Serena knew that it had to be a dream. There was no way Ash would suddenly ask her to join him for a midnight stroll down route 20. No way would the Ash that she knew have the forethought to pack a picnic. And there was definitely no way that Ash would compare her beauty to the stars above before leaning in to capture a kiss. But could she not enjoy her dream while it lasted? Apparently not, as she was woken abruptly by the sound of thunder crashing outside her apartment accompanied by the constant drumming of falling rain. She nearly screamed in frustration, before settling for a sigh. Five years. Five long years since the man she loved had vanished from the face of the earth. Every day, when she wasn't preparing for another performance or taking care of her ever expanding team of pokemon, she would think of Ash. She would sit and think of what had happened to him, and how she, being so far away at the time, could do nothing to help him. Sighing, she rose from her bed and shook her head to clear her thoughts. She turned off her alarm clock and trudged into the hallway outside her bedroom. Yawning, Sylvion looked up from her bed, no doubt wondering what her trainer was doing up so early. Serena smiled bemusedly. "Good morning, Sylveon. You can go back to sleep. We have a very special performance today." She said, before turning and trudging to the kitchen.
It was certainly nice, with a marble island and all the appliances she could ever need, but most days she merely settled for cereal and milk. I hope Miette and Shauan are taking part in the performance today in Cyllage City. It would be great to see Miette again, and I really want to talk to Shauna about Ash. Maybe Tierno or Trevor have heard something? She thought as she poured herself a bowl, desperate for answers but not expecting much. After all it had been five years since he had vanished, at least it would be five years next week. She ate in silence, swiping through her various social media accounts and reading texts from her manager. Then, a peculiar link caught her eye. She clicked on the page, and found a tweet claiming that Ash Ketchum, the famous trainer and ex champion, had been seen flying near a volcanic island in the Kanto region. Her heart pounding in her ears, Serena quickly googled the island in question, frowning at it's proximity to Pallet Town. If Ash ever comes back, he'll probably stay as far from Pallet Town as possible. There's just no way it can be real. She chalked it up to another false alarm.
Yes, another. Ash Ketchum had been relatively famous before his disappearance. He had finished rather high in many pokemon leagues before becoming the first champion of Alola. That kind of resume doesn't just go unnoticed, and his disappearance took the world by storm. It seamed almost every week someone posted something about the Great Ash Ketchum, and many claimed to have spotted him or his Pikachu in some corner of the world. And yet, Serena's heart just wouldn't let go.
Maybe it wouldn't be so bad if I gave Clemont or Bonnie a call. She thought aimlessly, before rising to get ready for the day. And what a day it would be. She looked at the schedule that her agent had sent her, sighing at all the dress fittings and qna's with the press that were slotted for the day. That wasn't accounting for her appearance on Kalos Daily with Diantha at eight am, or the Performance that she was required to attend later today in Cyllage City. Oh well. She'd better get ready.
Fast forward an hour and Serena was strolling out the door with Delphox and Sylveon by her side, dressed in a black, sleeveless top with a red skirt and a black hat. Flash! Flash! Instantly, she was beset by flashing cameras from every angle. "Serena! Serena! Will you be participating in today's performance? Over here! Miss Serena! Is there any veracity to the claim that Ash Ketchum has been spotted in Kanto? Are you heading there now?" Pressed the leaches that called themselves the press. Serena merely cringed. Arceus above could they be annoying. Of course they had heard about the false alarm, and of course they had made the connection that she and Ash had been friends. They had actually done that some time ago, and they always brought it up when someone claimed to spot him, causing her even more anguish. "Alright people back it up! Give her some space!" Shouted one of her guards, pushing through the crowd to the limousine. Serena simply followed him, pointedly avoiding the crowd. As she slipped into her ride, she took out her phone, intent on making a few calls. She was going to call in a few favors, specifically with her manager, Palermo. After all, what point was there in being the Kalos Queen if she couldn't do what she wanted every now and then? And right now, all she wanted was to take some vacation time.