At first I thought I wouldn't publish this chapter until next week, but it was XY's tenth anniversary not long ago, so...

The aroma of angelique is not to everyone's taste

There were plenty of places to get a good night's sleep: a bed, a sofa, a pile of pillows. A myriad of possibilities, of which, Serena was now certain, the hardwood floor was not one of them.

"I'd like to think you're not doing it on purpose, but three times, three times!" she groaned, not daring to raise her voice.

Ash continued to sleep, oblivious to his trainer's reproaches, unconsciously delighted by the sudden gain in space, since he couldn't even stretch his neck without his head ending up outside the box spring. I should have told him he was too big for us to sleep together now, Serena lamented. However, the young girl wasn't entirely unhappy to have woken up, especially when Archie, dressed as a hostess, had told her a few moments earlier that registration for the contest was closed.

Serena felt her stomach turn. Why? Archie wearing a red scarf around his neck and a skirt was almost funny. Almost, the girl repeated to herself as she stifled a gag. The countertop cracked, fangs sprouted from the edges of the wide gash, and Archie grinned.

Serena rubbed her wet eyes. At least she was spared the aftermath at the cost of a bump on her forehead, which wasn't a bad price to pay. The trainer sat down on the edge of the bed, one of the few places not occupied by a paw, a tail or a wing.

"Zard," she heard him scold, just before he came to lay his head on her lap.

"You have all the room you want, and yet you come and stand here," she sighed.

Despite her reproaches, Serena didn't deprive him of caresses. He shouldn't think she was rewarding him, it was just that the feeling of scales vibrating under her hand relaxed her.

"Char," the monster revelled.

The dragon's flame was more than enough to see the alarm clock. To her astonishment, it was almost 5:30 a.m. She was on the verge of a full night's sleep, not counting the three painful landings on the floor. And most importantly : a single nightmare, a single nightmare that didn't even end.

The breath of her pokemon warmed her stomach as she wondered how this was possible. She had already decided that she couldn't go a whole night without waking up with a start. Besides, this wasn't the first time this had happened to her. Yesterday, if she could forget her sudden departure, she had slept through the night without the slightest nightmare.

What had changed compared to all her nights at Flannery's, in the desert, or even at Mrs. Roc's? She looked down at her fire-breathing pokemon and watched him for a long moment, as if he were some kind of forbidden Gris-Gris. No, don't tell her there's such a simple solution! A hot-water bottle, all I had to do was sleep with a hot-water bottle, she lamented.

She continued to cuddle her dragon, hoping he would agree to give her back her place. But the monster seemed too comfortable to move. Since she couldn't go back to bed, she might as well do something constructive. With all the care in the world, Serena placed the lizard's head back on the pillow. A final caress, a quick wish for sweet dreams, and she slipped out of bed.

"Zarrrrd," he growled as she looked for her shoes.

The trainer froze. Had she woken him? If so, he might just drag her back under the covers and she could forget about her morning warm-up.

"I need to go over my steps one last time," she muttered. "You wouldn't let me finish yesterday, so you can give me this."

The girl held her breath. But in the end, he just rolled onto his stomach and curled up into a ball with a grunt, as if offended by the remark. Serena didn't wait any longer, grabbing her shoes and not breathing again until she was out of the room.

She felt like a thief who'd just committed her crime, even though she had nothing to blame herself for. Except that after the way Charizard had behaved yesterday, when she had assured him that she wasn't tired and could go on for another hour or two, she didn't think he would approve of her trying to cut short her sleep.

I feel perfectly rested anyway, she repeated to herself as she descended the stairs. People in bad faith would say she was just trying to clear her conscience, but it wasn't a lie, it was the real truth. She was in great shape because... Serena's eyelids fluttered. All right, maybe it wasn't so bad that he'd fought to get her to go to bed early last night. Without going so far as to say he was right, or to admit that she'd been a little... Stubborn? Headstrong? Hardheaded enough to argue with him when he only wanted what was best for her. At the same time, her doubts were understandable: not working and succeeding were two terms she found hard to connect.

Rest and success, she almost heard her dragon's voice. The young girl clenched her fist against her chest, there were no trainers outside and what could be more normal, no one would be stupid enough to exhaust themselves before the decisive moment. No one but her and... Amelia?

"Flash!"

Wait, what, Amelia, is it really Amelia? petrified Serena, too dazzled to be sure. The light faded and a pokemon landed gracefully in front of her. Its purple fur still glittered with a few sparks of light, its feline curves undulating as it approached the trainer, circling her, its split tail whipping around her bare legs.

"Serena?"

The pokemon's ears pricked; its trainer had recognized the young human, too. Espeon hissed, the jewel on its forehead glowing in its beautiful blood-red hues, ready to unleash its power.

"Wait until the contest... and to face a pokemon," her mistress remarked.

Serena agreed with the idea, but she wasn't calm enough to make the slightest movement of approval. Espeon stared at her for a moment before giving up and returning to her trainer.

"Thank you," the coordinator breathed in relief.

The psy-type trainer flattered her pokemon's ears, not thinking for a moment of reprimanding it.

"Oh, you know, she was just having a little fun, nothing too mean."

Except for the murderous stare or the Psychic attack she'd almost launched. If this pokemon was as friendly as its trainer claimed, then Charizard was a jigglypuff.

"I didn't think I'd see you here," Serena admitted, "are you competing too?"

They were from the same region, had met at a showcase, but aside from an "excuse me" for Serena to get out of the way, this must have been the first time they'd talked face to face.

"I wouldn't say I'm in them, I'd say I'm winning them."

"You mean you've never lost one?" Serena choked.

Amelia's hand froze in the middle of the velvet, which was no consolation at that moment.

"A change of scenery has been good for me," she said, resuming her caresses. "Showcases, my dreams of dethroning Aria, the Kalos region, I needed some distance after... You know, the Fleur City showcase, you joining the Master Class, and other things." The pokemon yelped, but its mistress quickly called it to order. "Anyway, I haven't had to face Lisia, Chaz or even May yet, so my victories are no great achievements."

Serena seemed surprised by the announcement. It was as if she didn't know that the best trainers were currently competing in the west of the region, while the tournaments in the east were nothing more than beginners' meetings.

"Hoenn seems to be working out better for you than for me," Serena sighed.

"Well, I didn't think a girl as talented as you would have any trouble."

The coordinator swallowed, convinced that Amelia had seen her practice yesterday: from her awkward steps to her messy routines, not to mention...

"At least you think you're good enough to leave your training and have some fun in the city."

The young trainer huffed. Her former opponent had every right to reproach her, and she herself had pointed it out to her orange friend at first. But even if she still couldn't believe it, Charizard hadn't been wrong. To change her mind, to get her out of the vicious circle she had imposed on herself, to allow her to accept that yes, she didn't have to go back to her old level right away: less complex movements, using only Plusle and Minun to coordinate better. All the little things that seemed like giving up and yet had made her so much better than in three hours of intensive rehearsal. Frustrating, even more so when the reptile gave her that little smile that said it all.

"I know I've done less work than you, less than most of the people here. As for my gift or talent, you know as well as I do what it's worth. But my pokemons..."

Serena's voice trailed off as Amelia's irises met her gaze.

"What were you going to say? That it's for your pokemons? That they deserve to win? Don't you think it's the same for everyone else, and then... a Charizard, really?"

Serena bit her cheek, sensing the contempt for the dragon in the former performer's face.

"I thought you at least had good taste in the pokemons you captured," Amelia added, paying no further attention to her rival. "I'd like to know at what point you decided this kind of creature would look good in a contest."

What advice had Aria given her again? Oh yes, that her smile would make others happy. So if she smiled, right now, despite her hand clenching the ribbon wrapped around her wrist. If she forgave Amelia's words, if she got over the mockery, if... Next time.

"Charizard has nothing to envy the others! He's thoughtful, willing, brave, and yes, maybe he doesn't look like an elegant espeon, but it's certainly not up to you to decide whether he belongs in a contest or not."

"It's..."

"He's perfect, you hear me? I mean, even though he still has his problem with his scales turning red for no reason and he moves too much when he sleeps, that doesn't stop him from being extraordinary in ways you can't even imagine. He's Charizard, he's my Charizard, and he's... Charizard is so... cute."

There was a pause. A long pause in which the two girls stared at each other.

"I... It's a rather peculiar idea of cute," Amelia admitted, not knowing what bothered her more: the oxymoron or the fact that Serena's cheeks had turned pink.

Serena felt her face flush. She hadn't been thinking, it was the first word that came to mind when she thought of her sleeping pokemon, and it surprised even her.

"Not in that sense! More like, I'd say, yeah, somewhere between cute and sweet..."

"Sweet?" Amelia repeated, her eyes wide.

Serena stammered, hearing the echo of her own words. What's so shocking, Serena? If he's sweet, you have every right to melt. The young girl had never heard that little voice before and she hastily put the lid on it. Just as well, Amelia had also decided to put a veil over what she had just heard.

"You know," Serena breathed after a moment, "I'm aware that he doesn't particularly like to dance and that the concept of beauty is still a little fuzzy in his head."

Amelia raised an eyebrow, surprised at both the admission and the coordinator's slight smile.

"So you don't mind forcing your pokemon to follow you and do what you want?"

"It's not that I don't mind," clarified the trainer, "it's more that I can't abandon him just because he's not keen on contests."

"So what's the point of traveling together?"

Serena scratched her cheek, embarrassed.

"Maybe he's entering the competition just to please me, but... He seems to like what I make for him. He takes it to heart to take care of my other pokemons, even if they drive him crazy, and Braixen is often stricter with him than with the others, even though he's the youngest in the group. In fact, he tries too hard to be big, so much so that he always pretends to hesitate when I suggest we sleep together, even though I know he hates being alone at night. And then he grunts when he can't help me, his flame burns brighter when I lose confidence, and he gets angry when..." Serena glanced at her shoulder, then continued, more determined than ever: "Charizard doesn't see me as a way to fight more, he just wants to be with us, and that includes contests."

She felt so calm, soothed as she said it. It felt good, just good to finally be able to say it. And no matter what Amelia said, Serena would continue to believe it with all her heart.

"If you want," Amelia sighed, not wanting to look any further and already turning on her heels. "A word of advice, though: don't come to the contest in your pajamas."

"In pajam... Ah!

She'd been so focused on getting out quietly that she'd forgotten to change. Red with shame, she knew she couldn't go up and face the dragon, all she had to do was find a discreet place away from Espeon's laughter.

"Chari!"

Well, her last chance to repeat herself had just evaporated as the large, panicked reptile charged at her.

"I'm fine, Charizard."

He circled around her, sniffing the air, his scales bristling as he searched for some invisible creature.

"Did you have a nightmare?" she realized.

"Char? Charicha, chari!" he feigned.

She cupped his face in her hands, forcing him to look into her eyes.

"It's okay, it's okay. I just wanted to get some fresh air, and I don't think you want to be awake for that."

"Zard..." he noted suspiciously.

"Well, maybe I had some training in mind as well."

"Rizard!" he cried.

"Please, just for a few hours."

He growled and pushed the girl to show her that the only possible direction was her bedroom. But Serena dodged and stepped aside until he couldn't even reach her with his wingtips.

"Even if you don't like it, you don't get to decide what I do. And just because you were right once..."

"Zard."

"Twice, doesn't mean you'll be right this time."

She crossed her arms, signaling that she wouldn't back down from her plans, but the dragon was just as determined not to give up.

"Who's the trainer here, you or me?" she challenged him.

Silence from the dragon.

"You're not supposed to think about that!"

Four beats of silence and a grin for the so-called pokemon. But when Ash saw Serena's frown and sensed the hint of suspicion he'd just aroused, he was quick to admit it:

"Zar."

"Well..." the trainer hesitated, "if you understand, will you let me train now?"

He looked at his partner's outfit and Serena could feel him holding back a laugh.

"Yeah, about the pajamas, I think we underestimate how comfortable they are for activities. It's light, easy, and..."

"Chari," he purred.

"Don't you believe me?"

"Zaaaaa... Rizard," he teased.

He had taken her hand, gently, strangely gently for a large fire reptile.

"Try to understand, I won't be able to sleep a wink knowing the contest is in a few hours."

He could feel the tremble in the palm of his hand. The fear of not fitting in, the lack of confidence, the doubts that had plagued her during her first contest had returned, he could feel it. And right now he reassured himself that he was still there, that he hadn't left her in Slateport City thinking that everything would be okay.

"Do you think you can win?"

She stared at him; he'd forgotten again that he only made grunts. But how could he imitate such an idea? He tried something with his hands: drawing a cup in the air, making a cross with his arms and other things, but he couldn't find anything really clear.

"I don't intend to do what I did last time."

But she had squeezed the dragon's fingers, her eyes unfocused as she remembered her fight with Lisia.

"Char! Chari, Charizard!" he encouraged her.

She could feel her hand warming, almost burning, but it was far from unpleasant.

"I know. And anyway, if I lose my confidence, you'll come out onto the field and set me straight, just like you did at our first competition," she joked.

"Charrrr," he grumbled, not liking that she was distorting what had really happened.

"And defending myself..." she remembered with a smile. "Especially defending myself."

The fake pokemon looked away and rubbed the tip of his snout with his claw. A gesture Serena hadn't expected to see from anyone other than Ash, let alone her fire lizard. It was an added bonus, and one that disturbed the young girl even more.

"Anyway, even if I went to bed now, I don't think I could fall asleep again. So I'd rather stay outside and think about something else." She slipped her hand out of his embrace and tucked it behind her back. "Besides, you're lucky that Plusle and Minun didn't hear you, otherwise they would have electrocuted you on the spot for not trusting them enough to win."

"It's not their discharges that scare me the most," he admitted with a sigh.

Serena congratulated herself on having managed to divert her dragon's attention. But the thought of the two rabbits again, and perhaps the thought of taking her hand away from her pokemon, made her heart clench in fear.

"I hope they like it," she muttered.

Ash wasted no time in reassuring her. Though Minun might have had some harsh words to say, he had no doubt that contests would suit them, much more than they would him.

"What about you?" the coordinator interrupted. "Do you think you would like contests?"

"Char? Zaaaaaa," he hesitated before deciding it was better to be honest: "Zard, rizard."

"And if I taught you to love them, do you think it would be possible?"

He blinked several times before realizing that she could not have been more serious. His gaze lingered on the rosy lips for a moment, a very, very brief moment.

"Maybe so. But you may have a lot of work to do."

"Was that a yes?"

"A maybe."

"But not a no."

"Not a no," he confirmed.

"Then I have every chance," she finished with a laugh.

The shapeshifter felt his scales heating up and hurried back to the Center to hide... to get breakfast. Serena couldn't possibly train on an empty stomach. Brioche, too bad there was no pain au chocolat because she loved that, a piece of fruit and a big glass of hot moomoo milk, very hot, too hot, scalding hot! He blew on it, but that only made it worse. Right, fire-breathing pokemon, he despaired that he had forgotten again. The milk was boiling, and some of it was already dripping into the cup. You were talking about contests, just contests, right?

Corpish with its shiny shell, mightyena with its neat fur, beautifly with its colorful wings. At a glance, the coordinators evaluated their opponents' pokemons to gauge their own chances of winning. Am I better? Less good? What is my place, my level, my value? A contest was not a gym fight. A contest was a battle between people with the same goal. A competition meant consciously stealing other people's dreams, denying them victory despite all the effort they'd put in.

Merit. That was how all sacrifices were excused, that was how everyone accepted their fate. Merit, the very thing that repulsed Amelia. Dressed all in mauve, she stared at the blue-eyed young trainer standing before the judges.

Serena had returned, strutting her stuff as she said, "Look Amelia, I stole your dream of becoming Kalos Queen and now I'm going to burn your chances of becoming Top Coordinator to the ground." Worst of all, she was perfectly capable of doing it. Even if Amelia was better than her, even if she was more talented, even if she'd rehearsed her performances day and night to make sure everything was perfect...

A perfect score doesn't mean you've won. Amelia froze, the manager's words, those horrible words that had made her lose all self-confidence to the point where she failed every subsequent showcases. So much so that she couldn't even participate in the Master Class... And all because her own town, her own friends, had suddenly decided that Serena deserved to win!

"Gooo," her pokemon bellowed.

Amelia exhaled heavily. She'd managed to keep her cool at the Pokemon Center this morning, so she wasn't about to lose it here. Even if there was reason to, the former showcase finalist was giving the most mediocre performance and yet, Amelia had no doubt, she was getting rave reviews from the audience.

No wonder. The first part of the competition in the form of performances had only recently been introduced in Hoenn, so the standards were not as high as in Kalos. And Serena's performance, which would have been more than inadequate in a showcase, was still far above the other competitors, who were still unaccustomed to the discipline.

"Zard!" she heard an exclamation of joy.

The fire pokemon had remained glued to the screen, obsessed with his trainer and oblivious to the other coordinators staring at him.

"Do you think it will participate?" a trainer asked one of his friends.

"Hmm... it's true that it's not the kind of pokemon I'd choose for a contest, but..."

He was right. The fire monster might have been excellent in terms of power, but when it came to contests... Serena was in for a nasty surprise when she discovered that a frustrated charizard was a charizard to be avoided at all costs.

The girl laughed softly as she imagined Serena's burnt hair and blackened face when her pokemon went on the rampage on the battlefield. It would do her good to see the one who had taken everything from her mocked. And now she wanted to see who would say that Serena deserved to win, who would say that Amelia should lose to that pitiful trainer.

"You look very strong," the young girl said, clasping her gloved hands together.

With her big smile and friendly tone, Ash had no reason to distrust the purple coordinator. Besides, he felt like he knew her, even if he couldn't remember.

"Char? Zaaaard, Chari!" the fake pokemon finally thanked her.

"Maybe a little too much for a contest," Amelia pretended to think, resting an index finger on her chin.

"Chari, char," Ash reassured her.

He found the girl likable, even if she was worried about nothing. Fighting could go to his head sometimes, but he wouldn't forget what he was fighting for. My reason for staying... he thought, turning mechanically to the screen where his trainer was performing the final salute.

"Actually, I had a little chat with your trainer this morning and... Oh no, maybe I shouldn't tell you."

"Char?"

"Don't think she said it unkindly. But I don't think Serena really realized that you, as a Charizard, might have desires and passions that are somewhat... different from hers." Amelia smiled, pleased with her little idea. "I don't think you should hold back your frustration, but rather explain it clearly to her."

"Char? Charicha, rizard!" he hastened to contradict her.

The girl in purple frowned, surprised to see him so vigorously defending his trainer.

"You seem very sure of yourself. But I'd still like to know: have you ever competed?"

"Zar!" the former human nodded without hesitation.

"As Charizard?"

"Zarrrrr... Rizard, chari, charizard!"

Amelia chuckled, making the reptile uncomfortable.

"A charmeleon has nothing to do with what you are now. Didn't Serena explain that to you?"

Ash frowned without answering.

"But isn't the real question: has she even noticed? I'm sure she only wants the best for you, but I think she's naive, way too naive about what you are."

But so what? Serena didn't need to be the world's foremost expert on charizards to understand him. He wasn't even a real pokemon!

"Take what I'm about to say however you want, but... Once you realize how much power you can wield, you'll soon realize that you can't participate in these tournaments without limiting your potential. And maybe you'll accept that just fine, at least that's what your trainer seems to think... But what if you can't? What do you think would happen if you finally realized that you want more, that you want something that matches who you are and not what Serena wants?" Amelia stepped back. It was only a low growl, but coming from a pokemon that could turn you to ash with a single breath, it wasn't something to be taken lightly. "Is that all it takes for you to lose your temper?"

Ash exhaled a few flames to regain his composure. Not only did he have the powers and appearance of a pokemon, but he also had instincts that had grown stronger since his evolution. Still, he couldn't imagine that they would take over to the point that he would lose the desire to help Serena.

"Char," he apologized.

"It's true that you're not reacting quite the way one would expect," Amelia admitted. "I'm sure your trainer will encourage you no matter what you decide."

"It's all been thought out."

A mauve snake slammed its tail to the ground, raised in front of its trainer. A good idea, considering the flames coming from the reptile's mouth.

"It's all right, Dragonair," the Kalosian reassured. "If Serena trusts him enough to keep him away from his pokeball, then I have nothing to worry about, do I?"

"No. Nothing, absolutely nothing."

Nothing enough for everyone to stare at him as they waited for the match to begin. His human reason controlled his boiling body, knowing full well that getting upset would only hurt Serena. And anyway, there was no reason to get upset, absolutely none!

"Ash, why don't we sit somewhere else," Sylveon suggested in a low voice.

He grumbled a bit more before finally backing off, much to the relief of his friends.

"You're everything she says you are," Amelia congratulated. "So perfect, one almost wonders if you're real... (And if you're not? She'll just get rid of you.) She's really lucky to have you," she finished with a smile.

Vehement flames narrowly missed the young girl. She stared at the insolent pokemon, whose expression made it clear that he wouldn't miss her next time.

"Ash!" Braixen shouted in horror.

The former human widened his eyes. He didn't mean to do it! He had lost control and... He'd lost control?!

Amelia nonchalantly checked the condition of her outfit; it would be a shame if it was damaged before she went on stage.

"Oh, Serena might be disappointed by this gesture, so disappointed... But don't worry, I won't tell her about this little hitch, I'll let you show her yourself."

"It was a mistake," the shapeshifter shuddered.

The fallen performer put a finger to her lips, motioning for the monster to say no more.

"I hope you're not lying, Charizard. I sincerely hope you're not lying to her, because if you are... But you already know that."

The heated blood pulsed in his wings. He wouldn't let the girl doubt it. No matter the ribbons around his arms, the clawed paws against his belly, or the weight pulling at his leg, he hadn't lied. He had never lied when he was human!

"Ash!"

He had never lied since his metamorphosis, especially not to her!

"Charizard... What are you doing?"

A puff of smoke escaped from his closed mouth, the last trace of the fire he'd just smothered. It was Serena behind him, he didn't have to turn around to see it.

"He was just giving me a little demonstration of what he could do," Amelia defended him in a casual tone.

An act of generosity or a diabolical pact? Either way, it wouldn't do him any good. The frightened looks of the other competitors and his own raised scales betrayed him far more than any denunciation.

"Don't tell me..." the young girl remained stunned before shaking her head. "I'm really sorry, Amelia, I'll talk to him."

Ash hiccupped in surprise. Oh no... don't tell him they were friends!

"It was nothing, I assure you," the girl in purple reassured, placing a hand on her rival's shoulder. "At worst, he would have set the locker room on fire, no reason to keep him in a pokeball."

"What did you tell him?" squeaked Serena.

"That... I'll let him explain," she murmured in the coordinator's ear.

Friends? The fake pokemon took back what he'd just said, the cold between the two coordinators was so icy that even Kyurem would have looked pale.

Serena couldn't hide a sigh of relief when the girl in purple left. She couldn't imagine what would have happened if she had arrived a few seconds later. She suspected that the coordinator wasn't completely innocent in all of this, but Amelia could only spit out words while Charizard...

"You must control yourself," she said in the most serious tone she knew. "The heat of your flames is not the same as when you were Charmander or even Charmeleon. If you get too excited, you risk hurting someone," she scolded her pokemon.

The poor monster concentrated on his feet, ashamed that he had failed to keep his cool. To make matters worse, people were staring at him as if he were ready to slit the throats of every competitor. "She should be disqualified," he could hear whispers. He bared his teeth, threatening those who dared to speak.

"Charizard!" Serena snapped again.

He quickly lowered his head, it was this form of pokemon that made him angry. If he was still human... You're not lying to her, are you? No, he would just tell her later... Who he really was.

"So? How did you like our first performance?" Minun asked suddenly, having followed nothing of what had happened.

"Ah, it was really very good," the fake pokemon said quickly.

The blue rabbit smiled with pride, while his brother remained a bit more doubtful. And with good reason: the dragon hadn't seen the whole performance, and it was Serena who had his full attention, more than the little monsters dancing around her.

"Sylvia, what did you think?" Plusle asked.

She was surprised that he asked her, but quickly recovered and complimented him. But the red rabbit approached her and whispered:

"I wasn't talking about me."

She tensed and made sure no one was listening:

"I don't think I could take part in the fighting," she finally confessed.

"Have you told Serena?"

"Not yet," she bit her lip.

He gave her a friendly pat, and she returned a meager smile. Meanwhile, Pancham rubbed the rookie's head and exclaimed:

"I told you you were ready!"

Minun gave him a vengeful look without stopping to smile. Not everything had been perfect, but he had to admit that he'd felt good. The people had applauded him, recognized him, whereas if they'd seen his fighting skills... All right, it was just a performance, but boy, was it exhilarating to feel like he had every chance for once. He would have liked to hear his trainer's congratulations, but she was still fighting the fire reptile.

"What did Ash do now?" Minun asked.

The three pokemons sighed heartily at the memory of the disaster they had just averted.

"He was much calmer when he was human," the panda confided, crossing his arms.

"At least it means he cares about her," Braixen comforted herself.

It wasn't long before the contestants who had been chosen to participate in the second phase were announced. A feeling of pride swelled in the electric brothers' chests as their trainer's face appeared on the screen.

"That girl too," Ash grumbled.

And he was even more annoyed to see that the lottery had decided that she would be their first opponent.

"Braixen, I'm counting on you," Serena decided.

"Char!" Ash interrupted.

"I know you're angry with her, and that's exactly why I don't want you to confront her."

"I'm begging you!"

The former trainer had grabbed his trainer's shoulders to look her straight in the eye. He wanted this fight, he needed it to prove that everything she'd said was wrong.

"Charizard..." Serena muttered.

It was strange, her heart had begun to beat faster and a slight heat had taken hold of her cheeks. She turned her head away, unable to hold the fiery gaze of her pokemon. For a moment, she thought she'd guessed what it was about, but then she realized it was impossible.

"Will you stay calm?" she asked, her eyes fixed on the ground.

"Char," the former human nodded.

"Alright," she finally agreed.

The fake pokemon was so pleased that she had changed her mind that he forgot that his hands were still firmly clasped around his friend's shoulders.

"Charizard, you're hurting me," she warned him.

Ash stepped back apologetically, still underestimating the strength of his new body. Serena continued to watch the ground, not daring to reveal that his grip was actually warm and gentle, far too gentle for a charizard.

Notes : I remember being convinced that Amelia would reappear in XY&Z at some point, especially given the look on her face after her defeat. When the trailers for the final battle against Team Flare were released, I imagined she'd reappear as a member of Team Flare and be Serena's main opponent... I was completely wrong, as were my hopes that Serena would go and rescue Ash x) (Even the attack from the helicopter, everyone thought that was it).

Originally, I wanted to write "craquant" instead of "sweet," but it seems to me that "cracking" doesn't have that extra meaning. Of course, in France, the first meaning of "cracking" is the same as in English, but it's also used to refer to a boy or girl we find cute or even seductive. So I had to find an equivalent to make the sentence work more or less with "melty" (crakling - melty). But if you have any other suggestions, I'd be interested ^^.