A/N: Hey, everyone! Yeah, I'm a little late on the bat, but here's another update to this original version of "The Way We Will Be". This one will be a doozy, I assure you!
In other news, I've posted a one-shot for "Pokémon", my first foray into the fandom after months of inactivity. It's called "So Wrong And Yet So Right", and it features AmourShipping, albeit as a secondary pairing. If you are a fan of (or at the very least partial to) the Journeys saga of the anime, then you should check it out!
Alright, that's enough from me! On with the chapter. ENJOY!
P.S.: For updates regarding progress on my writing and just life in general, please check out my profile! I try to update it as often as I possibly can with any status update!
P.P.S.: Due to the slowly improving situation regarding the coronavirus outbreak, I am going to have to remind you all about the basic steps you should take if you want to stay healthy, courtesy of my university's reminder emails:
-Wash hands often with soap and water for 20-30 seconds at a time, and/or use hand sanitizer
-Avoid close contact with people who are sick
-Keep your hands away from nose, eyes, and mouth (I can't imagine how difficult this part is probably going to be)
-Eat well, get adequate rest, and exercise regularly
-Get a flu shot if you haven't already and are able to
-Stay informed on the COVID-19 vaccines, get shots if you're able to, and try to get a booster shot if you're eligible
And if you ARE sick (I hope you get better if you are), please be a good sport and save other folks the trouble of getting sick. You can do this by:
-Covering your mouth and nose with your sleeve, elbow, or a tissue whenever you sneeze or cough
-Not sharing food and drinks with others
-Avoiding touching your mouth, nose, and eyes (Again, I understand this is probably going to be difficult)
-Avoiding close contact with others
-Cleaning and disinfecting surfaces and objects
-Staying at home if you're unwell (PRIORITY NUMBER ONE!)
-Staying calm and keeping yourself well-informed (My personal advice)
If you already know this, then great! If you didn't know any of this beforehand, please keep that information in mind as we all go through this trying time. It's a realm of unknowns at this point, and I wish myself and all of humanity well.
Original A/N: I was planning to update this last week, but I wanted to catch up on another story I was neglecting recently, hence the longer wait. But now that I managed to update that story yesterday, I now have enough time to work on this chapter. I'm in a particularly good mood right now, seeing that an anime I've been waiting for so long has just premiered (the 2014 Fate/stay night remake), and that I got an A on a test that I thought I completely flunked, so YAY! :D
Just had to get that out there. Anyway, on with the chapter! ENJOY!
Edit: Just fixed and improved on a major typo that OmegaEGG pointed out. Thanks, OmegaEGG!
Underground Parking Lot
The Galope City Rhyhorn Racing Track
Sarah coughed and closed her eyes as the dark smoke engulfed her. She had been too late in holding her breath, and she could feel an aggressive burning sensation in her nostrils. Covering her nostrils as she continued to cough, she felt the Celebi stir in her arms, letting out a soft whimper of fear. The seven-year-old tried to find a way towards the doorway from which her siblings came, but she couldn't open her eyes and risk getting them exposed to the smoke particles.
"Come on, Sarah, we gotta get out of here!" shouted Jenna as she felt her sister's hand grab hers (to her relief) and dashed into the hallway, followed by the others. They could hear Parker coughing and growling in the distance. "Alex, you have to call Uncle Clemont and Aunt Bonnie! Tell them there's trouble!"
"Can't we just call Mom?" Alex replied. Opening her eyes, Sarah looked up and saw Jenna's cheeks turn red.
Just then, she felt something soft and alive wrap itself around her ankle, its grip snapping tightly around it with a vice-like grip in split-seconds. Before Sarah knew it, she fell to the ground, her hand breaking free from Jenna's. Fortunately, she managed to turn around just in time for her back to take the blow of the floor instead of having Celebi be crushed by her body. However, that relief for Celebi's well-being vanished quickly as her body started sliding across the floor away from her siblings and their friends, towards Parker, his Arcanine, and what appeared to be a Shiny Chesnaught, a vine flowing from its domed, armor-like shell.
"Where do you think YOU'RE going, little one?!" the Poacher snarled savagely.
"AAAAAGGGGGHHHHH!" screamed Sarah. "JENNA, ALEX! HELP ME!"
"SARAH!" Jenna screeched. Growling in hatred at the man who was threatening her innocent little sister, she pulled out a Poké Ball of her own and threw it into the air as hard as she can. "Frogadier, I need you!" The Bubble Frog Pokémon emerged, its arms crossed in a cool, calm demeanor. "Use Hydro Pump, quick! Protect Sarah!"
Frogadier croaked and fired a powerful blast of water at both Chesnaught and Arcanine. Arcanine was able to dodge the attack, but Chesnaught took the full force of the attack. However, the Spiny Armor Pokémon stood there, seemingly unaffected by the Water-type attack. Jenna gasped, knowing that Frogadier's attacks couldn't stand a chance against a Grass-type Pokémon, let alone a fully-evolved one like Chesnaught. Parker chuckled nastily and pointed at the group.
"Arcanine, use Overheat to distract these foolish children," he ordered. "Chesnaught, we mustn't waste any more time. We're bringing the girl with us."
Arcanine fired a stream of fire between itself and the Trainers, creating an impenetrable wall of fire. Parker sneered and walked away, Chesnaught following behind its Trainer, Sarah still under the clutches of its Vine Whip. In her desperation, she continued to cling to Celebi as she screamed loudly.
"JENNA, ALEX! HELP ME!"
"DON'T WORRY, SARAH, WE'RE COMING!" Jenna yelled. "FROGADIER, USE HYDRO PUMP ON THE WATER!"
Frogadier fired the Hydro Pump towards the wall of fire engulfing the hallway, but even though it was succeeding in putting it out, the fire continued to blaze strongly and aggressively. It wouldn't be able to put out the fire in time for the others to try and rescue Sarah from Parker's captivity...
"MILOTIC, USE HYDRO PUMP TOO!"
Another blast of water appeared and joined Frogadier's Hydro Pump. Jenna, Alex, Amber, Sam, and Harrison turned to see a boy with dark-gray hair and wearing the same jockey suit as Jenna, except it was blue instead of pink. Beside him was a Milotic, its mouth spouting out the Tender Pokémon's own Hydro Pump.
"JIMMY!" they all exclaimed happily.
"What're you doing here?!" cried Jenna.
"The race just started, but I noticed you weren't there," Jimmy replied. "I became suspicious, so I checked the security systems and saw you were here, fighting that Parker bozo." He then watched as the last of the flames were doused out by Frogadier and Milotic's combined efforts. "Now, come on, let's go save Sarah!"
The five others nodded as all six dashed down the hallway.
Meanwhile, Parker had Chesnaught drag Sarah all the way back in the underground parking lot. She looked up fearfully at the adult, trembling noticeably as he closed in on her. Regardless, she defiantly tightened her grip around Celebi as it whimpered at Parker's presence and held on her dress. Just because she was vulnerable and all alone, it didn't mean she was selfish enough to leave Celebi to its doom; after all, as a Ketchum, she loved Pokémon and would be willing to protect them.
"You're really asking for it for someone who's afraid of being all alone and in the presence of strangers," remarked Parker, grinning. "Just give Celebi to me, and I will leave you and your siblings alone. After all, just because I'm a mean, nasty guy who profits from illegally selling endangered Pokémon doesn't mean I've got morals."
"N-N-Ne-Never!" squeaked Sarah. "Y-Y-You leave C-Celebi alone! It-It doesn't d-deserve this!"
"Bi..." Celebi whimpered as it looked up at the honey-haired girl, admiring her selfless and honest bravery despite the circumstances.
"I am not gonna ask you again, girl. Hand. Me. The. Celebi."
"Never! Go away! Leave us alone!"
Just then, Arcanine closed in on Sarah, its fangs engulfed with fire. Parker's grin widened.
"Are you sure about your decision, little girl?" he asked. "Your bravery may be impressive, but all it'll ever do for you is get you hurt...or worse..."
"YOU LET MY SISTER GO NOW, PARKER!" Alex's voice shouted.
Sarah and the Poacher looked towards the doorway and saw Alex, Jenna, Jimmy, Amber, Sam, and Harrison run into the chamber. Joining them were Pichu, Frogadier, Milotic, and Growlithe. In addition, Amber and Harrison threw their own Poké Balls and summoned Herdier and Pinsir, respectively. Parker frowned and growled.
"Oh, why can't you kids just stop interfering in all my affairs?!" he roared. "Arcanine, use Fire Blast! Chesnaught, Hammer Arm!"
"PICHU, USE THUNDERSHOCK!" ordered Alex.
"FROGADIER/MILOTIC, USE HYDRO PUMP!" Jenna and Jimmy commanded simultaneously.
"GROWLITHE, USE FLAMETHROWER!" shouted Sam.
"H-Herdier, u-use Take Down!" Amber cried nervously.
"PINSIR, USE X-SCISSOR!" Harrison roared.
The combined onslaught of attacks sent Arcanine and Chesnaught backward. Parker growled again and took out a third Poké Ball, which appeared to be colored black.
"Time for my last resort," he said. Then, he threw the Poké Ball. "MEGA SABLEYE, GO!"
The Poké Ball unleashed the Mega Evolved Darkness Pokémon, which snickered sadistically at its opponents as Arcanine and Chesnaught stood up to join its sides. As she watched Mega Sableye lead the trio, Sarah gasped in surprise. From what she heard about Mega Evolution during her school lessons, it can only be enacted if the chosen Pokémon was equipped with an appropriate Mega Stone, and its Trainer a Key Stone, and also if the Pokémon was in the middle of a battle. There was no way a Mega Evolved Pokémon could be stored inside a Poké Ball...but then again, the device that summoned the Mega Sableye definitely wasn't a Poké Ball...
"Oh, no..." moaned Harrison as he stared at Mega Sableye. "What a good time to leave my Pinsirite in my bag at the private room..."
Meanwhile, Amber's eyes widened at the sight of Mega Sableye as soon as it focused its sights on her. The moment it chuckled menacingly, she took a step back. She had never been exactly good with Dark- or Ghost-type Pokémon, making Sableye double the trouble for her... The exact time she took that step backward, there was a flash of light emanating from her pocket, projecting onto the ground between her and Mega Sableye and took the shape of...
"W-What?" stuttered the black-haired female Trainer. "Eevee, what're you doing?! Get back in your Poké Ball!"
However, Amber's Eevee refused, instead growling and looking up at Mega Sableye, which stared back, looking almost confused. Then, it chuckled again and swatted at Eevee, knocking it across the floor as it squealed in pain. Amber gasped and quickly rushed forward to pick Eevee up, taking out its Poké Ball as she did so.
"Eevee, return!" she moaned forcefully.
"What a foolish Eevee..." Parker remarked, chuckling. "Foolish and cowardly, just like its Trainer..."
Alex gritted his teeth and stepped forward; his fists were trembling, and his face was low. "You hold an innocent Pokémon captive, against its will... You threaten my little sister... You insult my closest friend..." He then looked up, his eyes alive with fury. "YOU'VE DONE IT THIS TIME, PARKER! YOU'RE GOING DOWN!"
Parker's grin widened as he commanded passively, "Mega Sableye, use Shadow Ball. Arcanine, use Overheat. Chesnaught, use Hammer Arm."
These attacks caught the group of Trainers off-guard; they all overwhelmed them and their Pokémon with their combined, sheer force, led by Mega Sableye's power. Sarah's eyes widened as she saw her siblings and their friends fall before Parker's Pokémon as he cackled triumphantly.
"ALEX, JENNA, NO!" she screamed, tears of horror streaming down her cheeks. "NO, NO, NO!"
"You kids shall now regret ever interfering with my affairs in the first place!" snarled Parker in satisfaction.
Sensing the gravity of the unfolding situation, Celebi decided to do the unthinkable. It knew the risks; it knew that its energy was depleted and that the injuries it had been inflicted with were too severe to warrant its latest move without self-harm. However, there was no way it was going to allow the people who were helping it out, ensure its freedom, to get hurt by this villain, or worse. With that concluded, it closed its eyes, the outline of its body glowing a light-green color.
"Biiiiiiiiii..." it said soothingly, catching Sarah's attention.
"W-What?" she cried, becoming bathed in Celebi's light. "Wh-What's going on?... Um...uh..." The light became brighter, shining in her face. "AGH!"
"Damn it, I don't like the looks of this..." snarled Parker. "Mega Sableye, stop Celebi from doing whatever it's doing, at once! Before something happens!"
Mega Sableye nodded and prepared to use an attack, but Celebi opened its eyes, its pupils also glowing light-green. The light was illuminating the entire parking lot...
"BBBBBIIIIIIIIII!" it screamed as loud as it could.
"EEEEEEEEEEKKKKK!" squealed Sarah as she closed her eyes tightly.
"AAARRRGGGHHH!" Parker howled, shielding his eyes in response. Mega Sableye, Arcanine, and Chesnaught repeated the same actions as their Trainer.
"SARAH!" Jenna cried as she stood up and prepared to run towards her younger sister, but she felt a sudden stab of pain in her leg and fell to the ground. Looking at her leg, the jockey saw that it had been badly bruised and cut by the attacks from Mega Sableye, Arcanine, and Chesnaught. She looked back at Sarah. "SARAH!"
"JENNA!" Sarah screamed desperately as she looked at her older sister's direction. "H-HELP ME! HELP ME, PLEASE!"
"DON'T WORRY, SARAH, DON'T WORRY! I'M COMING FOR- AGH!"
The light became more stronger than before. Everyone shielded their eyes from the ever-increasing light. The last thing that Jenna could hear from her younger sister was her taking in one last breath, just before the entire parking lot was suddenly filled with the same damp lighting from before. The six Trainers uncovered their eyes hesitantly and saw that Parker and his Pokémon were all gone, to their relief. Then, they looked around and came to a horrible, unfortunate realization.
Sarah and Celebi were both also gone.
Jenna stood up as best as she could, ignoring the excruciating pain in her leg, and looked around, hoping her eyes were just deceiving her. However, she couldn't see Sarah's honey-colored hair, her pink dress, or even her trademark straw hat. Feeling her heart beating aggressively against her sternum, she let out one shout.
"SARAH!"
Drip...
Drip...
Drip...
Sarah forced her eyelids open, gasping. The first thing she saw was a tall blade of grass, droplets of water dripping from the end. Then, she noticed the other blades of grass, then the trees. She could hear Flying-type Pokémon chirping and calling to one another at a short distance. To her sadness and horror, she knew she had to be located in the middle of a forest somewhere. At first, the seven-year-old contemplated lying still on the soft forest floor, hoping someone traveling would somehow come across her, but she remembered all the forest Pokémon and didn't want to risk becoming an easy snack for them.
With some difficulty, she stood up and saw that her dress, carefully ironed by her loving mother, was now all grimy and messy. Sarah moaned in disappointment, right before she noticed the Celebi lying on the spot next to where she was lying. Remembering the Pokémon Poacher, she looked around, only to see no one else around.
"Good," she thought in relief. "The bad man is gone. Now..." She looked at Celebi, who appeared to be unconscious. "What am I gonna do? I have to find a way back to the racing track! I have to give this Celebi to Officer Jenny! It's not safe out here..." She instinctively looked around again. "It's not safe in middle of the woods..."
Quickly, Sarah picked up Celebi, and as she did so, the Time Travel Pokémon cooed and nuzzled against her dress with a soft smile. The girl smiled, being reminded of all the times she felt safe with her mother. Knowing that she was now the responsible one, Sarah took in a deep breath and ventured into the forest.
"Alright, don't be scared, Sarah. It's just the forest. Mommy and Daddy have adventured in the forest a gazillion times; you heard their stories. Just think, this is like one of Mommy and Daddy's adventures. They're saving the hurt Pokémon from the bad guy. They're not afraid of anything! You shouldn't be too, Sarah!"
"Yeah..." she whispered to herself as she stopped beside a large rock. "Don't be afraid of anything..."
Just a split-second later, she heard something rustling in the nearby bushes, and she squeaked fearfully, falling over on the ground. Looking at the bush, Sarah began to fear that it might be Parker and his Pokémon, still out to recapture the escaped Celebi. Her grip on Celebi tightened instinctively. The bush was still rustling...
A Poliwag suddenly hopped out of the bush and spotted the fallen Sarah. It titled its head curiously. "Pol?"
Recognizing what Pokémon it was, Sarah sighed in relief and chuckled. "Hi there, Poliwag. You scared me for a second..."
"Poliwag?" a voice called, startling Sarah and causing her to scramble up against the rock in fear. "Poliwag, where'd you run off to?"
A young man emerged from the bushes, a ridiculously large yellow backpack strapped on his back. He had a muscular physique, but not as much as Parker's, and had long dark-brown hair and hazel eyes. He was wearing a short-sleeved red shirt, brown cargo pants, a red bracelet, and red hiking shoes. The Poliwag hopped a couple more times towards Sarah, allowing the backpacker to spot the little girl. His eyes widened, and he gasped in concern.
"Oh my goodness, are-are you all right, young lady?!" he exclaimed, running up to her. However, not being good with strangers, Sarah cowered and curled herself up into a fetal position, her grip on Celebi tighter than ever before. "Whoa, whoa, whoa! I'm not gonna hurt you, I swear!"
"My mommy says I can't talk to strangers..." Sarah replied before covering her mouth, realizing her mistake.
"Well, I swear, I'm a friend..." Then, he noticed the Celebi in her arms. "Oh my Arceus!" He took a step backward. "Is...Is that a Celebi?!"
"You can't have it!" she screamed. "It belongs in the wild, not in the hands of some meanie!"
"My Arceus, that Celebi looks injured... It needs to be taken to a Pokémon Center..." He then snapped his fingers. "Ah, yes! Galope Town is close by!"
"G-G-Galope Town?" Sarah could've sworn it was called Galope City.
"Yeah. Come with me, I'll take you both to the Pokémon Center. You both need to be checked for injuries-"
"NO! I'M NOT FALLING FOR THAT! GO AWAY!"
"I swear, I swear! I mean no harm! I don't want Celebi or you or anything else that has to do with you! I just wanna help, out of the goodness of my heart!" He then knelt down beside Sarah, flashing her a friendly smile that reminded the one Alex had. "My name's Lane, and this here is my good ol' friend Poliwag. How about you?"
"Pol, Pol!" Poliwag added encouragingly.
Sarah glanced at the Tadpole Pokémon reluctantly. It looked genuinely happy in Lane's presence... His tone really did sound sincere... But...he was a stranger... How could a young, defenseless, and alone girl like her trust a complete stranger? What if the Poliwag was just his way of buying would-be victims' hearts before striking?
Lane, knowing that Sarah was still unconvinced, sighed and unstrapped his backpack. Zipping it open, he began to search through his supplies.
"I know I had a walkie-talkie here somewhere..." he said. "Ah, here we are!" He pulled out the device and pressed a button. "Hopefully this works..." Upon being met with static, he spoke into it. "Hello? Can anyone hear me? My name's Lane. I was on my way to Galope Town when I saw this girl. She seems hurt, and...and..." Lane looked at the Celebi for a moment before continuing. "If anyone can hear me, send Officer Jenny over. We're approximately five minutes away near the eastern trail!"
"T-Tell them t-to send m-my m-mommy over t-too..." Sarah said, almost inaudibly.
"Sure." Lane prepared to speak into the walkie-talkie when he looked at Sarah again. "W-What's your mom's name?"
"S-S-Se-Serena... Serena Ketchum..."
She expected Lane to become excited at hearing her mother's name, or at the very least remark that he knew that name. However, he didn't.
"And also, the girl asks that her mother be with Officer Jenny. Her name's Serena Ketchum. All right? Did anyone hear that?"
For a moment, there was nothing but static. Finally, after a couple of minutes, a voice finally responded.
"This is Pokémon Ranger Summer. Do you hear me, Lane?"
"Yes, yes, I can hear you!" He winked consolingly at Sarah, causing her to smile slightly.
"I've received your urgent message. Don't worry, Lane, I'm on my way. I don't have a Serena Ketchum, but I do have Serena Yates and her friends right now. Officer Jenny shouldn't be far behind us. I just want you to remain at your position with the girl, and we should be there in a few minutes. Don't make any attempt to move."
Lane looked at Sarah, who said, "My mommy's name is also Serena Yates. It's okay."
"Alright, thank you!" Lane said into the walkie-talkie before he switched it off and looked at Sarah. "Don't worry, kiddo, your mommy's coming."
"Thank you, Lane!" Sarah replied, smiling widely. "Wow, Lane's so nice! He's not so bad after all!"
"Hey, told ya I didn't mean any trouble." He then sat beside her and reached into his backpack, pulling out...a wrapped sandwich? "Hungry?"
Realizing that she hadn't eaten since she left home, Sarah grabbed the sandwich, unwrapped it, and began eating it. In the meantime, Lane pulled out some Pokémon food for Poliwag and hopefully Celebi, then another wrapped sandwich for himself. The trio spent the following minutes eating beside the rock, with Sarah also looking at Celebi every once in a while, sometimes even attempting to feed it some of her sandwich. Finally, after several minutes passed, they could hear a motor revving.
"That must be Ranger Summer!" Lane reached into his pocket, pulled out a Poké Ball, and threw it, unleashing a Cyndaquil. "Cyndaquil! Fire your Flamethrower in the sky so we can be spotted more easily!" The Fire Mouse Pokémon obliged and fired the attack into the air. "Yeah, good job, Cyndaquil! Keep at it!"
It didn't take long for an olive-green jeep to burst through the bushes and skidded to a stop a few feet away from the group, its motor still revving. Sarah's blue eyes widened, for she didn't recall vehicles in her era being so...old-fashioned. The wheels, the grille, the sleekness (which it actually was lacking in, making the jeep look all block-like)... However, her focus was diverted as soon as she recognized the sleek, beautiful locks of honey hair, the blue eyes that matched hers...
"MOMMY!" she cried as she gently put Celebi down, stood up, and ran as fast as she could towards the jeep. "OH MOMMY, I WAS SO SCARED! I THOUGHT I WAS-!"
At that moment, the jeep's passengers all got out of the vehicle. Upon seeing her mother's full form, Sarah stopped mid-sprint, her lower jaw dropping open in shock. She couldn't believe what she was exactly seeing. The seven-year-old girl didn't know if this was a trick of the eye, or some weird dream that she was having...
"M-Mommy?..."
Original A/N: Bet you can all guess why Sarah's all shocked. Anyway, now that that's out of the way, the story can officially begin...
NOT! (Well, sorta.)
For the next three chapters, we are gonna be focusing on present-day, young Serena, Ash, Clemont, and Bonnie before we get on with the story. These chapters also will introduce/reintroduce conflicts in the story, so be sure to stay tuned for that! Consider this the second part of the unofficial prologue. :D
As for the character of Lane, he's actually not an official OC. I based his design on the Backpacker NPC Trainer class featured in the XY games, and Lane is one of the names for said Backpackers in those games. His personality is the only thing I made up about him. You're gonna be seeing a little more of those unofficial OCs in the story too. I'm doing this because, honestly, I've become a little lazy in designing my own OCs this time around, and also, since I am partially writing this in the same vein of the anime, I wondered what it'd be like to see more of these NPC Trainer classes being featured, since they've being doing it a lot more recently.
I'd like to thank those who reviewed:
Avatar Rikki: You'll have background info on Jimmy later. For now, we'll be focusing on the present day. As for what might be happening between Future Serena and Future Ash, well, you'll see too! It's not marital problems, but it is just as interesting, I assure you. :)
King nintendo (guest reviewer): Continue I shall. Sorry if this chapter was late.
MizarW: Here's the next chapter! Again, sorry about its lateness.
Pokemon2378: Hopefully it goes good! :D
OmegaEGG: No longer will you wait! It's here!
Guest reviewer: Thanks. :) Here's the next chapter!
Slender Operator: You'll see Future Ash, but not that soon. And I'm glad to see you've become interested! :D
colonelstars1911: Looks like the premise is picking up, like you hoped! Hopefully you enjoyed!
Cure Eclipse: Uh...what were you planning to say? Or was that your entire review? :P
Ejennings167: Glad to see you're following this! Hopefully you were able to bear with the long wait and enjoy this chapter! :D
Well, hope you enjoyed this late chapter! TheCartoonFanatic01 is out. PEACE!
New A/N: And that marks the end of that chapter! Now we're getting into the real meat of this original version. What'll happen next? Stay tuned to find out!
For those of you who have been paying attention to the info-dumps I provide in the current version of "The Way We Will Be" about what the future is like, I'm sure you'll recognize the name Lane. He's a traveling companion of Nate's, and he's supposed to be the future version of Brock. Not one of his children, mind you, but a future counterpart, nonetheless. He was based on the Backpacker class of non-playable Trainer characters, and that rings true here as well.
Also, you can see that Parker and his goals haven't changed too much in either version. Just his Pokémon. He will forever be a villain from Ash and Serena's future. XP
Now, I'd like to thank the following for reviewing:
-cricketlaxwolvesbandy: I'm honestly not sure. I think I discontinued the story before I could even touch upon where he could possibly be.
-Guest reviewer #1: Yeah, that was exactly the point behind Serena and Jenna's relationship here in this fic. And yes, it is truly a stark contrast to the one between Serena and Yancy. Goes to show the differences between versions, and the evolution of this basic premise.
-Guest reviewer #2: Well, it's a good thing this is the original, unrefined version and not the current, official one, then. XP
-John (guest reviewer): Yes, yes they do. XD
-Rajiv A. Rajaram: To be honest, I'm not sure. I don't think I had a chance to get to the point where we revealed why Serena would hate Jenna's boyfriend. Plus, I don't remember what my plans were for that subplot. Surely I had plans on clarifying this...
-KHfan98: I already sent you a PM regarding this if you haven't seen it already.
Well, hope you enjoyed this chapter! TheCartoonFanatic01 is out. PEACE!