"Ahh!" Ash sat back in his chair, his hand resting on his stomach. "That was great! Pokémon Center food always hits the spot!"
On the other side of the table, Serena smiled an unconvincing smile as she continued eating her breakfast. "If you say so, Ash."
"You don't like it?" He tilted his head forward to meet her eyes, his eyebrows raised.
"I mean, it's fine," she elaborated. "But it's still cafeteria food, you know? I'd rather be sitting at a table outside, with a cup of tea and a slice of clafoutis." She took another bite of her scrambled eggs.
"Oh, I love clafoutis!" Madison chimed in from beside Serena. "Especially when they can get the cherries to be really sweet and not sour."
"I don't know what clafoutis is, but I'm with you two." Iris set her fork down on her finished plate. "Especially if there's cherries in it."
"Come on, really?" Ash looked around incredulously at the others at his table. "Am I the only one who really likes Pokémon Center food?"
Brock chuckled. "You're also the only one who travels on foot as much as you do. How many Pokémon Centers have you eaten at in your life?"
The table devolved into a highly opinionated discussion on cafeteria food, and breakfast foods in general. Ash gave an impassioned defense of typical trainer food, while Iris and Brock encouraged him to raise his standards, and Serena and Madison continued to promote the delicious food of their home region. Only Barrett, seated next to Madison, remained quiet. He kept his eyes low, barely listening to the conversation occurring next to him, as he poked lazily at the food that remained on his plate.
The debate came to an end as an outnumbered Ash sat back and folded his arms with a huff. Serena giggled as she finished her food, which was not the supportive gesture Ash was hoping for. Iris rolled her eyes, biting her tongue to keep herself from calling Ash a little kid as she often did.
"So what's everyone doing today?" Madison asked, as she set her silverware down. "Is everyone going to be able to see my showcase tonight?"
"I'll be there!" Ash perked up.
"We'll be there if we can make it," Iris answered. "I'm going on a day trip to Terminus Cave, and Brock is coming with me."
"To get a Noibat, right?" Serena asked.
"That's right," Iris confirmed. "It's my last real chance to get one. I think that's going to be my last catch while I'm here. After that, I really want to focus on training all my new Pokémon. It's been going fine so far, but after seeing how much Ash's Pokémon have grown in his battle with Diantha, I know I can do better."
"Please try to be back in time!" Madison pleaded. "I really want everyone to see my Performance Battle! Barrett and I were working hard on it all day yesterday!"
"Mm." Barrett grunted as he heard his name mentioned, acting as if he had been following along. He took a small bite of his mostly-intact breakfast.
"Barrett?" Madison turned to face her companion. "Is something wrong? You're really quiet."
The boy blinked and turned to his right to see Madison studying him. She was sitting much closer than he had realized, her large, brown eyes lit with concern. He found himself briefly lost in those eyes, temporarily forgetting where he was and what he was thinking about.
"I… uh…" He forced himself to look away as his cheeks flushed a deep red. "It's nothing. I'm fine. Don't worry." He shoveled a large forkful of his breakfast into his mouth, in order to keep it occupied. Madison frowned, not entirely convinced, but she decided not to pry.
Serena watched the exchange with deep amusement, covering her mouth with her hand in order to hide her grin. She was fairly certain she knew what was on Barrett's mind. His feelings toward Madison weren't exactly a mystery.
"We'll do our best to come back in time," Iris promised. "I want to see what you all have been working on."
Madison seemed satisfied with this, and the group soon dispersed to go their separate ways. Iris and Brock began their trek to Terminus Cave, Ash left to train with his Pokémon, and the remaining three travelers left to make some last-minute preparations for the upcoming showcase. Barrett remained quiet throughout, a nervous and thoughtful expression etched onto his face.
Hours later, Iris and Brock were walking along an old, abandoned minecart track suspended above a quarry. Both of them came to a stop, looking up as the track led them to the entrance of a large, deep cave. The walls immediately inside the cave were speckled with minerals that reflected the sunlight weakly, but deeper inside they could see the cave was nearly pitch black.
"Well, this sure looks like it," Brock said. "Terminus Cave. This looks just like what Ash and Serena described."
"How long did it take us to get here?" Iris reached down and pulled out her phone, wincing when she saw the time. "Ah, geez… I don't think we're going to be making it back in time. I'll have to apologize to Madison when we get back."
"I'm sure she'll understand," he responded. "Catching new Pokémon is the whole reason you were here in the first place, wasn't it?"
"Mhmm," she answered. "Maybe I could have stopped off here earlier and made it in time to see her showcase…" She slid her phone back into her pocket. "Well, no use worrying about it now. Only thing I can do is catch a Noibat as fast as I can. I wonder if there are a lot-"
She cut herself off as three purple-and-black, bat-like Pokémon with large ears flew out of the cave together, flying off overhead and into the forest surrounding the quarry. Axew poked his head out of Iris's hair, following them with his eyes as they flew away.
Brock chuckled. "Well, either those were the only three Noibat in the cave, or you don't have much to worry about."
Iris grinned wide, feeling excited about her catch already. "Well, let's get going and find out!" Brock nodded and pulled out a flashlight, turning it on and pointing it inside. The two of them followed the beam of light deeper into the cave, keeping their eyes peeled for Iris's chosen Pokémon.
"Ladies and gentlemen, one and all! Welcome to tonight's Pokémon Showcase, hosted in the lovely and quaint Couriway Town!"
A spotlight shone down on Monsieur Pierre, as he stood at center stage in the auditorium of the Couriway Town Theater. The audience was on the smaller side, roughly comparable to the audience at the Brackish Town Showcase, but they were still able to fill the building with the sounds of applause. Ash and Serena were watching from their seats on the left side of the auditorium, close to one of the backstage doors, which Serena had ducked in and out of several times as she checked on Madison and Barrett. Ash was gently scratching the top of Pikachu's head with one hand, while his other hand rested on top of Serena's on their shared armrest.
"Tonight, seventeen young girls have gathered here to perform for you with their Pokémon! But only one of them will walk away with a Princess Key, bringing them one step closer to the Master Class, where they will have the chance to compete for the title of Kalos Queen! Will one of tonight's competitors become Kalos's newest star?"
The curtains behind Pierre were pulled back, revealing a mostly empty stage, and a large projector screen hanging from the ceiling. Ash frowned, not recognizing this setup from any previous showcases. He wondered just what the Theme Performance had in store for the night's performers.
"Before our ladies can proceed to the Performance Battle round, they must first prevail in the Theme Performance," Pierre continued. "Tonight's Theme Performance is the Pokémon Spectacle! Our performers will be given a visual prompt on the screen behind me, and each one must recreate that visual by using their Pokémon! After five prompts, our judges will determine which performer in each group will move on to the next round!"
As he finished his explanation, three female silhouettes stepped into view behind him, obscured by powerful lights from behind them. Each of them had two Pokémon by their side, of varying shapes and sizes. Pierre began walking toward the side of the stage, gesturing to the contestants standing behind him. "Everyone, please give a warm welcome to our first three performers: Madison, Elise and Judith!"
Ash and Serena cheered with the rest of the audience as the three girls were lit up properly with stage lights, revealing their immaculate outfits and nervous expressions. Madison's eyes roamed the audience for familiar faces, though it was difficult to recognize any of them with the stage lights in her eyes. After a moment, she spotted Ash and Serena at the far edge of the crowd, and visibly relaxed.
As the applause died down, Ash leaned in closer to Serena, speaking quietly. "I still don't get it. How is this round supposed to work?"
"Just watch," Serena whispered back. "It'll make sense after you see it." Ash nodded and sat upright again, watching as all three girls turned to face the projector screen.
"Ladies, here is your first prompt!" Monsieur Pierre declared, as a black-and-white pattern appeared on the screen. To Ash, the pattern looked an awful lot like an exploding firework. The image reminded him of those ink-blot cards from psychological tests that he had heard about.
"Madison, if you please!" the host continued. Madison nodded and stepped forward, with her Roselia and Swellow on either side of her.
"Roselia, Petal Blizzard!" she commanded, pointing upward above her head. "Create a ball!"
Roselia extended her arms outward, and the flowers at the ends of her arms began to glow. Pink petals materialized around her out of thin air, quickly growing in number until they were thick enough for her to hide behind. She thrust one of her arms skyward, and all of the petals flew up into the air, swirling about in a tightly-packed sphere.
"Now, Swellow, use Air Slash!" Her Swellow cawed and flapped its wings, taking off and flying into the air. He positioned himself several feet behind the petal ball, as his wings glowed white. He slashed his wings in front of himself, and two blades of air shot forth in an X pattern. The attack struck the exact center of the petal ball, and the petals exploded outward like a firework, mostly matching the pattern shown on the screen.
"Oh, cool! I get it now," Ash spoke quietly, applauding with the rest of the crowd by clapping his right hand against his knee.
"I told you," Serena answered with a smile, as Madison took several steps back. The purple-haired Elise was next, and the audience watched as she tried to create her own firework effect with a Monferno and a Porygon.
As Serena watched the Pokémon work together to dazzle the crowd, she noticed some movement out of the corner of her eye. She turned her head toward the backstage door, where she saw Barrett poking his head out and glancing around. His eyes soon met Serena's, and he waved her over with his hand.
Serena stood up, telling Ash that she would be right back, and scooted past the two other audience members between herself and the aisle. Once free, she hurried to the backstage door and stepped inside, taking in Barrett's appearance. He was dressed in a sharp blue tuxedo, with a white dress shirt and matching blue pants. A red rose was pinned to his lapel, providing a much-needed pop of color.
She grinned wide at the sight of him. "You look great, Barrett! Very handsome! Madison did a great job picking that out."
"Thanks," he mumbled, looking away from her gaze for a moment as he processed her compliment. "Um… do you know how to tie a bow tie?" He held up his hand, which held an untied black bow tie. "I never learned how."
Serena held back a snicker as she stepped forward, taking the bow tie from his hand. "Sure I do. I've tied them on my own Pokémon plenty of times." She knelt down in front of him, draping the tie around his neck. "Not that you're a Pokémon or anything."
"Mm," Barrett grunted, not acknowledging her comment. He stayed quiet as she worked, his face looking as if he was a thousand miles away.
His pensiveness was not lost on Serena, who eventually decided to break the ice. "What's on your mind, Barrett?"
"Huh?" He looked up at her, surprised, before looking away again. "It's… nothing. I'm fine."
"That's a lie," she responded matter-of-factly. "Your mind has been somewhere else all day. You've barely said anything and you always look lost in thought."
Barrett didn't look back at her, but his face flushed red, confirming her suspicions. "Sorry…"
"You don't need to apologize to me," she responded, as she finished straightening the perfectly-tied bow tie. "But you should probably talk about it with someone if it's bothering you this much, don't you think?"
"Well… it's just… hard to say," he admitted, having to force the words out.
"I understand," Serena replied, placing her hands on his shoulders. "I'm sure some things can be scary to talk about. But those are the things that are the most important to say." She looked him square in the eyes. "Trust me, Barrett. You don't want to wait until it's too late."
He looked back at her, eyes widening as the weight of her words sank in. He swallowed nervously and nodded. "Yeah… you're right. Thanks, Serena."
"No problem." She flashed him a warm smile as she stood up. "I'm going to watch the rest of Madison's performance. I'll be back before you two go on."
He thanked her again, his voice still quiet, and he turned and trudged away slowly, weighed down by his heavy thoughts. Serena watched him for a moment before walking back into the auditorium, her meddling complete, and returned to her seat next to Ash. Her heart raced at the idea of Barrett having a long-overdue conversation with Madison, who was being declared the winner of the Theme Performance at that very moment.
Brock's flashlight was one of the only sources of light deep within Terminus Cave, and most of the Pokémon that he and Iris encountered shied away from it. They had spotted a wide variety of different species, including Sandslash, Lairon and Larvitar, but the Noibat they were seeking proved to be hard to come by. Brock had once again joked about the only three Noibat leaving the cave earlier, but Iris found it much less funny the second time around.
Eventually, the darkness gave way to a bright green glow, and the two of them ran forward to find a large subterranean lake, radiating light from some unknown source. Iris gasped as she took in the sight.
"Whoa!" She gazed out at the lake in wonder. "What is this? I've never seen anything like this before!"
"Neither have I… at least, not in this color." Brock flicked his flashlight off. "Want to go take a closer look?"
The two of them carefully climbed down a gentle slope before approaching the water, leaning in closer to try and find the source of the mysterious light. Finding no clues in the water itself, they started walking around the edge of the lake. Brock had grown somewhat invested in the mystery, while Iris allowed her attention to wander around the cave. As she scanned the floor and walls of the cave, her eyes lit up as she spotted what looked like a nest made of rocks, and an occupied nest at that.
"Oh, look at this!" She reached out and tugged on Brock's sleeve to capture his attention. "It's a huge nest of Pokémon eggs!"
"Wow! Look how many there are!" Brock squinted even more than usual, trying to count how many eggs were present. "It looks like there's seven altogether. I've never seen that many eggs together in the wild before!"
The two trainers rushed over for a better look at the eggs, when a piercing, explosive noise stopped them in their tracks. They winced and covered their ears to block out the high-pitched shriek, which was soon accompanied by the sound of swooping wings and a rush of wind from deeper in the cave. The air was soon filled with the flapping of wings, as more than three dozen Noibat swooped past Iris and Brock. All of them flew toward the ceiling above the nest, clinging to it upside-down and turning to glare at the intruding humans.
"Well… I guess we know whose eggs those are now…" Brock muttered.
Iris held up her hands in contrition as she faced the colony of Noibat. "We're not here for the eggs, I promise! We just saw them and were curious!" The Noibat growled at her, not entirely convinced. Axew leaped out of her hair, ready to defend his trainer, but Iris caught him in her arms instead.
"See, I'm a Pokémon trainer," she explained, holding Axew tightly to her chest. "I specialize in Dragon-types. I was hoping I could find a Noibat who wanted to join me and be part of my team. That's why I came here to this cave."
The Noibat appeared to soften their stances, as they tried to determine if this human could be trusted. One of them hanging in the front let out a loud squeak, swooping down and landing on a small outcropping near Iris. This Pokémon looked a good deal taller than the rest, and it flexed its wings to show off its muscle, in an attempted show of force.
Iris couldn't help but snicker at this Noibat's bravado. "You're interested, huh?" Noibat squeaked affirmatively, jumping up and down, looking as if its life's dream was coming true.
Brock stepped forward to examine the Noibat more closely. "Well, it sure looks strong. Healthy, too, as far as I can tell. I haven't seen too many of these before."
"Well, that settles it, then." Iris reached down to her belt, pulling out one of the unoccupied Poké Balls she had brought with her. Before she could catch Noibat, however, there was another, higher-pitched squeak from within the crowd. A second Noibat flew over toward Iris and perched next to the original contender, waving its wings in protest and gesturing toward the empty Poké Ball. This new Noibat was several inches shorter than the other, its muscles less developed, but it seemed just as insistent on being chosen.
Iris looked back and forth between the two, not having expected to be spoiled for choice. She briefly thought about capturing both of them and having one of them sent back to Opelucid City, but her thoughts were interrupted by the larger Noibat shoving the smaller one off its perch.
"Whoa! Hey!" Iris reflexively took a step back, as the smaller Noibat chattered angrily at its aggressor. It flapped its wings and took off, zooming forward to tackle the larger Noibat. Unfortunately, its charge was easily sidestepped, and it was slammed with a powerful Wing Attack that sent it tumbling to the ground.
Undeterred, the smaller Pokémon righted itself and flew around for another pass. This time, the larger Noibat took off as well, flying with much greater speed toward its opponent. It opened its jaw and crunched down on the wing of the smaller Noibat, who squeaked in pain. The larger Noibat shook the smaller one back and forth several times, fangs digging into leathery skin, before flinging its target away. The smaller Noibat crashed painfully into the wall of the cave, falling to the ground and landing upside-down.
Iris and Brock expected the fight to be over, after the first Noibat demonstrated its clear superiority, but the other Noibat groaned and tried to right itself once more. Snorting, the larger Noibat lifted its wings and swung them at its foe, and a pair of Air Slashes cut through the air. The attacks dug deep into the smaller Noibat's torso, knocking the wind out of it with a loud squeak of pain. The little one finally slumped, no longer having the energy to battle.
Satisfied, the original Noibat struck a victorious pose and postured toward Iris, awaiting his prize. Iris had already turned away, running over to the smaller Noibat and kneeling next to it, worried for its health.
"Are you alright?!" she asked. Noibat struggled to lift its head and look her in the eyes. Its expression was one of despondency and devastation, and it squeaked a pitiful, sorrowful squeak. Iris sighed, reaching out to gently pet the Pokémon's ears, before her lips curled up into a smile.
"How would you like to become stronger than that other Noibat?"
The cavern was instantly filled with the sounds of chattering from the surprised flock of Noibat. The alpha Noibat, still standing on its outcropping of rock, began squeaking angrily and incredulously, stomping its feet in indignation. The smaller Noibat's eyes lit up, and it nodded as vigorously as it could. Iris beamed and grabbed her Poké Ball once again, tapping it to the smaller Noibat's nose. The Pokémon was sucked into the device, which chimed almost as soon as it was closed.
"That was a bit of a surprise," Brock spoke, walking over to Iris as she stood up. "You didn't want the stronger one?"
She shook her head, keeping her eyes on her new catch. "This one's got spunk, and I like that. It kept getting up even when it was being beaten down, when it must have known it couldn't win. I can make any Pokémon strong, but I can't always give a Pokémon spirit." She attached the ball to her hip. "Plus, that other one is a bit of a bully."
"Seems like a good enough reason to me." Brock looked back toward the path that led to the cave entrance. "Well, you've made your catch. Want to head back? Maybe we can still see part of-"
He was interrupted by enraged, high-pitched screeching from the spurned Noibat. The Pokémon was jumping up and down now, furious at being overlooked in favor of such a pitiful specimen. It took in a deep breath and bellowed, letting out a powerful wall of noise that slammed into Brock and Iris like a gust of wind. Both of them covered their ears once again, crying out in pain, as Noibat leaped into the air and swooped forward, on a collision course with Iris.
"Hey!" She yelped and leaped out of the way just in time to dodge Noibat's assault. She reached down and grabbed another Poké Ball, opening it up and releasing her Dragonite, as Noibat turned and flew in for another pass.
"Dragonite, stop that Noibat with Thunder Punch!" she called out, a bit frantic. Dragonite glared at the incoming attacker and slammed his fist directly into its face, sending Noibat careening into a wall. Its body crackled with electricity as it slid down to the ground, groaning in pain. It looked back up at Iris and Dragonite with determination in its eyes, just as its body began to glow with a bright blue light.
Iris and Brock gasped, and the other Noibat all chattered in wonder, as Noibat's body began to elongate, growing in size several times over. Its meager wings extended into large, mighty appendages, and the scruffs of hair on its neck grew into a large, threatening mane. As the light faded, the newly-evolved Noivern let out a howl and dashed forward toward Dragonite, opening its mouth and issuing forth a large Dragon Pulse.
"Dodge it!" Iris shouted reflexively. Dragonite leaped to the side, propelled by his wings, and the Dragon Pulse sailed past and crashed into a stalactite, sending it crashing to the ground. Iris turned back toward Noivern with gritted teeth, preparing herself for a tough battle as she issued her next command.
The Performance Battle round was in full swing, as a redheaded girl named Pamela battled with her Meowscarada against her partner, Dorothy, and her Glaceon. Ash was still watching in the audience, but Serena had migrated backstage for some last-minute preparation with Madison.
"You're sure nobody can see my brace?" the younger girl asked, as she craned her neck to try and see underneath her own floor-length dress.
"When you're standing still, it's practically invisible," Serena reassured her. "And nobody will notice it while you're walking. Just smile and wave at the crowd, and they'll all focus on that instead. You're a performer. Control their attention."
"Yeah, alright." Madison took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "How long does it take to stop being nervous before a performance?"
"When it happens, I'll let you know," Serena answered truthfully but unhelpfully.
"Great…" Madison rested her hand over her heart for a moment, before her attention was drawn by the sound of familiar footsteps. She turned around to see Barrett walking toward her, looking even more nervous than she was. "Barrett! How are you feeling? Are you all ready to go?"
"Madison…" Barrett began, his voice trembling slightly. "There's... something I need to tell you."
Serena's eyes shot open, as her heart flooded with excitement, stunned that this was happening now, of all times. Madison cocked her head, puzzled.
"Whatever it is, can it wait?" she responded. "We're going on in just a few minutes."
Barrett sharply shook his head. "No, it can't wait. It's too important."
Madison stepped forward, curious and concerned. "Barrett, what is it? What's so important? Is everything okay?"
Serena took several steps back, giving the two some space for this important conversation. She was covering her mouth with both hands, almost giddy at the moment that was finally coming to pass. Barrett received zero points for timing, but she awarded him plenty more for bravery and initiative. She watched excitedly as the boy took a deep breath and spoke.
"Madison, I… can't be your Battle Partner."
Madison blinked in confusion. "What? Barrett, what are you talking about? We're just about to go on stage! You need to-"
"Your parents called me last night," he continued, his words silencing her on the spot. "They told me I wasn't allowed to perform with you. They told me I was… enabling you, and that if I kept helping you, they'd get me in trouble with my parents, somehow."
He kept his eyes low, unwilling to look at the expression of wide-eyed horror on Madison's face. "They said it's time for you to stop this and come home. That you need to stop performing and go back to school and start working at your family's store. They said that they know best and that this is for your own good." He closed his eyes tight to try and keep tears from forming. "I'm really sorry, Madison!" He turned on his heel and ran away down the hall, far from Madison's inevitable anguish.
Serena watched him run, aghast. This was the polar opposite of what she had expected him to say. She felt her romantic high hopes crashing down and shattering against the carpeted floor of the theater. This was not what was supposed to happen.
Her thoughts were interrupted by the sounds of rapid, panicked breathing. Madison was clutching at her dress over her heart with one hand, with the other covering her mouth, as she began to hyperventilate. She could feel the world closing in around her, boxing her in, trapping her. Her knees felt weak, her head light, as she brought herself steadily closer to passing out.
Serena snapped into action, recognizing the signs of a panic attack in progress. She stepped in front of Madison and placed her hands on the girl's shoulders. "Madison! Breathe for me. I need you to breathe," she ordered, meeting Madison's shaky and unfocused gaze. "Close your eyes. Take in a deep breath… hold it… now let it go." Madison squeezed her eyes shut and did as she was told, letting Serena's words ground her like an anchor. Serena walked the young girl through two more breaths, and her trembling gradually slowed until it stopped.
"Barrett…!" Madison's eyes opened again, still full of panic and horror. "He… he just…!"
"Forget about Barrett," Serena commanded, her voice forceful but reassuring. "Focus on now. Focus on you. Do you still want to go through with this showcase?"
"Y… yes, but… but…" Madison stammered. "I can't! I don't have a Battle Partner!"
"You will in five minutes," Serena replied immediately. "I just need to go and get ready."
Madison stared at Serena in stunned amazement for a moment, needing time to process what she had just said. "S… Serena…" She could feel tears welling up in the corners of her eyes, overwhelmed.
"Hey, hey, no crying." Serena reached out and wiped her tears away. "Your makeup will run. You can cry after you're done." She reached down and took Madison's hand in her own. "Come on and help me get ready! This will go faster with your help."
Madison swallowed and nodded, wiping away more tears as she and Serena ran down the hall toward the dressing room.
Noivern crashed painfully into a stalagmite as it flew through the air, hitting the ground and rolling for a moment. The Pokémon needed a few seconds before getting back up, its stamina sapped after being beaten down for several minutes. Its evolution had multiplied its strength and speed several times over, but it still found itself outclassed by the ace Pokémon of a Gym Leader.
"You should give up," Iris advised, her voice stern. "You just evolved, and my Dragonite has been battling and training with me for years. You can't win. Save your strength." Noivern growled at her words, far too proud to give in how, and it pushed itself into a standing position before flinging two more Air Cutters at its foe.
"Dodge and use Dragon Rush!" Iris called out. Dragonite easily dodged to the side, a blue aura surrounding him, and he dashed forward toward his foe. Noivern tried to evade, but Dragonite's head hit the Pokémon square in the gut, and it flew backward and slammed into a wall. It slid back down into a sitting position, dazed and winded. Noivern started to seriously consider the merits of pretending to be unconscious, but its pride eventually forced it back to its feet.
As Noivern prepared yet another attack, a panicked screeched echoed through the cavern, drawing everyone's attention. One of the Noibat was frantically flapping its wings, gesturing toward the nest on the ground. The nest was now completely empty, all of the eggs having mysteriously vanished.
"What?! What happened?!" Iris exclaimed, running over to the nest along with Brock. "Where did the eggs go?!"
"Did someone steal them?" Brock wondered aloud. "Maybe they did it while we were all distracted with the battle?" Noivern and Dragonite flew over and landed behind him, studying the empty nest as if it held some sort of clue.
Iris turned about in a circle, searching for any sign of a Pokémon that may have made off with the eggs, with no luck. She groaned. "I don't see anything… do you think it may have left footprints? Or-"
Noivern let out a brief but commanding screech, silencing Iris instantly, along with all of the chattering Noibat. The Pokémon closed its eyes and focused, its overlarge ears opening up and expanding, taking in every tiny noise, every single drop of water, every skitter of movement from a Pokémon in the entire cave. It soon opened its eyes again, screeching and lifting off into the air before flying toward the entrance to the cave.
Iris didn't take any time to question what had happened, reacting promptly. "Dragonite, follow Noivern! It knows where the eggs are!" Dragonite grunted and took off, flying after Noivern and easily keeping pace. Iris and Brock ran after them.
Several minutes later, Noivern and Dragonite slowed to a stop as they came across the culprits close to the entrance to the cave. A line of gray, steel-coated Durant were marching along the cave floor, each of them carrying a Pokémon egg in its mandibles. All of them were marching toward a tiny hole in the cave wall about thirty feet ahead, just barely large enough for a single Durant to crawl through at once. Neither Noivern nor Dragonite would be able to fit through it.
Noivern flew up into the air, taking in a deep breath as it prepared a Dragon Pulse. Before it could let the attack go, it was stopped by Iris's alarmed voice.
"Wait! Don't attack!" she shouted, as she ran up behind the two Pokémon. "You might hit one of the eggs and damage it!" Noivern huffed and swallowed its Dragon Pulse back down, watching with distress as the Durant marched closer to their target. Iris ran through her options in her mind, quickly coming up with a plan.
"Dragonite, use Hurricane! Grab all the Durant and the eggs together!"
Her Pokémon growled and flapped his wings repeatedly, creating a powerful gust of wind that slowly grew into a small hurricane. The Durant tried to dig their steel feet into the ground to no avail, and each of them were lifted up and thrown about in the air. They gradually lost their grip on the Pokémon eggs, which began flying wildly through the air along with the Durant.
"Now Noivern, fly through the hurricane and grab those eggs!" Iris continued. Noivern screeched and dove into the fray, managing to navigate the swirling wind with impressive skill. It spotted an egg and grabbed it in its claws, flying out of the hurricane again and dropping it toward Iris, who caught the egg in her arms and set it carefully down on the ground. Noivern turned and flew right back in, retrieving egg after egg and dropping them down to Iris or Brock, until all seven eggs had been safely rescued.
Iris grinned as she set the final egg down, turning back toward the Durant that were now falling to the ground, as the hurricane died down. "Let's teach these thieves a lesson! Dragonite, use Flamethrower!"
Her Pokémon took in a deep breath and spat out a powerful jet of flame at the pile of Durant that had formed on the cave floor. At the same time, Noivern finally spat out its Dragon Pulse, and the two attacks collided with the Durant simultaneously. The combined assault turned into a small but potent explosion, which sent the ant Pokémon flying in various directions around the cave. Whimpering in pain and still glowing red from the Flamethrower attack, the Durant skittered as quickly as they could toward the cave wall, retreating into their hole until all of them were out of sight.
Iris and Brock both sighed in relief, as the two flying Pokémon slowly descended to the ground and rested their wings. Noivern and Dragonite turned to each other and locked eyes for a moment, both of them conveying a look of reluctant, begrudging respect. The moment was followed by the sounds of chattering and flapping wings, and everyone turned around to see the flock of Noibat flying closer. Half of them gathered around the eggs, inspecting them for damage, while the rest crowded around Noivern, rubbing up against it and cheering happily.
Brock smiled at the touching scene. "Well, look at that. All these Noibat are cheering for their hero."
Iris nodded in agreement, as Noivern turned to face both of them. "You're definitely strong, Noivern. You're the strongest out of anyone in your flock. That's why you need to stay here with them, to protect them and keep them safe. Can you do that?"
Noivern frowned as it mulled over Iris's words, clear disappointment on its face at the prospect of not joining Iris on her journey. Its musing was interrupted by Noibats landing on its shoulders and nipping affectionately at its ears, or landing by its feet and nuzzling at its legs from below. After a few moments of being bombarded by their affections, Noivern relented and gave Iris a short nod. It knelt down and wrapped its wings protectively around the Noibat that had gathered below him, and the sounds of cheers echoed through the cave.
Iris felt her heart swelling at the sight, as the flock of Noibat anointed their new Noivern as their protector. He basked in their praise for a moment before squeaking out a series of instructions to them, and the Noibat flew over to the eggs and grabbed them in their talons. They started carrying the eggs back into the cave, with each egg being tended by at least three Noibat. Once all the eggs were in the air and being transported, Noivern turned and gave one last nod to Iris, before flapping its wings and flying back along with the others.
"Take care of yourself, Noivern!" Iris called out, waving. "And take care of everyone else, too!" She and Brock both waved until Noivern was out of sight, before turning and walking out of the cave, into the bright light of the setting sun.
"That was a pretty impressive Noivern you left behind, there," Brock commented. "Turns out it had a pretty good heart, after all. And it was persistent, like you wanted."
"Yeah, I guess so," Iris admitted. "But I'm happy with my catch. My Noibat is going to be even stronger than that after some training." She turned her head to the side to look at Brock. "Thank you for coming with me. This was-"
She cut herself off as her phone buzzed in her pocket. She reached in and grabbed it, seeing a picture message from Ash and opening it up. Her eyebrows shot up at the image that appeared on screen. "What?! Brock, look at this!"
Brock stepped closer and peeked at her phone screen, blinking in confusion. Ash had sent her a photo of Madison's Performance Battle with her Roselia, but instead of Barrett and his Torracat, it was Serena and her Sylveon standing on the other side of the stage. In between the two of them, a Petal Blizzard was caught up in a pink, glittering Fairy Wind.
"Huh? What's Serena doing on stage? What happened to Barrett?"
"I don't know," Iris answered. "We should get back and find out as soon as we can."
Brock nodded in agreement, and the two trainers picked up their pace as they made their way back toward Couriway Town.
"You've seen our six talented performers, and now it is time for the audience to pick a winner! Each of you has been provided with a Glow Caster wand, which you will use to vote for your preferred performer. On my signal…"
Monsieur Pierre continued to explain the voting procedure, as the night's six finalists stood in a line behind him. Madison stood on the far left of the group, forcing the best smile she could manage for someone who had just been stabbed in the heart. Her mind was reeling and her stomach was churning, but she would save her inevitable tears for after the showcase was over. She wasn't about to let tonight's events steal her dream away from her.
Serena peeked out through the side curtains, clad in her kimono dress with her blue flower head band. Her makeup had been hastily applied, and her hair styled simply to look "good enough", a far cry from how she preferred to present herself. It had been the rush job to end all rush jobs, but she hadn't been in a position to be picky. She and Madison had made it onto the stage with seconds to spare, and had executed their Performance Battle routine to absolute perfection. If Madison lost tonight, it wouldn't be because of Barrett.
"Well, hello, Serena," a familiar voice spoke from behind her. "Fancy seeing you here." Serena turned around, eyes lighting up as she saw the older, gray-blond woman walking up to her.
"Oh! Palermo!" Serena turned to face the woman fully, smiling. "It's good to see you again. Are you doing more scouting?"
"As always," Palermo responded. "I must say, I didn't expect to see you on stage again before the Master Class."
Serena's smile was immediately replaced with a bitter frown. "That makes two of us."
"I thought Madison had registered some boy her age as her Battle Partner. What happened to him?"
"He ditched her, because he's a coward," Serena grumbled. "The less said about him, the better."
Palermo nodded, leaving the subject alone. "So that's why you stepped in to help her." She stepped up beside Serena, watching the colored lights float through the air as the audience cast their votes. "That was awfully big of you, you know. There aren't many performers who would go to such lengths for another."
Serena smiled, her body feeling warmer at Palermo's praise. She turned and watched the votes come in as well. "Well, she deserves it. She's so talented, and she works hard… and she's had to deal with plenty of issues on top of that."
"It's an admirable quality for you to have," Palermo continued. "That's the sort of behavior that should exemplify the title of Kalos Queen. Aria was the same way."
Serena nodded, thinking back to her first journey, where a disguised Aria offered her practical advice on how to become a better performer. "That's the kind of performer I want to be. I want to help people and spread joy all over Kalos. If I can't use the crown to put smiles on people's faces, then I don't want it."
"How noble of you." Palermo smiled gently. "Well, you've already laid a strong claim to the crown. All the other performers are trying to catch up to you, at this point."
"That's what I was hoping for," Serena responded. "This time, nobody's going to stop me from becoming Kalos Queen."
"Hm." Palermo watched as the final balls of light slowly floated onto the stage. "So, no regrets about tonight?"
"Of course not," Serena answered. "I've been doing everything I can to live up to the ideals of a Kalos Queen. That's the kind of person I want to be."
"Well, that's good to hear." Palermo took a step back. "I certainly would have had a regret or two if I was in your shoes."
"Huh?" Serena turned her head to face her companion, her smile falling away. "Why do you say that?"
Palermo smirked and turned to leave. "Because she's better than you."
Serena blinked several times, watching silently as Palermo disappeared backstage. "Better than me…?" she repeated, taken aback.
Once Palermo was out of sight, Serena turned back to the stage, where the final results were being officially tallied. She immediately focused on Madison, who was standing closest to her. Madison, who had been chasing her own performance dreams for years, and practicing nearly as long as Serena had. Madison, whose perfect, precision movements, creative choreography, and impressive improvisation had left even Serena jealous. Madison, who had already defeated Serena in one showcase this year, to earn her first Princess Key.
Serena could feel her blood suddenly run cold, feel her heart stop, as the reality she had ignored came crashing down around her. There was one girl who was going to stop her from becoming Kalos Queen - and Serena had helped her to do it, every step of the way.
She continued to stare in shock, too stunned to even applaud as Madison was awarded with her second Princess Key.
"Are you sure you have to leave, Madison?" Ash asked, disappointed.
Madison nodded resolutely. "Yes, I'm sure. I still need one more Princess Key, and I have to compete in showcases where I can do a solo Freestyle Performance. There aren't any more like that on your route."
The two of them were standing outside a bus stop in Couriway Town the next day, with Serena, Iris and Brock alongside them. Barrett was noticeably absent from their group. He had approached Madison the night before, after the showcase, offering more apologies. A tearful Madison had torn into him like she had never torn into anyone before, giving him an earful for the ages. She had used several potent and colorful words that Serena was not aware the young girl knew.
"Well, good luck," Brock added. "It was nice traveling with you." He gave her a playful grin. "Try not to trip over anything else, alright?"
Madison giggled. "I won't, I promise. And you'll all see me again, at the Master Class! I'll be there whether I'm competing or not."
"I hope you get a chance to compete," Iris chimed in. "You and Serena still have a score to settle. You're both one-and-one against each other."
"Yeah…" Serena was quiet and reserved, much more conflicted about Madison's presence at the Master Class than her friends. A full night's sleep had done nothing to dim the revelation she'd had the night before, and the thought of Madison snatching away Serena's chance at the crown was still plaguing her mind. "We'll see."
The conversation was cut mercifully short by the arrival of a bus. Madison rushed over to the door as it opened, setting one foot inside before turning back to the others. "Take care, everyone! I'll see you all again soon!"
"Take care, Madison!" Ash called out, waving to her. "Good luck!" The others all waved and wished her well, as Madison stepped onto the bus and slid into a window seat. She continued to wave at them through the glass as the bus pulled away, until she was finally out of sight.
Once the bus had disappeared from view, Serena promptly turned toward her friends. "We need to get going, too! We've got a lot of ground to cover and a lot of training to do! Let's go!"
Ash laughed at her sudden burst of enthusiasm. "You're really fired up, Serena!"
"Of course I am!" she responded. "The Master Class is less than a month away! I have to make sure my Pokémon and I are in tip-top shape!" She stepped forward and grasped Ash's hand in hers, gently tugging him forward. "Come on, let's get moving!"
If any of her friends noticed the anxiety and alarm hidden behind her manic smile, they didn't mention it. They simply smiled and followed along, as Serena led them all toward Route 19 and Fleurrh City.