was aware of the affection Serena held for the raven-haired boy as well as the terrifying intimidation that earned her 'Ice Queen' image. Creaking their heads, they turned towards Serena who had her eyes shadowed by her honey blonde bangs.
'Oi, idiot! That's the princess! Don't do anything rash!' Gary's heart was racing, already on its thousandth lap.
Everyone was practically begging the honey blonde to act out in a jealous fit.
"Oh, does that mean you're accepting the wager, Serena?" Kimia lit up as she summoned her partner.
It was a humanoid maiden-like Pokémon with blue hair and white body that resembled wearing a tutu.
"Kirlia!" the princess' Shiny Pokémon introduced itself.
'I'd be impressed if I wasn't so goddamn scared shitless right now!' Gary sweated harder.
'Where's that dummy when you need him?!' Blue's hands shook in terror.
Across the battlefield stood a honey blonde opposing the princess of Azoth, dressed in her school uniform. Silent and still as her expression was masked by her shadowing honey blonde hair. None dared to utter a single word as they feared what was coming.
"Hey, Kimia."
"Right now, I've been dealing with a lot of things. Confusing and frankly unbelievable stuff. If I'm being honest, I'm not really in the best of moods right now."
"And now this wager. You're my friend and the princess of the Azoth Kingdom. So, I'm going to say this with as much restraint and respect I can muster:"
"I choose you, Fennekin."
Serena summoned her starter, Fennekin. The yellow fox already getting the gist of the situation, got into position, and growled at her opponent with fierce eyes.
'Waaahhhhh! She said it! She said the thing!' Blue fangirled from within.
A wave of freezing intimidation emitted across the battlefield as everyone was mercilessly frozen by the honey blonde's revealed expression.
There was nothing within her eyes. No light nor darkness.
It was indifference. Pure, cruel indifference.
The freezing cold eyes of royal blue reflected her Origin perfectly.
With a forbidden gulp of air, Kimia faced her demeanour-shifted opponent:
A tyrant of fiendish frost.
The irony was not lost on them as the Ice Queen had a Fire starter as her Pokémon.
"Square up, Your Highness."
"I'll keep you company till I win."
.
.
.
"It's over… She just disrespected the princess," Calem was beginning to fade away.
"But… I kinda see how Kimia's the one being disrespectful here," Shauna watched sympathetically at her childhood friend with Blue agreeing with a nod.
"Imagine being separated from the person you love for more than half a decade, then some stranger declares to have a date with them all of a sudden… Yeah, I'd be pissed as well," Gary defended Serena's actions, imagining himself in the girl's shoes.
Meanwhile, Kimia and Kirlia were both nervous at the uncharacteristic honey blonde's indifferent eyes. It was so bad, they had to look away momentarily lest they be petrified by them.
Cynthia watched with increased interest at the honey blonde. Her opinion of Serena was that of a kind and hospitable girl if her interactions during the questioning were anything to go by. Now, seeing the honey blonde's tranquil fury bubbling to the surface had her fascinated and excited to see what her battle style was shaping up to be.
'What an interesting girl,' she smiled, not the least intimidated by Serena.
Fennekin's growling kept the timid Kirlia in check while Serena was sorting out her messy thoughts which was amusing since the former was supposed to be the timid one.
'To think this is how Origin works…' she discovered as she recalled her late-night talks with the Zygarde Cores.
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"Hey, Squishy, Puni-chan? About my Sovereign Origin… Was I a ruler in my previous life?" Serena wondered curiously.
"We can confidently say you were. Although, you seem to be misunderstanding your Origin," Squishy said.
"A sovereign could mean a King or a Queen. That's the definition, true. However, a princess or even a humble leader could be who you were back then too," Puni-chan explained.
"Hmm…" she hummed in understanding.
"Well, that's reassuring. I was worried if my Origin's going to force me into becoming some heavily responsible monarch or something…"
"I'm afraid that's about to change, Serena," Squishy sighed to Serena's confusion.
"Once someone becomes aware of their Origin, they begin exhibiting traits of their Origin more regularly. As for Sovereign, our first Incarnation, who shared the same one as yours, was extremely talented in their kingship duties. Be it ruling or negotiations, to even inspiring with charisma."
The honey blonde marvelled at her own attributes that came with Sovereign.
"But you need not worry, Serena. I'm sure you'll put them to good use…"
.
"If you're not making the first move, then I'm going to," Serena simply declared.
'Oh no! I must strike first!' Kimia snapped out of it.
"Kirlia, [Psybeam]!" the princess ordered to which the Shiny Pokémon let out a spiral of Psychic energy towards the yellow fox.
"Fennekin, the same."
The yellow fox obliged and breathed out a similar spiral of Psychic energy.
Boom!
Unfortunately, Kirlia's [Psybeam] came out on top as the beam of purple landed a clean hit onto Fennekin.
"Fou!" the yellow fox yipped in pain.
"Oh no, Fennekin!" Shauna gasped in worry.
"Don't worry, the damage was halved from that initial clash," Gary assured as he narrowed towards the battlefield.
'Damnit, this is hard. Kirlia's got the upper hand with its Psychic typing and STAB bonus. What's more, Fennekin and Serena are amateurs in battle compared to Kimia,' he began scrambling for a way out.
Although losing the upper hand, Serena maintained the calm expression of indifference, opting to scan Kirlia with her Dex.
[=]
Kirlia, the Emotion Pokémon.
It is said that a Kirlia that is exposed to the positive emotions of its Trainer grows beautiful. This Pokémon controls psychokinetic powers with its highly developed brain. Kirlia uses the horns on its head to amplify its psychokinetic power. When the Pokémon uses its power, the air around it becomes distorted, creating mirages of non-existent scenery.
[=]
'Tch, it's a middle evolution as well?' Gary clicked his tongue as he used his own Dex to find out it was an evolution of a Pokémon named Ralts.
"Hmm… This won't be terribly hard after all," Serena hummed to herself as she finished reading the entry.
'Oi, Milady just said some pretty outrageous stuff!' the orange-haired boy whipped towards the girl in alarm.
"Are you that confident, Serena?" Kimia asked with a convictive smile.
"My partner and I have been training since I was 7 with the finest instructors, you know."
'7 years old… That's around the time Pikachu…' Blue calculated.
"And you said it 'won't be terribly hard'? No offense, Serena, but that sounds a lot like arrogance. Kirlia's a lot stronger than your beginner levelled Fennekin."
That struck a nerve on Fennekin as she went from being uncomfortable with her dishevelled tail to getting heated towards the princess and her Pokémon.
"Fennekin, calm down," Serena said without malice.
"Fou?"
"She's right, we're still inexperienced. But…" the honey blonde let a tiny smirk show on her face.
"I've been watching someone stronger."
"Fou…"
"Will you trust me, Fennekin?"
That determined nod was all the honey blonde needed as she shifted back to her opponent: The thieving princess.
"I don't know what you're planning, but you're not escaping this, Serena!" Kimia declared as she called out another attack.
"Fennekin, hold it in your mouth…" Serena instructed her fox.
"Fou," the yellow fox's mouth began emitting smoke.
"Kirlia, use [Double Team]!"
The Emotion Pokémon multiplied into a few copies, surrounding the poor fox within moments as it prepared another attack.
"Finish it off with—"
But before Kimia could utter another word, Fennekin skipped forward towards a certain copy. Serena had already identified the correct one.
"[Scratch] the right one from your front, Fennekin."
The yellow fox extended her claws and swiped it onto Kirlia, feeling her sharpness contacting the humanoid Pokémon gave her a confidence boost.
"Kir!" the Emotion Pokémon wailed as its copies vanished and left itself with a mark on its arm.
'No way! How did she know?!' Kimia bit her lips in frustration.
However, the Pallet duo stood up from their seats in excitement as they recalled a certain match in the Prelims.
"Don't tell me…!" Gary could hardly keep his composure as a wide grin made its way on his face.
"That way of identifying is…!" Blue gasped as she recognized how Serena knew.
"Kirlia's shadow, Kimia. That's how I knew," the honey blonde elucidated for the princess.
"You would've known if you watched the Prelims."
The class watched as a smug smirk was plastered upon the Ice Queen's face.
"If you wish for a date with my beloved knight, watching his battles is the least you could do, no?"
"Princesse."
Serena's drawling tease dripped with sarcasm, eliciting a pout from Kimia.
'It's about time…' the honey blonde reminded herself.
"Let's finish this, Kirlia!" the princess fumed with her partner agreeing with her.
"Fennekin, it's time," Serena said with Fennekin getting into position.
The two Pokémon dashed towards each other; the gap closed within seconds.
Kimia wondered why the yellow fox's mouth was emitting wisps of smoke, but she knew that whatever Serena was planning, Kirlia was still faster.
"Finish it off! Kirlia, use—!"
And the princess made her most fatal mistake: turning towards Serena.
Or more specifically, her royal blue eyes.
The orbs once exuded indifference, but as Kimia gazed upon them as she called out her final strike, Serena's eyes glared tempestuously with overpowering pressure. The tyrannical oppression was more than enough to choke Kimia out of her commands as well as terrify the people in her vicinity, except a few.
'What the—?!' the friend group collectively shivered in fear at the air Serena was exuding.
As Kimia was frozen in fear, so too did Kirlia.
With those two stunned, Fennekin finally unleashed Serena's plan. A delicate finger found its target, the fearful Kirlia, and it was all over.
"To ashes…"
"[Flamethrower (Fake)]."
Fwwwwooooooosssshhh!
And the snout that held countless [Embers] was released, bursting out dancing devourers that burned their enemy straight on as well as scorching the battlefield due to the immense pressure they were subjected to within Fennekin.
Thud.
The blue-haired Pokémon dropped to the ground, unable to withstand the flames that erupted point-blank.
"Kirlia's unable to battle. Therefore, the winner is Serena Yvonne!" Cynthia whistled, amazed by Serena's performance.
"What… the hell? She's even using the Fake moves…" Gary could not help but give a crooked smile.
"Seems like she's been studying him waaaaayyy too closely," Calem shielded himself from the emanating heat.
The class were still in shock, mesmerized by the honey blonde girl who turned towards them. Her porcelain skin glistening with sweat while her yellow fox jumped within thin yet strong arms.
With repeated motions of her palm waving some cool air under her glistening neck, Serena finally smiled victorious, mirroring her starter.
"Phew… It's hot…"
…
"So that's her battle style. Quite unique, don't you think?" Cynthia commented to the two experienced Trainers.
"It's quite unsettling, to say the least. I don't really wanna battle her," Blue shuddered, still reeling from the immense pressure Serena radiated.
The Pallet trio had their own specialties incorporated within their battle styles.
One of them used movie genres to make her Pokémon the leading stars as she directed the battles' scenarios.
Another used airtight strategies and predetermined failsafes to carve one way to victory.
The last one used Fake moves and borderline insane out-of-the-box tactics as his weapons.
Directing, Strategy and Imitation.
Such were the Pallet trio's styles.
And now, in her first battle, the honey blonde had already created her own style.
One that did not rely on her Pokémon's capabilities but herself:
Intimidation.
'She basically applies pressure and fear onto the opposing Trainer and disrupt the commands given to the Pokémon,' Gary surmised.
'What's more, Kirlia's the Emotion Pokémon. What Kimia felt gets translated into it as well from what the entry said. Paralysis through fear…'
'…Well, damn. I knew she was scary but to be able to weaponize it in battle… Even I don't wanna go up against that.'
Serena walked leisurely towards Kimia, who was almost definitely sulking as she returned her Shiny partner. Without a word, the honey blonde extended a hand towards the princess.
"I guess this means I win the wager?" Serena gave a cheeky grin.
"That was unfair, Serena!" Kimia argued with a pout but accepting the honey blonde's hand, nonetheless.
"All's fair in love and war, Kimia. Besides, you asked for it when you put him on the line. Princess or not, I'm not about to let that slide."
"…Fair enough. Sorry about that, Serena. I just couldn't get those red eyes out of my head…" Kimia flushed upon remembering the raven-haired boy's bloodred eyes.
"Well, can't blame you there. That dummy's way too good-looking for his good," the honey blonde agreed while she sported blushing ears.
When it came to the boy and his good features, Serena could not help but join in as the biggest supporter of the raven-haired boy.
'Again, which part of that idiot's 'good-looking'?!' Gary and Blue retorted with a thousand-yard stare.
"Sorry about my outburst, Kimia. That was out of line on my part."
"It's fine, Serena! I would've acted the same way in your shoes so don't worry," Kimia shook her head at the bowing girl.
The two friends reconciled after that little wager and returned to their seats. Awaiting the two were their peers being apprehensive towards the honey blonde except for a very devious Calem, who had his attention on the Azoth princess.
"Come, come, Kimia! Join the losers' side!" the black-haired boy beckoned evilly, eliciting a chuckle from the princess as well as a fist from Shauna.
Once again, Serena glanced at her classmates to find them avoiding eye contact with her, prompting a sigh.
'Was I really that scary?' she wondered.
…
Soon, the sparring matches came to an end with everyone in the friend group in the friend group more or less satisfied with the results, save for Calem. Kimia, who was in the same boat as him, was taken away from said boat by Serena, who reconciled with the princess.
"Haaaaah… This still sucks…" Calem murmured loudly to everyone's sympathy.
"Um… Shouldn't you have gone easier on him?" Shauna whispered to Gary as she could not bear to watch the depressed black-haired boy.
"Do you want me to inflate his ego?" the orange-haired boy shot back, silencing the tanned girl.
"Listen, Shauna. Everyone's scared of defeat, that's natural. Sure, winning's a great feeling but if the victory is hollow, there's no point."
The Kalos natives listened to the sagely advise Gary gave as he was an experienced Trainer who went through the same things as they did, albeit a little younger.
"Not to brag but I started out a winner. I kept winning against a certain someone until he was defeated so badly that in his shoes, anyone would've given up… But not that guy."
"That guy's as stubborn as a mule, and believe me, that's an understatement. He may have lost against me more times than anyone, but he never stopped improving. Every time he falls, he climbed higher until finally…"
The ends of his mouth tugged upwards.
"He won. And he won when it mattered. So, there's no need to be sad."
Those reassuring words gave Calem the confidence boost he needed, flipping his depressed into becoming fired up.
And school came to an end.
.
.
.
Hotel Richissime, Lumiose City.
"There's some interesting students in my class," Cynthia said to herself.
Her thoughts turned to Gary, Blue, and Alain. Those were the ones she labelled as strong while Serena, Kimia and Calem were ones she called 'highly potential'.
'However, that man isn't here at all,' she pondered, still waiting for a sign of the saviour that protected Serena.
Since there were no evidence suggesting the man in red was in Kalos, Cynthia, who was brought in as a helper by Diantha, could relax and focus more on her duties as a teacher instead.
Speaking of being a teacher, her thoughts were clouded with one particular student: Serena Yvonne-Gabena.
Interested, she began to read the honey blonde's profile report whilst remembering something in her time in the girl's house.
'That presence I felt in Serena's home… It was vivid,' Cynthia narrowed her eyes as she recalled the feeling akin to the Land slithering around her.
"It's like a Legendary Pokémon… Well, at least I get an excuse to read more about Kalos' myths," the blonde woman smiled to herself.
She did not feel threatened by the unknown God that lingered in the honey blonde's home, though she felt a chat might be appropriate. Her reasoning came in the form of her guardian protector.
Cynthia was aware that her family had a guardian deity watching over them since the days of old which was the reason for her thirst for knowledge regarding myths and legends. Although she was still not privy to her God's identity, she trusted it as it had never failed to protect her thus far. And since her guardian deity did not seem to mind Serena's own protector, Cynthia was more comfortable.
'But seriously… Does Serena know about her guardian?' she wondered, not knowing how on point her hypothesis was.
Vaniville Town, Kalos Region
The honey blonde was preparing some macarons and Poké Puffs for Fennekin as a reward for her first battle with the Zygardes joining them in their celebration.
"Using intimidation as a tool in Battles? Quite creative," Squishy commented.
The two Cores were already accustomed to Serena's house and quite lax in their demeanours, telling Serena that her bedroom was more comfortable than their previous quarters in Terminus Cave. Although the honey blonde wished to visit the Cave since it was her (pending) Guardian Deities home, the Zygarde Cores talked her out of it since the Red Suits may be lurking within there.
"Indeed, that is also a trait of the Sovereign Origin. Well done, Serena," Puni-chan approved with a sagely nod.
"But that doesn't make me feel better though…" the honey blonde wailed to the Cores' amusement.
"Still, Azoths… We distinctly remember a royal family by that name," Squishy said as it munched happily on a macaron.
"Hmm? You know them?"
"Yes. Or rather, the Kingdom's inventor, Nikola if we recall. For a human, he was able to create an artificial soul using arcane science, or Alchemy if you will. It was bewildering, to say the least."
Serena hummed in acknowledgement, already used to the outrageous things the Zygardes would suddenly spring up and as a result, the girl was too tired to freak out for her sanity's sake.
Soon after, they heard the house's locked door clicking open, startling the occupants as the Cores hurriedly turned invisible, but not before devouring all their share of remaining desserts. They were not about to surrender those delectable sweets to anyone else.
"I'm home, Serena!" Grace announced, noticing her daughter and Fennekin lounging at the dinner table.
"Hi, mom! Guess what? Fennekin won her first battle today!" the honey blonde praised as she held her starter snugly in her arms while two invisible Cores were seated on her head of honey.
"Oh, isn't that amazing?! You guys did great!" Grace exclaimed happily.
'S-safe…' Serena sighed with her Pokémon following suit.
Her mother would have a heart attack if she knew that the Verdant Guardian was sharing the same roof with her.
"Serena, heads up. We're overdue for your Rhydon riding lessons," Grace grinned mischievously.
"The horror…" Serena rolled her eyes, not looking forward to the weekends.
…
Night soon fell after dinner with Serena and Grace turning in for the day.
After a long cold shower, the honey blonde went towards her PC. However, she frowned after finding not a single call for her.
'Maybe he's busy…' Serena pouted, getting withdrawal symptoms already.
After her embarrassing way of laying claim to the raven-haired boy today, she could not help but crave for his attention as well as to see his face again. However, she was not unreasonable as she knew he was still focused on the Orange League and knew she would get to see him again on TV.
"Fou!" Fennekin yipped from the bed, curving a smile from Serena.
"Alright, alright. I'm coming," she said as she turned off the PC.
The Cores were positioned close to the honey blonde as well on the right while Fennekin snuggled close on the left. They had entered a routine where Serena would read them a nursery rhyme or storybook from her massive wall of books in her bedroom. Her childhood was built with them as its foundation, after all.
It was because of those countless stories that she was able to adapt quickly to Squishy and Puni-chan's knowledge. Inwardly, she could not help but be grateful to those fairy tales.
"Alright, what do you have for me?" Serena asked the yellow fox, who had a book in her mouth and placed it onto her Trainer's laps.
"Wow… this is nostalgic," the honey blonde smiled fondly at the book.
"The Princess & The Blacksmith?" Puni-chan read the title.
"Yes. It's an old folktale that's known for being a tragic story…" she explained with Fennekin drooping her ears sadly.
"But…" the girl patted the yellow fox's head gently.
"To me, it's my favourite story."
'Yeah… It's a tale of tragedy and yet...'
The Cores and Fennekin nestled close to Serena as she began reading.
'I can't help but find it beautiful.'
[][][][][][][]
The Princess & The Blacksmith
Once upon a time, there was a princess who lived with her clansmen. A child by her elders' view, yet an adult from her position as the princess. But even with such power, the princess was still a girl that longed for freedom.
One day, she decided to play some ways far from her settlement with her Pokémon, enjoying the freedom that came with it. By the time she realized it, the princess found herself lost in her ways back home. Thankfully, she found a cave to shelter her and her friends from the night and frightful Pokémon that wandered about.
Rustle, rustle.
A Pokémon sprung to the princess, asking for help frantically.
The kind princess accepted without hesitation, following the Pokémon. As they reached the end of the cave, she encountered a fellow human.
It was the Pokémon's Trainer, an injured and broken boy. A weary traveller from a land faraway with the scars of war prominent on his body.
"I ask of you, reveal thy name."
The haughty princess demanded his name, to which the ragged boy laughed.
With a raspy voice filled with an edge as sharp as a blade and a smile warmer than a thousand forges, he spoke impertinently:
"I am but a humble blacksmith."
[][][][][][][]
Serena's reading was cut short as she was interrupted by soft snores from the three occupants in her bed, eliciting a small chuckle from the girl.
"Good night, you guys," she laid herself next to them, covering themselves with her pink blanket.
As her eyes became heavier, she began to wonder what the raven-haired boy was up to. Her closing thoughts filled with the memories of their days in summer camp, the happiest time of her life.
'Where are you now?'
A tyrant's style.
'I miss you so much.'
A tale of Fate.
'Talk to me soon…'
Chapter 58: The Queen's Treasure
'Red...'
Author's Notes (14.5)
.
There's a small reference about Nikola from M19 by Zygarde. While Bulbapedia calls him an expy of Nikola Tesla, I found that a certain Servant from FGO suits him even better:
Paracelsus von Hohenheim (Caster). The producer of the Sorcerer's Stone as well as the 3-star Servant that saved my ass whenever I need NP gain up.
Nikola was described to be a master of arcane science which suspiciously sounds a lot like Alchemy which Paracelsus was known for. And you know what sealed the deal?
Paracelsus is the creator of the AZOTH Sword! You can't make this shit up. And from the description of the Azoth Sword, it's hella similar to the Soul-Heart, albeit a nerfed version (the power source part) and not sentient.
.
Yep, Intimidation is Serena's uniqueness as a battler. I've always felt like people focus too much on the mons but not the Trainers themselves. There was a time where I called Fated!Serena Batman, and there's where I got the idea of her version of the Bat-glare(lmao).
You could argue that intimidating the other Trainer is something anyone could do, and you'd be correct. But with what Zygarde said about Origins and Serena being the only person in the world having Sovereign, that Intimidation evolves to fkin' Conqueror's Haki (P.s I've never watched One Piece but I've heard good things about it) due to her talent in it. She excels in it, second to none in Fated.
So yeah, Conqueror's Haki(lmao) is Serena's strength in battle. It's useful and doesn't rely on her mons but herself, making it a believable way to beat others. PLus, Kimia's been trained with her shiny Kirlia, but that's in a controlled environment with instructors and such. So technically, Serena and Kimia were on the same level in terms of experience but the former came out on top due to watching Ash's battles and her own OP Origin.
.
The big question:
NO, THIS IS NOT A HAREM FIC. ONE IS ALREADY A PAIN IN THE ASS TO WRITE.
If Ash starts falling in love with another girl, that's just bad writing on my part and I'll die before that happens. So, lemme make this clear.
Fated!Ash is OBSESSED with Fated!Serena, evidenced by his little episode during Chapter 43. His preferences in girls is basically her. As long as it's Serena, Ash will only pine for her. Though, there'll be a running joke about said preferences.
.
The short story. I dunno if it's good or not. It's my first time writing a folk tale that I just came up on the spot. So, do tell me whether it's passable or could be improved.
And that's it. See you guys next time!