A/N: hey there! Funny how the first story I've ever "brainstormed" even before I started writing here was an Ash and Serena story and, until now, have never written amour. But hey, today's the day I finally start! I'm an XY fan at heart so of course this has been on my mind for ages, so I'm super happy I'm finally getting to it. I think now that I have a little bit more experience with writing I can finally write about this awesome ship with at least some confidence hehe.
Just as a heads-up, I'm planning on making the chapters more on the shorter side (I'll aim for ~5k a chapter), especially compared to my other stories, mainly because I think it'll give me some leeway in terms of posting so I can try to update at least a little more frequently, though no idea how that's going to turn out if I'm being honest. I'm still actively working on my other story currently in progress, and already updating just that proves to be quite difficult at times with my usual 10k+ words a chapter, so yeah, I'm being cautious with how long I make these chapters.
But enough about my rambling on how I can't stick to an upload schedule, you're here for an Amourshipping story after all! So without further ado, I hope you enjoy my attempt at writing about this awesome pairing!
Snowbelle Heartstrings
Few places in the world had the popularity and fame to possess a slogan recognized by thousands of people from all over the globe, yet The City of Everlasting Winter, more commonly known as Snowbelle City, was one of them.
Located in the eastern part of the Kalos region, Snowbelle City was home to some of the most beautiful scenery in the region, notably by its breathtaking snowy atmosphere and surrounding mountain tops. Truly, a place to behold.
That being said, for one particular raven-haired trainer, the white trees, cold air and grey clouds surrounding the famous city made him wonder why on earth he was currently walking around in this snowy landscape when he had way, way bigger issues at hand.
One of his two companions joining him on his trek, a quiet yet adventurous maroon-haired girl, noticed his mental questioning and called him out on it, seeing as it was far from the first time today she had seen the same perplexed look on his face. "Come on, Ash! Cheer up already! Look how awesome this place is!" She exclaimed, taking in her wonderful surroundings.
"I know, I know…" Ash replied, a little annoyance present in his tone. "It's just, I can't help but feel I really should be training right now…"
"Oh please, training this, training that, that's all that's ever on your mind!" Ash's other companion, a peppy and eccentric girl that Ash knew all too well, argued back while giving him a "friendly" slap to the back, as she would probably put it. "Besides, I thought you liked adventuring!"
"I do… just not when I really should be preparing for the biggest tournament of my life instead." Ash replied, narrowing his eyes slightly on his companions. His tone didn't go unnoticed by Ash's two companions, who seemed to back off a bit after realizing Ash's clear uneasiness and stress, something which neither of the two girls would've ever thought they'd see.
Ash realized pretty quickly that he had created a more sombre mood with his complaining and felt bad almost immediately. He knew they were just trying to help, something which he really was grateful for, there was no reason for him to take it out on them.
Ash took a deep breath, mainly to calm himself down, before saying, "Hey look, I'm sorry you two, I know you're just trying to cheer up, I really do appreciate it. This whole Masters Tournament thing has just really been messing with my head recently."
He saw his two companions on either side of him smile in sympathy and felt a smile creep on his face as well as he continued. "You two are right, maybe a little time off would do me good, and seeing a Pokemon Showcase again could be fun! Thanks again for inviting me, Chloe."
"No worries, Ash!" The maroon-haired girl replied in a cheerful manner. "I can't wait to see a Showcase in person!"
"You'll love it, I'm sure of it!" Ash similarly chirped back. Though, turning his head, he saw the overly goofy grin of his other companion, which seemingly reminded him that he still couldn't quite believe who was joining Chloe and him on their little adventure.
Ash narrowed his eyes slightly, still a little in disbelief, as he said something out loud that he had been thinking ever since she had shown up earlier today. "I still can't believe you're here, Dawn…"
The bluenette let out a childish laugh, before excitedly replying. "What can I say, I'm just full of surprises!"
As Ash heard Chloe snicker a laugh, he thought back as to how exactly he ended up in this situation, trekking through an annoying amount of snow on his way to a Pokemon Showcase of all things, in Snowbelle City of all places, with Chloe and Dawn of all people.
Earlier that day, at Cerise Laboratory in Vermillion City, Kanto…
'Argh… I should really teach Lucario another move instead of Reversal, there's no point in him having two fighting-type moves…" Ash thought, his frustration mounting, as he marched down the metallic floor.
'Maybe Dragon Pulse…? No, that's dumb… I have dragon-type coverage with Dracovish… Ah! Bone Rush, I need ground-type moves if I face Steven's Metagross!" Ash's face abruptly lit up, passing through some metallic doors leading to inside the lab. He didn't seem to pay attention as to where he was going, so much so Pikachu, walking next to him, was forced to move a random box from his way before he inevitably tripped on it.
Ash frantically shook his head. "Wait no no… Reversal could be good if Lucario takes too much damage, and considering who he's facing there's no way that doesn't happen, maybe Aura Sphere is the problem…"
Pikachu saw Ash's face contort into disgust at his own thought as the Pokemon opened the wooden door leading to the main area of the lab, where two of Ash's good friends perked up at the sound of someone arriving, not that Ash noticed.
'WHAT AM I THINKING!?' Ash practically screeched in his mind, as Goh, sitting at the absent Professor Cerise's desk looking up some recent information gathered by Project Mew, and Chloe, sitting on the couch reading a book, abruptly stopped their activities to stare at a lost Ash. 'DID I ACTUALLY THINK ABOUT MAKING LUCARIO FORGET AURA SPHERE!?'
"Argh, I'm losing my head!" Ash complained out loud this time, as he abruptly laid on the couch next to Chloe, the latter closing her book as she raised an eyebrow and glanced at him.
"You can say that again…" Chloe said, snickering a laugh, as Pikachu suddenly jumped into her lap and greeted the girl. Chloe smiled, before scratching Pikachu's chin. "Hey there, Pikachu! What's got Ash so conflicted this time?"
"Let me guess…" Goh started, still browsing through the private files that were sent to him. "You were trying to figure out if Pikachu would be a good choice if you faced Cynthia in the 3v3 round, considering he's strong against Milotic and Togekiss but weak against a potential Gastrodon and the inevitable Garchomp."
"I think that was last time actually." Chloe corrected Goh, making the latter silently 'oh' in realization.
"No, this time it's worse…" Ash explained, putting a hand in his face tiredly. "I was trying to figure out which move to have Lucario potentially learn and actually thought about making him forget Aura Sphere for a moment…"
Chloe and Goh grimaced rather loudly as they both turned to look at Ash, with Goh saying. "Yep, something is definitely wrong with you."
"I know, I don't know what's wrong!" Ash complained, throwing his hands in the air, frustrated. "Everyone is working hard and training really well but something about me feels off, I can't think straight!" He explained, referencing the fact his Pokemon were getting really strong and feeling great, but, personally speaking. he was having trouble with his training.
Indeed, whether that'd be forgetting one of his Pokemon's own moves during a practice battle with Goh, to thinking his Sirfetch'd's Fury Cutter was super-effective against his Dragonite during one of their multiple sparring matches between his own Pokemon, it was clear Ash was in over his head.
He didn't know what was wrong with him. He had never gotten nervous or stressed about a big battle before but this time, with the Masters Eight Tournament fast approaching, Ash couldn't help but overthink everything and anything. He constantly doubted himself over trivial matters and couldn't seem to focus, which for a good week now, was incredibly apparent to Goh and Chloe.
Seeing him in and around the lab for the past few weeks, Chloe and Goh admittedly started getting worried about him. They understood Ash's stress, after all, it's not every day you get the chance to face off in a tournament of Champions with celebrities from all over the world competing to become the very best, but this wasn't him. Getting caught up with the minor details and constantly being too hard on himself for, in his eyes, failing at what he's supposedly good at, safe to say Goh and Chloe were also getting anxious just watching him.
They had tried to get him back on track, whether that be supporting him or talking to him directly about his troubles, but he always avoided their attempts to cheer him up, with his excuse always being that he just needed to train harder and be better. Goh and Chloe knew more than anyone that the last thing he needed at the moment was training, he needed to fix up his mentality before the Masters Tournament, or else Ash would ruin his shot at challenging some of the best Pokemon trainers in the world.
Goh and Chloe glanced at each other and sighed, though they shared a small smile afterwards. Whilst they were both pretty concerned about him, even his own Pokemon were, the reality was that Ash was overthinking his situation ten-fold. His Pokemon were stronger than ever and Ash had proven multiple times at this point he could hang with the very best, besting ex-Masters Eight competitors, Champions and Elite Four members over and over again. His actual battling ability, even whilst being lost in his own head, was better than ever. He truly had everything going for him and just needed his confidence back.
Goh and Chloe just hoped that would happen before the tournament kicked off.
Goh abruptly stood up and sat next to Ash and Chloe on the couch, looking at Ash with a smile as he said, "Ash, you're thinking too much about this."
Goh paused for a brief moment, surprised to hear those words ever come out of anyone's mouth, let alone his, before continuing. "Your Pokemon are really getting strong, and you've faced most of the people in the tournament already! There's no need to be so worried about how you'll do!"
Ash sighed, but before he could reply, Chloe piped up, "Goh's right! You've got everything going for you and you know better than anyone just how strong your Pokemon are! You have to stop thinking about who you're facing and what this tournament entails, just be confident and enjoy yourself!"
A knock at the door was suddenly heard, making Chloe's face light up a little as she quickly checked her Rotom Phone, the two boys not noticing her sudden excitement. Goh was about to go and answer, but Ash surprisingly beat him to it, standing up from his makeshift therapy session and walking mindlessly towards the door.
"I know, you guys have been telling me the same thing for the past week…" Ash started exasperatedly, as he got closer and closer to the door, the creaking of the wooden floor being heard through the heavy silence after his words.
"It's just hard, you know, we're talking about the Masters Tournament!" Ash said, raising his voice a little just as he put a hand on the doorknob at the entrance of the lab. "I know my Pokemon are strong but… the only two people I've even had a close battle with are Iris and Alain… one of which I've never even beaten before and they're considered my best bet to win even a single match!"
As Ash opened the door, he thought about what he just said and his mood dampened at his own words. He had never beaten Alain and he was convinced Iris went a little easy on him when she faced him before… then there's Diantha and her Mega Gardevoir, Lance, the king of Johto and Kanto whom he has looked up to since he first started battling… and Ash didn't even know at this point considering his state of mind if he could even touch any of Steven's, Cynthia's or Leon's Pokemon…
'Man, this is rough…' Ash couldn't help but think as he finally opened the door. He had to cover his eyes a bit to avoid being blinded by the sun, but he could very well see who was in front of him. It was a familiar face after all.
Goh and Chloe also caught sight of who was at the door, but their expressions better conveyed the shock of the person now standing in the doorway. With a grand smile, she raised her arm in front of Ash, who appeared to be too distracted by his own thoughts to fully comprehend who had surprised them.
Chloe excitedly stood up, happy to see the person she was secretly awaiting had arrived, and Goh's look was of utter shock and confusion.
'At this point, I'm just hoping I don't embarrass myself too badly…' Ash said in his mind, still in his own thoughts. He looked at the person in front of him, a bluenette with the biggest grin on her face holding her hand up high, and nonchalantly met her raised hand with his own, the motion seemingly being a force of habit.
"Hi, Ash!" The girl excitedly said after the boy in question reciprocated her high touch, as she walked past him to greet his friends.
"Oh, hey Dawn." Was all Ash replied, in a non-bothered tone. Goh and Chloe narrowed their eyes in disbelief, wondering if Ash had completely lost his head at this point.
'Maybe I should use some of my other Pokemon…' Ash quickly thought, before dismissing the idea just as fast. 'No… that'd be mean to Lucario and the others, they're the ones who fought this entire tournament so far-'
Ash paused, his entire body freezing as he played back the events of what had just happened whilst he was lost in his own thoughts. He blinked a few times, wondering if he was just imagining things, but turning around rather alarmingly, he saw that no, he hadn't just imagined the person he thought magically entered the lab, as she was right there in front of his eyes greeting Goh and Chloe.
"... DAWN!?" Ash screeched, getting the attention of the others in the room. Goh and Chloe simply stared at Ash, unamused, as Dawn innocently replied back.
"Huh? What's up, Ash!" She said just as Pikachu jumped into her arms, greeting her as well. "Hey, Pikachu! How've you been!?"
As Pikachu saluted Dawn cutely from her arms, Ash frowned at Dawn's bluntness in her reply, before saying, "What do you mean "What's up"!?... How!?... When!?... Why are you here!?"
"I'd like to know that too actually!" Goh quickly said as well, siding with Ash for a moment. Not that he minded, but he was baffled as to why the girl had suddenly showed up out of nowhere.
Dawn giggled at the two boys' cluelessness, before suddenly pulling Chloe into a sudden side hug. "Chloe over here missed me so much she couldn't stand not seeing me for too long and invited me over!"
"S-Sure…" Was all Chloe first said, as Ash and Goh gave Dawn quite an unamused look before she explained the truth. "Well, basically, Dawn and I have been planning on going on a trip for a while now, and today's the day!"
"Really?" Ash and Goh said simultaneously, arching an eyebrow each. They knew Dawn and Chloe had become quite good friends after bumping into each other multiple times now, but they were surprised to see they seemed to have kept more in touch than they thought.
"Yes really." Dawn mocked, to the slight annoyance of the two boys. "We're going to Snowbelle City in Kalos!"
"Snowbelle City!? Ash couldn't help but exclaim. It had been a while since he had heard of the place and naturally was quite shocked. He had obviously been to the location before, having some of his fondest memories from his Kalos journey there…
'Man… That feels so long ago…' Ash couldn't help but think, as a smile started creeping on his face, thinking back to those times.
"That's awesome!" Goh exclaimed, unintentionally stopping Ash from taking a trip down memory lane. "Though, I gotta ask, why Snowbelle City?"
Dawn and Chloe shared a look, before exclaiming together: "We're off to see a Pokemon Showcase!"
"A Showcase!?" Ash abruptly screeched again, causing everybody to look at him strangely. He didn't mean to shout it out so loudly, the words seemed to slip out of his mouth on their own.
"Yeah…" Chloe started, wondering like the others what about Showcases had Ash so on edge. "Have you heard of them?"
Ash quickly recomposed himself, before replying. "Yeah, I have… An old friend of mine actually used to compete in them."
"Seriously!?" Dawn piped up a little too intrigued, admittedly causing Ash to laugh a little as he nodded. "That's so cool! They seem so different from contests, but similar at the same time. I've always been curious about seeing one in person!"
As the topic of Showcases started flowing between everyone, Ash found himself zoning out, as the sounds of Dawn, Chloe and Goh talking started becoming incomprehensible whispers, as his thoughts drifted back to that old friend of his…
Serena.
Ash smiled, the memory of his and Serena's short but sweet reunion that one fateful day in Hoenn not too long ago still fresh in his mind. He still regretted not being able to talk to her more, too occupied battling Wallace during the day to even witness her Contest Performance, and forced to bid her farewell after a painfully brief exchange of words at the docks that same evening—though not that he could have known she was there in the first place. Nevertheless, he couldn't shake the wish that the day had unfolded differently, a feeling that lingered ever since the moment he lost sight of her at the docks, as the boat sailed farther away, up to the present day.
It had been so long since he had seen her, too long Ash would clarify, especially considering how much history he had with her. From being forgotten childhood friends to having a fateful reunion and going on a wild journey across Kalos to finally going their separate ways chasing their own dreams after creating unforgettable memories… there was no way Ash could ever forget her…
He was happy she seemed to be doing well. Despite seeing her for the shortest minute or two Ash had ever experienced, she seemed to have grown quite a bit. He was admittedly a little sad he hadn't seen her growth in person like during his time in Kalos, but Ash knew he and she were both busy chasing their dreams, becoming a better version of themselves, and that's what was important.
Well, that's what Ash kept telling himself anyway.
"What do you think, Ash?" Dawn abruptly asked, to which she received no answer from the person in question.
Dawn and the others looked at Ash for a few moments, awaiting an answer, to no avail. Dawn pouted before calling out to him again. "Hello~, Earth to Ash!?"
"Huh? What's up?" Ash quickly said, finally coming back to his senses. Goh and Chloe looked mildly annoyed, seeing Ash zone out for the millionth time this week alone, but Dawn's look was more concerned.
"Is something wrong, Ash? You seem kind of out of it today." Dawn asked with a softer tone this time.
"I do!?" Ash asked, a little concerned about what sort of impression he was giving. "I-I'm fine… just have a lot to think about." He said, opting not to go into details as to what had him distracted this time.
"Is it your training? Chloe's been telling me you've been having some troubles with that."
And just like that, there went Ash's good mood from thinking about sweet memories… as he remembered his current day problems.
Ash gave Chloe an annoyed look for spreading his personal struggles to Dawn, to which he received a smug look in return. Ash sighed, before addressing Dawn again, opting to use his training struggles as an alibi to change subjects. "Yeah, I don't know what's wrong… my thinking is all messed up and I just don't know what to do half the time."
"Nervous about the Masters Tournament?" Dawn swiftly assumed out loud what Goh and Chloe had been thinking for a while now.
"What!? Me, nervous!? Never!" Ash quickly defended himself. He was never nervous or stressed about a battle before, that went against his motto! Yes, this was the Masters Tournament… Yes, he knew he had only properly beaten just one of the members… Yes, he knew he might never get into the Masters Eight again… Yes, he knew he might never come this close to reaching Leon again…
"Okay! I might be a little nervous, but can you really blame me!?" Ash suddenly shouted, appearing a lot more defensive than he wished to. His friends looked at him in sympathy, knowing he probably didn't feel this way very often.
"Ash…" Dawn said worriedly. Ash frowned slightly as Dawn approached him with a goofy grin, before she flicked the top of his hat playfully, much to the annoyance of the trainer in question.
"Come on, cheer up! After all… you know thinking isn't your strong suit in the first place!"
Ash was really starting to regret opening the door just a moment ago.
"Just relax, and have some fun while you're training! I don't want to see one of my best friends all tensed up over some tournament! Plus, I'm sure your Pokemon don't want to see you like this either, right Pikachu?"
Still in Dawn's arms, Pikachu made a peace sign with his paws, something which Dawn copied, as the duo stared at Ash.
Goh and Chloe forced themselves not to laugh, as Ash sighed and shook his head. "I get what you're saying… Goh and Chloe have been telling me for days, but it's just not that simple…"
Ash looked at the ground, defeated. No matter how much he tried to stay positive and encourage his Pokemon to be better, it was hard when he had the constant feeling in the back of his head that he was doing something wrong, that this or that wouldn't work, that he should be spending his time better, that he simply wasn't good enough...
He wished he knew what was wrong, he wished he could just… snap his fingers and make him go back to normal, just shrug it off, tackle the challenge head-on with no stress or fear as to what could happen like he always did, but he couldn't.
Seeing the silence he had installed in the room and not wanting to have the exact same conversation with Dawn that he had with Chloe and Goh already a dozen times, Ash opted to leave. "I need to clear my head again, I think I'll go for a run. Have fun in Snowbelle you two!" He said, very clearly forcing a cheerful tone.
"Ash-" Goh tried calling for his name, but he stopped himself, not knowing what to say. Ash simply kept heading towards the door of the lab.
Chloe bit her lip as she watched Ash slowly take his leave. It was hard seeing someone so usually determined and optimistic fall into a mess of doubts and fears. She wished she could do something instead of just talking to him, but she couldn't really do much if his mind was dead set on simply training harder and harder to solve his problems-
Chloe's face abruptly lit up, thinking about that thought just now, and quickly pulled out her Rotom Phone. The device opened up to the pictures of Snowbelle City she had saved in preparation for the trip, a few notes of the landmarks and interesting places to visit, alongside a few pictures of the Showcase Theatre.
She glanced at Ash, then to her Rotom Phone, then back to Ash.
"Ash, wait!"
Ash, about to step out of the lab, abruptly stopped hearing Chloe call for him. He turned around and found Chloe looking at him with an anxious look, before a small smile slowly came to her face, as she showed him her Rotom Phone.
"Why don't you join me and Dawn?"
"Eh!?" Ash exclaimed, not expecting her to suggest him going and their supposed "girls' trip" to Snowbelle City whatsoever.
Dawn glanced at Chloe for the briefest of moments, before a smile came to her face as well, catching on to Chloe's intentions. "Yeah Ash, join us! It'll be fun to have someone with some Showcase knowledge tag along!"
Ash's face contorted into some form of uncertainty and discomfort. "Uh… I don't know, I can't really afford to slack off training for some trip to Kalos…" Ash explained. Especially considering his current state, he wanted nothing more but to focus on his training to make sure he would be as ready as he could be for the Master Eight.
"It'll help you take your mind off things, I think a break from battling could do you some good." Chloe argued back, firmly standing by her point of view.
"I appreciate the offer Chloe, but I should really just-
"Ash, please." Chloe cut him off, a certain authority in her voice that took Ash by surprise.
There was a moment of silence, filled only with the weight of Chloe's interruption, as Ash realized how seriously she was asking him.
"You should go, Ash." Goh interjected, suddenly breaking the light tension in the room and also taking Ash aback. "Chloe and Dawn are both right. Use this to clear your head instead of training mindlessly with no results. Plus, like Dawn said, you know about Showcases, and you've been to Snowbelle City before. I'm sure both of them would appreciate you joining them."
Ash didn't necessarily like the Goh was almost guilt-tripping him into going, but he and the two girls did have a point. While he hadn't been to a Showcase in who knows how long now, he still remembered generally how they worked, plus Snowbelle City was a pretty wonderful place to visit regardless…
Pikachu suddenly jumped from Dawn's arm onto Ash's shoulder. Ash glanced at his partner, who simply looked at him with concern. The Pokemon didn't utter a word, but he knew what his partner wanted him to do
Ash sighed one final time, before saying. "A-Alright… I'll tag along."
Dawn, Chloe and Goh's faces lit up, happy to have convinced Ash to go along with it. They were confident this would do him good, and if they were lucky, their trip to Snowbelle City might help him overcome his troubles altogether.
"Great! Looks like we're travelling buddies again, Ash! Oh, and I wouldn't dare forget about you too, Pikachu!"
"Pika-Pikachu!" The Pokemon exclaimed cheerfully, also happy Ash decided to go on the trip to Snowbelle City. He was needing a break from all the battling too.
"Sure, Dawn…" Ash said, laughing half-heartedly at the girl's excitement, before turning to Goh. "You coming along, Goh?"
"I'll sit this one out, I think you need this trip more than I do." Goh cooly replied. Ash simply shrugged.
"Okay, now that that's cleared up…" Chloe started, clearing her throat, and gaining the attention of the others. "Our plane for Kalos leaves in about two hours, and the Showcase takes place tomorrow and the day after, so better start getting ready soon Ash!"
"Two hours!?" Ash shouted, shocked and annoyed they had to leave with such short notice and quickly went to get ready.
As Ash left, mumbling something about leaving so soon, Goh couldn't help but ask the two girls, "Do you think this will actually work…? Or do you really just want a guide around Snowbelle City?"
Dawn looked at Chloe and Chloe looked at Dawn, before they both looked at Goh.
"Both."
Ash held his head, just thinking about how he ended up here gave him a headache.
"So, Ash!" Dawn started, garnering the attention of her two travel buddies. "What's the deal with Showcases?" She asked eagerly, seeing as Ash hadn't yet told her and Chloe much about them at all.
"Well…" Ash started, thinking back to his experiences with said Showcases, fishing through his memories from his time in Kalos for the ones related to the subject. "I guess the best way I can describe them… it's kinda like the performance part of a Pokemon Contest, actually similar to the Contest Spectacular you did a while back, Chloe… but like… more…"
"That's… oddly vague." Chloe expressed, not finding Ash's insight very useful.
Ash faked a laugh and embarrassingly scratched the back of his head. "S-Sorry, I could probably explain it better when it's actually happening."
"Boring." Dawn pouted, causing Chloe to snicker and Ash to frown.
As Chloe and Dawn started discussing the possibilities of what Showcases could entail, Ash glanced at the ground, thinking back once again to his experiences from Kalos as he watched his feet swoosh in the snow.
To be fair to himself, even during his Kalos journey, he hadn't really paid much attention to the rules or specifics of a Showcase, he more so just went with the flow as he cheered for Serena the best he could.
Ash smiled, his thoughts drifting back to the honey-blonde-haired girl. One thing he did remember was that she always seemed to be having so much fun performing, it dazzled him to be honest. She always managed to make everyone in the crowd smile as she danced with her Pokemon on stage… He was starting to wish he could see one of her performances again, maybe that would help him forget about his troubles…
Heck, he was starting to wish she could see her again, period.
Ash shook frantically his head, surprised by his own thoughts. 'No… she's busy chasing her own goals in Hoenn, now's not the time for wishful thinking!' He shouted in his mind. Despite the fact he did wish to see her again, she knew the odds of seeing her again randomly would be highly unlikely.
That being said, as much as he hated to admit it, his heart was desperately holding onto those unlikely odds.
"Pikapi!" Pikachu said, pointing ahead with one of his tiny arms from Ash's shoulder, catching the attention of his trainer.
"What is it, Pikachu?" Ash asked, glancing at his partner.
"Ash, come on you Slowpoke!"
"You've gotta see this!"
He heard Dawn and Chloe scream from quite a distance away. Ash realized just how far ahead his two friends managed to get away from him during his daydreaming, noticing the two girls standing on an elevated patch of snow near a cliffside in the distance, and swiftly went to catch up.
"What's got you two so riled up- Woah!" Ash cut himself off after seeing what Dawn and Chloe were so ecstatic about.
The cliffside the three friends were on the edge of gave a magnificent view of Snowbelle City, the city of everlasting winter being visible in the distance down below. Despite it still not being nighttime, a lot of the city lights were on and it truly seemed like a wintery wonderland, as the city was seemingly bustling with joy.
Ash couldn't believe how much different the city looked from when he last visited, granted he hadn't gone to the heart of it, but still, it seemed much more beautiful than he remembered.
"Sheesh, I don't think the pictures did it justice, this place looks amazing!" Chloe was awed, taken aback by the view.
"I know right, let's get a move on already!" Dawn exclaimed, taking Chloe's arm and recklessly starting to make her way down the hill towards the city.
"Hey, wait a second- Dawn!?" Ash tried to stop her, but Dawn was too excited for her own good. Ash sighed, and Pikachu did the same. That girl sometimes…
Ash and Pikachu shared a laugh, before glancing back at the view of Snowbelle City, taking in its serenity one more time.
"Well Pikachu, if it's anything like last time, I hope Snowbelle City fixes me up again!" Ash said, hoping, just like his last visit to Snowbelle City, his mind would clear up and he would come out feeling refreshed and revitalized. "Let's just hope I don't get stuck in a blizzard again… or get struck by a snowball in the face…"
Pikachu let out a cheerful cry, agreeing with his trainer, as they raced after an eccentric Dawn and an overwhelmed Chloe.
Ash, despite his turmoil still bothering him in the back of his head, was starting to think Snowbelle City might give him the answers he needed to get back on track.
Little did he know, a certain person just so happened to have arrived at "The city of everlasting winter" not too long before he did.
Near the heart of Snowbelle City…
"Wow, I never knew just how fascinating Snowbelle City was!" A certain honey-blonde-haired girl expressed to her friend, as she took in the beautiful surroundings of the main district of the city, having just arrived not too long ago.
Her friend walking just beside her, a pink-haired girl wearing some overly large glasses, giggled at the girl's childlike amazement, before asking, "Haven't you been to Snowbelle City before?"
"I have…" The honey-blonde girl started, the small not fading from her face. "... but I never got the chance to explore the ins and outs of the city!"
"Well unfortunately it looks like this time's no different!" The pink-haired girl explained, earning a perplexed look from her friend. "You have a Showcase to practice for!"
The honey-blonde pouted, before dismissing her friend's claim with her hand. "Oh, please! I'll be fine! Can't we just take a little look around!"
"No can do miss! Not until you've gotten your third Princess Key!"
"Okay… but then can we walk around the city!" The girl persisted eagerly, causing her friend to sigh.
"Sure… but I feel like you're underestimating your competition too much. I hear it's pretty competitive nowadays."
"Nothing I can't handle!" The honey-blonde exclaimed, holding a fist to her chest confidently. "Come on then! I want to get a good scout of the stage I'm working with!" She said, suddenly dashing forward towards the newly built Showcase Theater a little further in the city.
"Hey!? Slow down will ya!?" The pink-haired girl reached out to her friend, but she was already long gone, running towards the Showcase Theatre with a skip in her step.
The girl sighed, before unwillingly running to catch up to her. The girl couldn't help but laugh at her friend's nature. She swore she wasn't always this eccentric, she figured she must've got it from someone...
Funnily enough, the pink-haired girl was pretty confident she knew who exactly that was.
A/N: That about wraps it up for the very first chapter! Thanks for reading and lemme know what you think so far (if you want to of course)! Until next time, see ya!