Several days after she had arrived in Kalos, Serena found herself standing outside of the Pokémon Showcase Theater in Coumarine City, a building she hadn't been to in five years. She looked up at the circular building, which was adorned with banners and surrounded by large balloons, celebrating the beginning of the Kalos Showcase season. She had been dreaming of this moment for years, where she would finally show the people of Kalos everything she had learned during her travels.
As she envisioned herself on stage, her Pokémon joining her in a performance that she had been perfecting for months, she felt her heart starting to race, not from excitement, but from nerves. She inhaled and exhaled a shaky breath, not knowing why she was suddenly feeling this way. She had performed in Contests and Showcases across numerous regions without a second thought, filled with excitement and enjoying every moment. Now that she was back here, she felt once again like a scared little girl.
She took another breath and shook her head, trying to get herself out of her own head. Even if she was nervous, she knew her performance back to front, the muscle memory burned into her on a deep level. Her Pokémon were talented beyond measure. She told herself that there was nothing that was going to stop her from winning this Showcase and obtaining her first Princess Key, no matter how she felt now. She was going to make her mother proud.
She pushed herself forward, her bag slung over her shoulder, walking up the steps and into the theater. The performance wasn't for hours yet, but she would need time to get ready.
Later that same afternoon, Ash, Iris and Brock finally took their first steps into downtown Coumarine City. They were all worn out and exhausted, having traveled long days at a very ambitious pace, sleeping as little as possible in an attempt to make it in time. Finally arriving had given Iris and Brock a boost of mental energy, while Ash was positively wired. Pikachu, conversely, was completely exhausted, staggering forward a bit before slumping onto his stomach, eyes drooping.
"Finally… we made it, with almost no time to spare…" Ash took a second to stop and look around, seeing all the tall buildings around them, as well as the bay that separated the two halves of the city, before looking backward. "Thanks, you guys, really. Sorry I put you through this."
"It's fine," Brock managed, taking a breather, hands on his knees. "I needed some exercise anyway. And now I'll never need exercise again."
"I think after that, we deserve to learn a bit about this Serena girl we've all been running to see," Iris chimed in, not out of breath like Brock was, but still physically tired out. "We've barely had time to sit down and talk. I still don't know a thing about her."
"Right, sure." Ash turned around, kneeling down and scooping up Pikachu before starting to speak, when his eyes were drawn to a large screen on a nearby building, displaying an advertisement. He grinned and ran closer to it, moving past them both, somehow still energized. "This! Come look at this!"
Iris and Brock turned around, curious and following his eyes, seeing a video ad for the Showcase that would be occurring later that night. Roughly ten seconds in, Ash grinned wide and pointed to the screen excitedly. "There! That's her, right there!"
Iris's face quickly changed from curiosity to concern and confusion, as she looked over the smiling face of the honey blonde girl on the screen. "Ash… the girl you know… is from the TV?"
"Yeah!" he responded cheerfully. "She's the best performer in Kalos! I can't wait for you guys to see her!"
"Wow, she's pretty," Brock commented, as she disappeared from the screen, replaced with another performer. Ash nodded in agreement.
"The Showcase starts in an hour," he added, as all of the performers appeared together at the conclusion of the ad. "That should give us time to eat. And we could probably stop by the Pokémon Gym, too."
"By the what?!" Brock exclaimed, shocked. "You want to have a Gym Battle in your state?" Pikachu's ears perked up at this, and he glanced upward at his trainer tiredly, pleading for mercy, not in any shape to battle.
"No, not for a battle!" Ash shook his head. "I just want to look it over, and see if everything's the same as it was last time I was here. Maybe I can see what Pokémon are being used."
Brock nodded, sighing a bit in relief. "Alright… that's more reasonable. But I say we eat first." The three of them started walking further downtown, looking for a restaurant where they could get a big helping of food. As they walked, Iris fell back a bit, walking next to Brock before leaning in.
"Psst! Brock!" she whispered, trying not to get the attention of Ash, who was walking in front of them. "Are we sure Ash actually knows this girl, and this isn't some kind of stalker situation?"
"Buh?" He glanced back at her, surprised at the question, seeing the concern on her face. "I mean, I never knew Ash to be the stalker type…"
"Me neither, but it's been years. You can't be too careful, if you ask me." She turned back and stepped forward, catching up with Ash. "Tell me more about Serena, Ash. How did you know her?"
He nodded, starting to describe her in more detail, as well as their travels, as they walked down the streets of the city.
Thirty minutes later, all of them had gotten a large dinner, and they were walking a bit more easily as they approached the gigantic tree that housed the Coumarine Gym. As it came into clearer view, they were surprised to see a short, bald, old man walking toward the information board parked in front of the gym, reaching out to change the "Open" sign to "Closed".
"Huh? It's closing already?" Ash ran forward a bit, Pikachu once again perched on his shoulder. The old man turned around to see the youngsters moving in his direction, recognition flashing across his face as he saw Ash.
"Well, you look familiar, youngster," he spoke, stepping forward, as Ash stopped in front of him. "Have you battled in my Gym before?"
"Ramos!" Ash exclaimed, recognizing the older man as the Coumarine Gym Leader. "I have! It's me, Ash Ketchum! Don't you remember?"
"Ash Ketchum…" Ramos's eyes lit up as he quickly recalled the trainer in front of him, whom he had battled alongside during a crisis in Kalos long ago. "Well, sakes alive. You're a sight for sore eyes, young man. How have you been these past few years?"
"I've been great!" Ash answered, as Iris and Brock walked up behind him curiously. "I've been traveling all over, meeting Pokémon and having battles with all kinds of strong trainers. How have you been?"
"Oh, I'm just fine. I'm getting on in years, but I'm still keeping the gym going, despite the occasional crisis." He chuckled. "What brings you back here? Are you returning for another shot at the Kalos League?"
Ash nodded. "I am, but… why are you closing up the Gym? Aren't they usually open a little later than this?"
The Gym Leader frowned. "Yes, well, they are, but… it's a bit embarrassing, but my Pokémon aren't in any shape to battle right now."
"They're not? What happened?"
"A young man came through here a few hours ago, trying to get his Plant Badge. And, well… he got it." Ramos sighed. "I've been a Gym Leader for decades, but I've never had my Pokémon take a shellacking like that before. I had to take them all to the Pokémon Center right away, and unfortunately, they're still there."
Iris's eyebrows raised; if a Pokémon Center couldn't fix up a Pokémon after several hours, they must really have been beaten badly. "Oh wow, really? What was his name?"
"Ah, that, I don't recall. He was a couple years older than you, with black hair, but that's all I remember. I'm sure you'll hear about him again, if you keep at the Gym Challenge." Ramos rubbed his head a bit, adjusting his hat. "Anyway, if you want your own Plant Badge, try coming back tomorrow. I'll be waiting to see you there." The trio nodded, turning and walking away, as Ash looked down, contemplating this news.
"So, there's a trainer out there who's that strong…" he muttered to himself, growing concerned. He could already feel his chances of winning the Kalos League slipping away, in the face of this competition.
"Try not to think about it, Ash," Brock offered. "Just get your Badges, and you can worry about the competition later."
Iris nodded in agreement. "Besides, it's not like we ran all this way for a Gym Battle. We have a Showcase to get to."
"That's right!" Ash's eyes lit up as he grinned wide, and he started running toward the Showcase Theater, excited. His charge was quickly stopped, however, as Iris reached out and grabbed the back of his vest, clutching it tightly.
"No! No more running!" she scolded, holding him back. "We'll get there just fine if we walk." Ash stopped and nodded sheepishly, and they started walking toward the building at a reasonable pace, with Brock and Pikachu mentally thanking Iris for intervening.
Some time later, they were filing into their seats, as the theater filled with people excited to see the first Showcase of the season. They eventually found their seats and sat down, with Pikachu and Axew seated on their trainers' laps, while Brock looked over the program he had received.
"This says the Showcase has two rounds," he spoke. "Nine performers will participate in a Theme Performance, and then three of them go on to the Freestyle Performance. The ultimate winner is decided by audience vote, and receives a Princess Key."
Ash nodded, glancing down at the electronic Glow Caster wand in his hand, with which he would be casting his vote. "So it hasn't really changed much, I guess. I wonder what the Theme Performance will be. It changed a lot when I was here last."
"Did you see a lot of them?" Iris asked, glancing over.
"I saw a handful. Maybe…" He looked up, trying to recall the exact number. "Five or six, I guess? All of the ones that Serena competed in."
She smiled warmly. "That's pretty dedicated."
Ash smiled back. "Why wouldn't I have gone? Besides, she was there at all of my Gym Battles. It's only fair."
Before the conversation could continue, the lights started to come down, eliciting a loud round of cheering from the audience. A spotlight shone down near the front of the stage, and moments later a man in a flamboyant blue and black suit came on stage, holding a microphone and wearing a tall top hat.
"Ladies and gentlemen!" he announced. "Thank you all so much for coming to this year's first Pokémon Showcase, here in Coumarine City! My name is Monsieur Pierre, and I will be your host tonight!" The crowd cheered raucously, excited, before he continued. "We have nine fantastic Pokémon Performers here tonight, some of them first-timers, some of them highly experienced. Which of these lovely ladies will be declared winner, and receive their first of three Princess Keys? The decision is in your hands!"
Behind him, the audience could see what looked like three small kitchen setups being brought onto the stage, despite the lack of lighting on the stage. Once they were in place, three different performers started walking on stage, one for each kitchen, as Pierre continued. "Our Theme Performance tonight will be a Poké Puff Contest! Each of the competitors will have to bake a batch of Poké Puffs for our judges, with the help of their Pokémon! The highest scorer in each group of three will move on to the Freestyle Competition!"
He turned around and gestured to the three kitchen setups. "And now, without further ado, our first trio of competitors! Please give a big round of applause to Fiora, Serena and Isadora!" The lights came up on the rest of the stage, revealing the three contestants, all of whom were wearing aprons over their dresses. The crowd roared with excitement, cheering for their preferred Performer in one cacophonous mass.
Ash could feel his heart stop as he watched the performers walk on stage, his eyes fixated on the girl in the center, shutting out everything else. She was notably taller than he remembered, her face more mature, but it was unquestionably her, only slightly different from the image that he had formed in his head. The moment felt surreal, as if something impossible that only existed in his mind had become reality, and it was several long seconds before his mind returned to him. He eventually leaned forward and started to cheer loudly for her, cupping his hands to his mouth, but there was no hope of his voice being heard, as far back as they were sitting.
Serena looked out at the crowd as the lights came up, immediately regretting it. Her nerves were kicking into overdrive as she saw all of the people in front of her, making her heart race and putting butterflies in her stomach. She was crossing her fingers behind her back, hoping that she didn't get too far into her own head. She knew she could make Poké Puffs with her eyes closed at this point; she just needed to let herself do it. She closed her eyes and exhaled slowly, trying to shut out the voices of the crowd, working through the steps of the task ahead of her.
"Girls, bring out your Pokémon!" Serena reached down and grabbed two Poké Balls from her apron, tossing them in front of her; as they hit the ground, her Delphox and her Sylveon emerged, focused and ready to go. The other two contestants brought out their own Pokémon as well, each of them having at least one Fire-type by their sides to help with the baking.
"Is everyone ready?" Monsieur Pierre asked, not waiting for an answer. "Then let the Theme Performance… begin!"
Immediately, all three Performers turned around and started gathering ingredients, as their Pokémon followed them. Serena's Delphox started heating the oven, as she and her Sylveon began working on pastry dough. She could still feel her nerves trying to trip her up, but her muscle memory was starting to kick in, forcing her nervousness to the back of her mind. Within seconds, she had suddenly regained the clarity of mind that she'd been hoping for since earlier that morning. She felt a smile creep over her face as she moved to get her Sylveon working on filling; for the first time all day, she was having some fun.
The crowd was raucous as ever as the three girls got to baking, cheering nonstop, with occasional chants breaking out for one girl or another, as if the venue was a sports stadium. Ash was as loud and excited as anyone else, with Pikachu contributing his voice to the noise as well; Iris and Brock eventually got in on it too, getting swept up in the fun as the contestants got their puffs into the ovens. Ash and his friends watched as Serena kneeled next to her oven, giving careful direction to Delphox as to how they should be cooked.
"Girls, you have one minute left!" Pierre eventually announced, as the Performers started removing their puffs from the oven. Sylveon skillfully helped Serena fill her pastries, moving quickly as the crowd started counting down the final few seconds. When the buzzer sounded, all of the competitors exhaled and leaned back against their counters, some of them wiping away sweat.
"Excellent work, from all three of our girls!" the MC stated, amid further cheers from the audience, who were limitless in their candor. "And now, the judging shall begin! First up, Fiora!"
The crowd quieted down substantially as the first girl brought her Poké Puffs forward for judging. The three judges, all of whom looked like upper-crust members of society, tasted the pastries with contemplative looks on their faces, as if they were critiquing high art. Soon, Serena brought her puffs up for judging, followed by Isadora. All three girls looked nervous as the judges tasted their work; at the very least, Serena was glad to know she wasn't alone.
After a couple minutes of discussion, the judges waved Monsieur Pierre over to disclose their decision. Once he was told the name of the winner, he walked back onto the center of the stage, drawing more cheers.
"Ladies and gentlemen, we have our decision! Everyone, please give a big round of applause to your winner… Serena!"
As the audience roared its approval, Serena felt a wave of relief wash over her, nearly knocking her off her feet. She smiled wide as she kneeled down, hugging both of her Pokémon tightly and thanking them for their help. She closed her eyes and sighed happily, thankful for the momentary reprieve before the nerves returned, unable to see the familiar face cheering for her in the crowd.
"We'll be seeing her again, during the final Freestyle Performance!" Pierre continued. "For now, let's bring out three more contestants to try their hands!" Serena stood up, returning Delphox and Sylveon to their Poké Balls, before she turned and headed backstage, smiling wide. Moments later, three more girls stepped onto the stage, and another round began.
An hour later, Serena was sitting in the hallway behind the stage, looking down, hands clasped in her lap, as her Pokémon milled about, warming themselves up. She was wearing her new performance outfit, blue flower clip in her hair, looking as perfect as she had hoped she would. She could hear the second freestyle performer on stage right now, dancing with her Pokémon, as she would be doing in just a few minutes.
She had finally figured out what was making her so nervous. Coumarine City was where she had her first performance, years ago, when she was first toying with the idea of being a Performer. The Theme Performance, which was a round of Pokémon Styling, had gone very poorly for her, as her Fennekin tripped on a ribbon and fell to the ground, destroying her chances of victory. She'd put on a brave face at the time, but inside she was crushed.
As she sat inside the same theater once again, all the memories were rushing back. She could feel the crushing disappointment in her heart, and the heat of shame on her face, as if it had just happened minutes ago. As she sat and stewed in her own thoughts, her Pancham walked by her and paused, looking up.
"Cham?" he asked, wondering what was making his trainer so upset.
"Pancham, I need you to slap me hard," she replied, needing to get herself out of this funk somehow. She was half-serious when she said it, but she was completely taken by surprise when Pancham did just that, hopping onto her lap and slapping her across the face with his paw, just hard enough to startle but not sting. She stared at him, stunned, eyes wide, as he pointed at her and began to speak.
"Pan, pan, pancham! Cham cham, papapan, pancham!"
She watched in confusion and disbelief as her Pokémon gave her an energized pep talk, gesticulating wildly and speaking loudly about who knows what. She eventually felt herself smile wide as he finished, reaching out and hugging him tightly to her, laughing.
"Thanks, Pancham. I needed that." He hugged her back, as she felt herself relax. She didn't have the faintest idea what he had said, but knowing that her Pokémon cared this much about her went a long way toward putting her in a better mood.
"Serena?" She glanced over at the sound of her name being called, recognizing the blonde, bespectacled woman in a suit calling her from the back of the stage. "We need you on stage. You'll be performing in just a minute."
She nodded. "Thanks, Paris." She stood up and followed her backstage, with her three Pokémon following her in turn. She walked out onto the corner of the stage, seeing the previous contestant, Jill, finishing up her performance, dancing and spinning with her Pokémon.
Serena closed her eyes, sighing, feeling better about what she was about to do. She found it easier to put aside the unpleasant memories from before, and she instead found herself thinking about the friends she had traveled with at the time. She tried to imagine what the three of them might say, as Jill wrapped up her performance.
"You're the best Performer ever, Serena! You can win this for sure!"
She smiled wide, imagining the young and cheerful Bonnie, with her Dedenne by her side. The two of them had been great friends throughout her journey, and as the audience started to applaud, she reminded herself to stop by Lumiose City to visit sometime soon.
"Your skills in this area are unmatched! Do your best, and I know you'll win!"
Her smile turned to a grin, as she thought of Bonnie's older brother, Clemont. He was more than a little geeky, but always cheerful and encouraging, and a loyal friend.
"Go, Serena! You've got this, I know you do!"
Her eyes shot open. That voice wasn't in her head.
She looked out toward the crowd as their applause died down, scanning the upper balcony, where the shout had come from. The voice was intensely familiar, though deeper than the voice she would have immediately recognized. As she scanned the crowd, she eventually locked eyes with a teenage boy with black hair and a red-and-white hat, with a yellow Pokémon sitting on his lap. As soon as their eyes met, he grinned wide and started frantically waving one of his arms.
Serena visibly gasped, covering her mouth with one hand, her heart stopping. It was him. It had to be. It couldn't possibly be anyone else. Her mind raced as she continued locking eyes with him, taking a trembling step back, unable to look away. Why was he here? He wasn't supposed to be here. She had planned it all out. This was too early. She wasn't prepared for this.
"Thank you, Jill, for that beautiful performance!" She was brought back to Earth by the voice of Monsieur Pierre, jumping and looking around as a spotlight shone down on her. "Last but not least, the fifteen-year-old veteran from Vaniville Town, Serena! Give her a big hand, folks!"
The crowd began cheering once again, as she took a moment to compose herself. She took a deep breath, trying her best to force her nerves downward; falling apart now would be an unacceptable disaster. As she walked toward center stage with her Pokémon, she found her heart racing again, no longer from nerves, but from excitement. Her momentary panic had subsided, and her mind became surprisingly clear. She knew what she had to do, what she had been planning to do ever since they parted. She was going to show him exactly what kind of Pokémon Performer she had become.
As her music began, she looked down and reached out toward her Sylveon, who leaped into her arms, as her Delphox used Fire Spin to surround them all with a small ring of flame. Serena tossed Sylveon into the air, as her Pokémon focused and used Fairy Wind, aiming it directly upward. The burst of air sent the flames flying upward, creating a pillar of sparkling pink air surrounding all three of them, rising upward, as if she was some sort of fairy goddess bursting forth from the Earth. The crowd ooh'd in amazement, and she grinned wide, energized and excited like she hadn't been in years, as her performance began.
The crowd cheered repeatedly as she danced about with her Pokémon, pouring her heart and soul into her performance. Delphox and Sylveon provided spectacular visual effects, as Pancham showed off his athletic ability and dancing skill, bouncing and flipping all about. Brock and Iris watched her with wide eyes, never having seen such a display from anyone before, as her performance blew the other two girls out of the water.
Ash's eyes never left Serena for a moment. He watched in amazement as she danced, somersaulted, and pirouetted about the stage like it was second nature, unable to believe how much she had improved in the last five years. As he watched her spin on one foot, her eyes closed and her arms out, it seemed as if time was slowing down for him. He watched her hair as it spun, the blue flower highlighting it perfectly, before his eyes traveled down to her face, and the magical smile that adorned it. He felt his face flush, thinking that in this moment, practically frozen in time, she was the most beautiful girl he'd ever seen.
As the music wound down, Serena did one final somersault forward, landing in perfect splits as her Pokémon raised their arms around her. She was still smiling as she caught her breath, the crowd erupting into the loudest applause of the night, amazed at the display they had just seen.
"A stunning performance from the talented Serena!" Monsieur Pierre proclaimed, walking to the front of the stage, as Serena's Pokémon helped her get to her feet. "We've seen all three performers, and now it's time to cast your votes!"
He held up a Glow Caster in his hand, showing off the three colored buttons on it. "When I give the signal, press the appropriate button to vote for your performer of choice! Remember that a green vote is for Astrid, a pink vote is for Jill, and a yellow vote is for Serena!" He lowered his wand and stepped backward, as the three girls walked forward, taking their positions. "Everyone, cast your votes now!"
As soon as they were given the signal, Ash, Iris and Brock raised their Glow Casters enthusiastically, each of them pressing the yellow button. They watched as yellow balls of light emerged from their wands and flew down toward the stage, collecting itself in a hologram of a key that floated in front of Serena. Soon the air was full of glowing, multicolored light flowing toward the stage, but it was clear that one color was dominating the other two.
As the light finally settled and the air returned to normal, there was no question as to who had won. Astrid and Jill's keys had collected a small amount of light each, but Serena's key was as full as it could be.
"Well, there's no debate to be had here!" Pierre announced, as the crowd cheered. "The winner of the showcase, and the recipient of the season's first Princess Key, is the one and only Serena!"
Serena was beaming from ear to ear as the adulation of the crowd washed over her, and she felt her Pokémon all embracing her tightly. She kneeled down and wrapped her arms around all of them, elated, before standing up again. Her gaze immediately went back to Ash, as she smiled wider than she could remember smiling before, her hands clasped over her chest.
She wished that she could speak to him, shout to him over the crowd, and tell him that performance had been for him; from the look on his face, she felt like he had understood it regardless. Even with the distance between them, she could see the immense pride in his eyes, which was a reward greater than any Princess Key. The two of them kept their gaze fixed on each other as long as they could, neither of them wanting this perfect moment to end.