A/N: Hey, everyone! Yeah, I know I said in my latest profile update that I would update "Babysitting Lei" with its second and final chapter (since it's a two-shot, after all). However, after evaluating how much spare time I would have from my job, I decided that I wouldn't have enough time to make that update by the end of the month like I originally planned. Therefore, I decided to update this story yet again. I know that I've been on a streak with these re-post updates and that it's not exactly what a lot of you readers are looking for. Unfortunately, though, I must play with the cards that I've been dealt with.
Don't worry, though; I can guarantee you that there'll be a different kind of update from me sometime next month. After all, I was able to make some good progress with the second chapter of "Babysitting Lei". In fact, I expect that chapter to be out sometime in the first half of October. A welcome change of pace for me, if I do say so myself.
And speaking of good progress, I've also been looking into what else I could do to fight my writer's block, and if I'm close to overcoming it. Quite frankly, it is my belief that I need to expand to different fandoms to get the creative juices flowing. I'm constantly writing and updating "Pokémon" fics, I have a grand total of one active fic that's not for "Pokémon", and I feel quite constrained because of it. We'll see.
Alright, that's enough of this rambling! On with this chapter. ENJOY!
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Original A/N: Hope you had a happy AmourShipping Day to everyone! (For those uninformed, I say this since today is apparently the first anniversary of the airing of XY007, which is why AmourShippers are celebrating it. At least, that's what I heard.) Hope you enjoy this long-awaited update!
...
I honestly feel bad for paying more attention to this story and not my others. I probably should get onto them after I update this...
Ah, I'm venting a little. Enough of that. ENJOY!
P.S.: I hope everyone's enjoying their purchases of the new Hoenn remakes! It's too bad I don't have a Nintendo 3DS... :'(
P.P.S.: Hopefully everyone learned the news about Ash and Serena's UPCOMING FIRST DATE! :D Or at least alleged...
Route 12
Near Galope Town
"M-Mommy?" the little girl asked in shock.
"M-M-Mommy?" repeated Serena in a stutter.
She honestly couldn't believe what she was seeing. A little girl who looked exactly like her, calling her 'Mommy'? At the corner of her eye, she noticed her mother, her friends, Ranger Summer, and even that backpacker become rigid, all shocked by this apparent revelation too.
However, before anyone could speak up about the matter, the young girl suddenly started swaying in her step, her eyelids fluttering as a soft moan escaped her lips. Several seconds later, she suddenly lost her footing and fell over headfirst towards the ground. Serena gasped in concern and stepped forward, being able to quickly catch the odd girl in her arms in time before she could hit her head on the ground or something else rather dangerous.
As soon as she did, the Trainer investigated the girl's face, registering it in full detail; indeed, this girl did look like her...
"Oh, my goodness!" exclaimed the backpacker named Lane as he ran up to the pair. "Is-Is she alright?!"
"It looks like she's fainted," replied Summer as she also approached them. "We've gotta get her to a Pokémon Center, though. It looks like she's been through a lot."
"Yeah, that's right." Lane hesitated briefly, then continued. "Um...I didn't mention this earlier, but she has a, uh...a Celebi with her..."
Everyone's eyes widened in surprise.
"A-A Celebi?" Ash asked, remembering all of his encounters with the Time Travel Pokémon. "It's with her?" He looked at the unconscious little girl in Serena's arms.
"Believe it or not, yes. It's over there."
He pointed off in the direction of a nearby large rock, where the others spotted a Poliwag, likely Lane's, standing beside what appeared to be a larger clump of grass. But when Summer approached this clump in curiosity, her eyes widened again. Indeed, lying beside the Tadpole Pokémon was the form of an unconscious Celebi.
"Well, what do you know?..." she remarked.
"A Celebi, huh?..." said Serena as she took out her Pokédex, with some difficulty due to the girl being in her arms. She activated the device and scanned Celebi.
"Celebi, the Time Travel Pokémon," explained the device. "As its name suggests, it has the ability to travel across time. Plant life flourishes in the very forests in which it has appeared."
"The Time Travel Pokémon..." the Trainer repeated.
Then, she looked down at the little girl in her arms. If Celebi was with this girl, and she looked a lot like her, and she even called her 'Mommy', then...then...
"Serena, are you okay?"
The honey-haired girl shook her head and looked up at Clemont, who was standing beside her. She flashed a brief, innocent smile at the aspiring inventor.
"Oh yeah, I'm okay," she replied. Then, she looked back down at the girl. "We have to get both her and Celebi to the Pokémon Center. Who knows what happened to them?" She stood up, forgetting that the girl was still in her arms; surprisingly enough, she was light enough for her to carry with ease. "Oh, she's not that heavy..."
"I'll take Celebi," Summer said as she picked up the Time Travel Pokémon. "Come on, let's go." She glanced at Lane. "Thank you, for your help. Wanna come along?"
Lane nodded. "I was heading over to Galope Town anyway. Besides-" He looked at the unconscious girl with pity. "-I can't afford to be left hanging on her condition."
The Ranger nodded. "Alright." She looked at the rest of the group. "Let's move back to town. Yusif's probably waiting with Officer Jenny."
The entire group instantly boarded the jeep again, and Summer raced it off back towards the main trail of Route 12. As the vehicle drove back towards Galope Town, Serena once again looked back down at the girl, who now seemed content in her arms. If what her Pokédex described about Celebi was true, and the things that the girl was saying about her were true, then there was a chance that she was holding her future daughter in her arms...
But...if that was actually true...then who was the father?...
She looked at Ash and Clemont, her most likely candidates. Both boys looked extremely shocked by the events that had just transpired, naturally.
Clemont was definitely by a long shot, but then again, she couldn't tell the future. Who knows? Maybe she would've somehow gotten over her crush on Ash and went with the inventor instead. However, she currently could not see any qualities in him that she liked and expected for a future husband. She could only imagine the two of them as friends and nothing more. The only advantage to such a relationship was having Bonnie as a potential sister-in-law; she loved that little girl to death.
Ash... There were just no words that would properly describe their chances together... That is, if he actually recognized her feelings for him and reciprocated them...
Out of curiosity, she then looked back at Grace, wondering what her mother's reaction to this extremely odd occurrence was. However, unlike Ash and Clemont (and just about everyone else in their group), she did not look shocked or surprised at all. Instead, she was gazing at the little girl with concern that seemed to border on motherly... Noticing that expression, Serena now couldn't help but wonder what being a mother would be like, considering the current situation...
Just like Grace, the honey-haired Trainer looked down at the little girl who claimed she was her mother, her expression softening and her blue eyes shimmering.
"There's something very weird going on..." she thought. "I don't know if I should be concerned about this or...thrilled by it... Only time will tell about that..."
The Pokémon Center
Galope Town
"Why, hello there," greeted Nurse Joy, smiling and beaming as usual as the entire group sprinted into the local Pokémon Center through the automatic sliding doors. "How may we help y-" She then spotted the unconscious little girl in Serena's arms. "Oh, my! What happened to this poor girl?"
"She's fainted," replied Serena.
"So does this Celebi," Summer added, showing the Time Travel Pokémon's unconscious form to the nurse.
"Oh my, indeed," Joy replied as she examined both the girl and Celebi. "No sign of external injuries, but they do look like they've been through a lot. I'll have both of them checked immediately. I must warn you guys, results might not come back for a while. Our devices just got back up to speed following the heatwave, so-"
"It's okay," interrupted Summer. "Take as long as you need to, Nurse Joy."
The nurse nodded as she and her Wigglytuff took Serena and Celebi, respectively, into the emergency room, leaving behind the rest of the group as Serena watched on in concern. Seconds after the two left, the electronic doors opened, and Yusif, Charlotte, Joey, and Officer Jenny ran inside the building.
"We saw your jeep and it looked like someone was hurt!" the police officer exclaimed. She then noticed Summer. "Oh, a Pokémon Ranger?"
"Yes," replied Summer, nodding. "Ranger Summer, at your service."
"What happened?!"
"This man here found a girl in the forest and reported it to us, Officer Jenny." Summer pointed at Lane for identification. "And...you may not believe it, but-"
"I also found a Celebi too," Lane completed without any reluctance. "It was with the girl, unconscious."
"Both of them are unconscious right now. They're being checked on by Nurse Joy as we speak."
Jenny's eyes widened in shock. "A Celebi? Here? Of all places?"
"Yeah. If only I could explain it any further, Officer..."
"A Celebi," said Yusif, placing a finger on his chin. "Celebi always appear in forests, but Galope never had any records of one appearing in the one surrounding us..."
"Think that Celebi could be behind the heatwave and the electronic malfunctions, Dad?" asked Joey, looking up at his father.
"A Celebi causing a heatwave and electronic malfunctions?" Summer asked. "It definitely isn't capable of doing that, not even when injured or in the direst of times. No, something other than Celebi is responsible." Like Yusif, however, she placed a finger on her chin. "But that doesn't mean Celebi isn't involved in all of this..."
"Are you saying Celebi might know what was happening here?" asked Ash.
"Pika?" Pikachu added, surprised.
"Or perhaps that little girl..." The Ranger glanced at the rest of the group, but Serena noticed her gaze was particularly trained on her. "After all, she was found with that Celebi. Whatever happened that involved Celebi, she must have witnessed it, most likely as an innocent bystander. Once either of them regain consciousness, I will ask them what exactly had happened." She glanced out of the window, her eyes narrowing in suspicion. "Something is obviously going on here..."
"But what, exactly?" Clemont asked, a bit worried.
"Who knows?" The Ranger's eyes narrowed even more, and her voice was a bit ominous as she was deep in thought. "And who knows how big this thing could be?"
"Do you reckon I should alert the stations at Shalour City and Coumarine City to be on the alert for any suspicious activity on their ends of Route 12?" asked Jenny.
Summer looked at the police officer and nodded in response. "Yes, please do. I also have my employers at watch. They'll alert us if there's any problems too."
Jenny nodded back at the Pokémon Ranger as she left to contact her colleagues.
In the meantime, Serena glanced at the emergency room. Now that this young girl was in the forefront of her mind, she couldn't help but be concerned for her...
"What am I feeling?" she thought. "What exactly is this? I can't possibly be worried about a little girl I met minutes ago. ...Then...what? What is it?..."
Fortunately for her, she wasn't the only one looking at the emergency room doors. Bonnie was doing the same, and she too looked concerned.
"Serena?" she asked.
The Trainer looked at the younger girl and aspiring Trainer. "Yes, Bonnie?"
"Will Celebi be okay?"
Serena flashed a small but optimistic smile. It figured that Bonnie had to ask about the well-being of an injured Pokémon. Just like Ash...
"Oh, I'm pretty sure it's okay. Other than it being out like a light, it seemed pretty fine to me."
"What about her?"
The honey-haired girl blinked twice, comprehending this newest question, before replying, "I'm pretty sure she'll be okay too. No doubt about it."
"Do you know why she looks just like you? Or why she called you Mommy? You told us you never had any brothers or sisters, and you're too young to be a mommy."
"What?!" Charlotte suddenly exclaimed, startling both girls. "That girl looked like you, Serena?! And she called you Mommy?!"
"Yeah. It was...pretty weird..."
"Oh, oh, oh! You should do a DNA test with that girl!"
The fledgling Pokémon Performer blinked. "W-What?"
"You know, that thing they do to prove if someone is someone else's child-"
"I know what a DNA test is, Charlotte. I just...I never thought about it...nor have I ever believed I'd do such a thing..."
"Well then, are you positively, one-hundred percent sure that girl's not your daughter?"
Serena didn't respond; instead, she began thinking about the situation that was at hand. She recognized two possible scenarios. The first scenario was that a young girl who coincidentally looked identical to her was separated from her elders, encountered Celebi, had an incident with it, somehow got knocked in the head, and was rendered confused and disoriented, hence why she called her 'Mommy' in the first place. That scenario did indeed make a whole lot of sense...
The second scenario was that Celebi did indeed come from another point of time in the future, and somehow brought with it that girl, who was indeed her... That one was less plausible, and yet...it felt much more natural to Serena, like that was meant to be her destiny or something... She was definitely thinking too much about it.
Charlotte, interpreting Serena's lack of response as the answer she wanted, replied, "Then take that DNA test."
Serena merely sighed and looked back at the doors. She could see Nurse Joy and Wigglytuff moving back and forth as they continued their examinations.
"Are...Are you okay, Serena?" asked Bonnie.
"I wish I knew, Bonnie," Serena replied distantly. "Oh, how I wish I knew..."
Vaniville Kindergarten
Vaniville City
The Kalos region
Eighteen years in the future
Sarah sat silently in the small green seat, her head hanging down in shame, her honey-colored locks of hair dangling loosely. Her teacher was at her desk, typing on her laptop. With an awkward silence hanging over the classroom, the seven-year-old girl began to ponder about her situation.
Just a couple of hours earlier, she had gotten in trouble with the teacher for being part of a fight taking place in the schoolyard. Danny and his cronies were bullying her again, and she was trying to defend herself, just like Alex had taught her. Then, Caleb, perhaps her only friend at Trainers' School, came to her side and took the lead in the fight, like he always did. But unfortunately for them, Danny hit his head in a fall and had to see the nurse, and his cronies told on the teacher in seconds.
Now, she was sitting on the infamous timeout seat, waiting for the school day to end and her Auntie Bonnie to come and pick her up. She looked to her left and saw Caleb sitting in another timeout seat, looking just as worried. She remembered him trying to take all of the blame and felt guilty for it. All of this could've easily been avoided, had she listened to her parents' advice about ignoring bullies. She had simply let her anger get the better of her.
The little girl heard the door open, and she looked towards the doorway, expecting to see Bonnie and Dedenne.
Her eyes widened the moment she recognized the honey-colored locks of hair.
"Mommy?" she asked, feeling her heart drop to her stomach. The last thing she wanted to do was disappoint her loving mother right after the incident.
"Oh, hello Serena," the teacher greeted in surprise, having noticed the woman's presence. "I thought you were out shooting a movie."
"The shooting ended ahead of schedule, Mrs. Wells," replied Serena. "Bonnie told me Sarah got into a fight?"
Sarah felt herself shrinking in her seat upon hearing her mother's surprised tone. She exhaled sadly.
"Yeah," Mrs. Wells said. "They said Danny and his friends started it, but Danny was the one who got hurt."
Serena looked at her daughter with an expression of disbelief. Sarah tried her best to hold back tears of sorrow.
"To be honest," continued Mrs. Wells, "I'm very disappointed with Sarah. I thought she'd know better than to do this."
"Yes, so do I," replied Serena. "So do I." Don't worry, Stella, I'll take care of things from here." The teacher nodded, allowing Serena to walk towards Sarah and grab her hand; Sarah noticed that her mother's grip was soft and gentle as usual, not tight. "Come on, Sarah, let's go home."
Sarah only nodded meekly and followed her mother out of the classroom. Right before exiting, she looked back at Caleb, still seated, and waved goodbye to him. He waved back, just as the two females stepped out into the hallway, left the kindergarten building, and approached the family car.
"Sarah..."
Sarah looked up at her mother worriedly. "Y-Yeah, Mommy?..."
"...We'll talk about it inside the car."
Her skin paled. Whenever her mother, or her father, wanted to talk to her about something in the family car, it was always a serious matter at hand. However, Sarah could do nothing but nod in agreement and get inside the passenger seat. Once Serena got herself in the driver's seat, it was silent for a brief moment.
Finally, Serena said, "I was hoping I'd surprise you by coming to pick you up instead of your Auntie Bonnie. Turns out I was the one surprised..."
"I-I'm sorry, Mommy-" began Sarah.
"I know you are, Sarah. You're a nice girl. I know you're not like this. But...I don't know if Danny thinks the same way..."
"Of course he doesn't, Mommy! He's a meanie who doesn't like me for no reason!"
"Still, does that mean you should hurt him?"
"I didn't push him; Caleb did!"
"And do you think he deserved that?"
"He's been making fun of me since forever!" She crossed her arms and looked away angrily. "If that bump in the head shuts him up, then good for him!"
"Sarah Julia Ketchum!" exclaimed Serena, causing Sarah to flinch upon hearing her full name. "What have I told you about using that kind of language?!"
"That it's bad for the tongue... I'm sorry, Mommy..."
Serena sighed heavily and then placed a hand over her daughter's head, stroking her hair.
"Sarah, just because he's been making fun of you doesn't mean he deserves to be hurt. I know he's been mean to you, but what have I told you about bullies?"
"To always ignore them and tell the teacher." However, tears were forming at the corners of the girl's eyes. "But that does not stop him, Mommy! Every time I tell on him, he knows how to lie better!" The tears were now dripping down her cheeks. "He's always being mean to me, and he won't stop, no matter what I do! Mrs. Wells doesn't do anything anymore other than telling me I need to stop lying!" Sarah then began to sob. "I hate going to Trainers' School, Mommy! I hate it!"
Serena's eyes softened. She already knew from Bonnie that Sarah was having problems at kindergarten and was not emotionally adjusting to its environment, but to actually witness her daughter painfully crying her emotions out, thus hammering the final nail right into the coffin, was just another thing entirely. It broke her heart to watch her usually bright and cheery, if not a little shy daughter crying much harder than she would whenever she had a bad scrape or fall. It really did.
"Oh, Sarah," she said in response, "I'm sorry to hear you don't like Trainers' School. But I thought you wanted to learn a lot about Pokémon?"
"Well, I've changed my mind! I don't wanna learn about them anymore!"
"Then how are you gonna become a Pokémon Trainer, sweetie?"
"I won't! I'll just stay at home forever and ever!"
Serena promptly began to wipe the tears from her daughter's cheeks. "You can't stay at home forever and ever, honey. Even if I let you, there will come a time when you have to get out of the home once in a while." Sarah turned her head away from her, causing her to sigh sadly. "Sarah, please look at me. Please?"
Sniffling, the girl looked up at her mother.
"Honey, I know things are tough. Believe me, when I was younger, I went through the exact same thing as you did."
Another sniffle. "Really?"
"Yes. Even today, I still go through many difficulties in time. But I managed to overcome all of the obstacles in my way with the power of courage and determination and, most of all, love. And whenever things would look hopeless and dull, I always remember your daddy, Uncle Clemont, Aunt Bonnie, Grandma Grace and Grandpa Meyer, Aunt Shauna, and most of all, you and your brothers and sister. I always tell myself that you are all beside me, every single step of the way, encouraging me. 'Never give up till the end'. Those six words were spoken by Daddy. That thought and those words, they both helped me get through the toughest of times. And they still do. And now, Sarah-" She began stroking Sarah's hair again. "-I want you to know about them. I want you to do the same thing."
Sarah looked up at her mother in awe. She always saw her as the toughest woman in existence, someone who never had any problems in life. She was her greatest role model. And now, she was hearing that her mother wasn't as unbreakable as she always thought she'd be. But hearing her sagely words of advice fueled her with a brand-new ray of hope, as well as a newfound bond with her mother. And as she sat in the passenger seat of the family car, with Serena sitting opposite to her, the bright, golden sunlight illuminating her honey hair and giving her an angelic appearance, Sarah knew that she would always remember this day for years to come.
"Sarah," continued Serena, "whenever things look hopeless and dull for you, I want you to remember me and everyone else you love. And most of all, remember the words I just told you. Never give up till the end." She smiled happily, enhancing her angelic appearance to Sarah. "Can you do that for me, sweetie?"
The seven-year-old nodded determinedly, all traces of sadness long gone. "I will, Mommy. I promise you I will."
Serena held out her pinkie. "Do you swear on your pinkie?"
Sarah giggled and locked her pinkie with her mother's. "Yes, pinkie-swear."
"That's my girl."
The Pokémon Center
Galope Town
Present day
Sarah's eyelids flew open the moment her brain registered the faint chirp of a Flying-type Pokémon in the distance. She found herself lying in the middle of a strange room. The girl slowly sat up, noticing that she was lying on a soft, comfortable bed. Looking around, she spotted a pair of chairs and a wooden table, but both chairs were unoccupied, while the table held nothing more than a glass vase holding a clump of fake white flowers. She could hear voices outside of the doorway...
Some of them sounded vaguely familiar...
Then, the door opened, causing the seven-year-old to squeak fearfully. She expected a strange doctor to come in, and after all, she didn't have her mother with her.
Instead, it was Serena, Ash, Clemont, Bonnie, and Grace... Or younger versions of them, at the very least.
Nevertheless, she squealed happily, "MOMMY! DADDY! UNCLE CLEMONT AND AUNTIE BONNIE! GRANDMA!"
"Hold on, who are you calling Mom and Dad?" asked Ash, oblivious to the entire situation. "And who's Grandma?"
Sarah blinked, remembering where she was and why she was here. She didn't know how to explain this to the younger versions of the people she loved the most. In fact, what would happen if she actually did? After all, courtesy of Alex, she saw sci-fi movies involving time-travel, where futures were erased or altered after characters went to the past and fooled around. She didn't want to mess up her life in any way possible, let alone erase it from existence...
Then, Serena spoke, catching all of Sarah's attention.
"Who are you? Why are you here? How come you had that Celebi with you?"
Sarah couldn't speak at all. She didn't know exactly how to answer those questions without messing up the future...
Finally, Serena asked, "And...why did you call me Mommy back there?..."
The seven-year-old girl's skin became ghostly pale. She knew there was no possible way to lie herself out of this situation. After all, they're already curious, and she wasn't really much of a good liar. She only hoped that whatever she told them didn't have any adverse effect on the future somehow.
"Well," she began, "my name is Sarah Julia Ketchum. I am seven years old, and I'm your daughter."
The girl pointed at both Serena and Ash.
Original A/N: Yep, a cliffhanger yet again. MWHAHAHA!
Well, really nothing to say about this. I was proud of this chapter, especially the flashback, though I really just wanted to get this chapter over with since I needed to get to my other stories. Production for "Judgment's Fall" has stalled especially and I just got a new batch of ideas, so I have to attend to those ASAP.
I'd like to thank those who reviewed (can't answer reviews right now, sorry):
Aipom4
masterofthez
Guest reviewer
WiiFan2009
King nintendo (guest reviewer)
MizarW
FightingSpirit321
Plasma57
Tertullian
thegirlwholived (guest reviewer)
guywithglasses
Leader of the Bronies
Well, hope you enjoyed this chapter! TheCartoonFanatic01 is out. PEACE!
New A/N: Alright! That marks the end of this chapter. If I remember correctly (and I'll have to check my archived stuff again just to make sure), we're actually getting close to the end of this original version, the point where I got dissatisfied with the finished product and decided to delete it a long time ago. Sooner or later, you don't have to deal with these re-post updates, and I'll have to think of something else to fight my writer's block. XD
Once again, compared to the beloved current version of "The Way We Will Be", this story is a bit more simplistic and delves a little more into the future timeline. I mean, we already know what Serena is like during that time, something that I decided to keep a mystery for the current version. But we still don't know what Ash is like in the future timeline. I guess we'll get a little taste-test in the current version! (When I get around to updating it, that is.)
Anyway, hope you enjoyed this chapter! TheCartoonFanatic01 is out. PEACE!