The young female checkout clerk smiled and handed Serena the bag of clothing items she'd just rung up. "Thank you for visiting! I hope you'll be back sometime soon!" she said sweetly.
Serena smiled and nodded politely. "Thanks! You always have such nice things here." She then turned, glanced at Delphox, Sylveon and Pancham and started walking toward the exit. Her Pokémon all followed after her, enjoying the excursion.
"It sure is fun shopping," she remarked happily.
Delphox agreed and Serena giggled like a little girl.
Serena loved this small boutique in Cerulean City. They had all kinds of lovely clothes and accessories she found useful for her Pokémon contests. She looked down into the bag containing her latest acquisitions.
She'd gotten a couple new decorative hairclips for herself, some jewelry for Delphox and Sylveon, a new set of shirts for the summer and a fun pair of stylish boots.
Serena blushed a little as she thought of her final purchase. It was a set of frilly, red lingerie; a little surprise she planned to keep tucked away until the right moment.
Ever since Ash had professed his love for her, things had been very different between them. Where once there had been shyness and hesitation, there was now passion and eagerness. Serena could sense that it was only a matter of time until they finally gave into their desires and she wanted to be sure that when that time came, she would be ready.
Serena had played out the scenario of their first time in her mind dozens of times. Their day would be full of flirtations and teasing. At some point, during one of their heated exchanges, a decision would be made. They'd change into their best clothes, fix a romantic meal and enjoy a lovely dinner together. They'd retreat to the couch and spend some time stoking the fire of passion that would burn inside them throughout the night. They would then retire to the bedroom. Ash would sit on the bed and she would slowly remove her outer layers of clothing until only the lingerie remained. She could clearly envision Ash's wide-eyed stare as he took in the sight of her scantily clad body.
Serena blushed a bit more and grinned subtly. She was really looking forward to that night.
The girl from Kalos donned her pink sunhat, put on a pair of sunglasses and stepped out into the bright afternoon sun of Cerulean City. She really loved this city. It wasn't as big as Saffron City but that was part of the charm. It had the happy feeling of a small town and it made Serena feel right at home.
The wind rushed past and Serena reached down with her free hand to keep her skirt from blowing up. She chuckled, enjoying the stiff breeze. It was a sign that summer wasn't far away. Soon the days would be hot and long, just the way she liked it.
"Come on, let's go," she said to her Pokémon.
All three of her friends agreed and fell into step with her. They marched north a short ways, taking in the sights of the city.
Serena smiled as she scanned her surroundings. As they approached the large bridge north of Cerulean City, she paused to take in the beautiful sight of the sparkling sunlight reflecting off the water. She sighed happily and continued toward the bridge. Part of her wished Ash had come along on this excursion but she'd needed him to be absent so she could acquire the lingerie.
The wind blew again and Serena reached for her skirt. Too late, she felt her sun hat come loose from her head. She gasped in dismay and quickly grabbed for it but it had already blown beyond her grasp.
Serena took a couple of steps and watched sadly as the pretty hat was tossed on the wind. It was blowing out over the river. There was no chance she'd be able to retrieve it.
Serena frowned and Delphox and Sylveon let out mournful groans. The day had been going so well too.
"Starmie, quick!" Serena heard a female voice call out.
A moment later, Serena watched as a Starmie spun through the air, intercepted her sunhat and smoothly flew in an arc toward her. The purple, star-shaped Pokémon landed a few steps from her and presented Serena with her saved sun hat.
Serena looked at the Pokémon with a joyful, open-mouthed smile. "Thank you!" she said happily, taking the offered sun hat. "I thought I lost this." She re-secured the hat atop her head and then turned to look at Starmie's trainer who had stepped closer.
She was a tall and trim young woman with brilliant orange hair pulled back into a large ponytail. Serena guessed that she was about her age. She was wearing a tight, lemon colored crop top and blue jeans shorts. Her eyes were a beautiful green/blue color and sparkled with kindness and energy.
"Good job Starmie," she said sweetly, laying a hand on her Pokémon as it shuffled over to her.
Sylveon and Delphox let out short cries of thanks and Serena stepped forward. "Thank you so much," she said kindly. "I thought I'd lost my hat."
The woman smiled and chuckled. "Yeah, it can get a little windy here. You have to be careful."
As if to emphasize the point, the wind blew again and Serena grabbed hold of her hat with her free hand and awkwardly held her skirt down with her other hand. The other woman smiled subtly while her orange hair billowed in the stiff breeze.
Serena smiled and bowed her head in gratitude. "Thanks again!" she said.
The other woman nodded in response. "Any time," she said cheerily.
Serena turned and continued across the bridge, heading north of the city. The other woman stood on the south side of the bridge and paused a moment to enjoy the beautiful sights and the wonderful weather.
"Do you think we'll have any challengers today," she said to no one in particular.
Starmie gave a short reply and the woman nodded.
"Yeah I agree. It's too pretty for gym battles today," she said wistfully.
She closed her eyes and took in a deep breath of the spring air. She exhaled and sighed happily.
"Well, let's go," she said to her Pokémon.
Starmie replied and fell in beside her. The orange haired woman took a step and then suddenly a loud explosion sounded in the direction of the bridge. She gasped and spun around to face the bridge. A huge, white smoke cloud was now enveloping the bridge. For a moment, the orange haired woman feared for the safety of the Pokémon trainer she'd just helped. Then, another strong gust of wind blew, and the smoke cloud was promptly blown away. She squinted and saw the woman she'd helped was standing on the bridge with her arms held defensively in front of her face. She also saw a trio of figures standing a short distance away with some kind of restraining device which had taken hold of the trainer's Delphox, Pancham and Sylveon.
"Meowth, the smoke screen!" the female of the trio said in dismay.
"Take it up with mother nature!" a Meowth replied.
"So much for a stealth operation!" the male said grimly.
The orange haired woman's eyes suddenly widened in recognition. "NO WAY!" she gasped.
Serena coughed a couple of times and then straightened up.
"YOU THREE!" she screeched angrily.
Jessie, James and Meowth all looked awkwardly at each other at having suddenly been revealed by the strong wind. They quickly assumed confident poses and grinned broadly.
"Yes! Us three!" Jessie replied. "Wherever we go you know there'll be trouble!"
James clenched a fist. "And you little twerp should prepare for double!"
"To protect the world-"
"GIVE ME BACK MY POKEMON!" Serena shouted.
Jessie shrieked indignantly and repeatedly stamped her foot. "Quit stepping on our lines twerpette!"
"You know how long we spend coming up with those rhymes!" Meowth added.
"Talk about unpaid overtime," James concluded.
Serena looked at the diabolical device which had restrained Delphox, Pancham and Sylveon. "Are you three okay!?" she cried out.
Her Pokémon all groaned in response and struggled against the restraints.
Serena twisted her face up into a look of angry determination and reached into her carrying bag. At that moment, the kindhearted, orange haired woman from earlier dashed up to her side.
"TEAM ROCKET!" the other woman shouted angrily.
Jessie, James and Meowth all gasped and recoiled at the sight of the new arrival.
"It's the original twerpette!" James shouted.
"What's she doing here?!" Jessie shrieked.
"It's her home town," Meowth said in a disheartened tone. "She lives here."
The orange haired woman frowned and looked at her Starmie and then up at Serena. "Don't worry," she said forcefully. "I'll get your Pokémon back."
Serena gave a small nod of acknowledgement. "Thanks!" she said confidently. She retrieved a Pokéball from her carrying bag and tapped the sphere to enlarge it. "I'll always accept help!"
Jessie, James and Meowth all screeched in horror upon seeing Serena grasping another Pokéball.
"When did you catch another Pokémon!?" Jessie shrieked.
"No fair!" James whined.
"I call foul!" Meowth grumbled.
Serena laughed and then reared back to throw the Pokéball. "How do you think I got here!" she said. She then tossed the Pokéball forward and a bright flash of light issued forth. The white light expanded and resolved into Charizard. The angry Pokémon glared at Team Rocket and bellowed aggressively.
The orange haired woman eyed the large Pokémon and nodded in approval. A moment later her eyes widened and she breathed in sharply.
"Wait, is that?!" She stammered, staring at the winged fire type.
Charizard cast a casual, sidelong glance at its allies in this fight and then grunted in surprise. The beast's mouth slightly turned upward in a smile, it waved an arm in greeting and let out a friendly growl toward its longtime friend.
Still dumbstruck, the orange haired girl reflexively waved back and then turned her attention to the battle with Team Rocket. She shook her head to clear her mind. She could figure out why this girl had Ash's Charizard later.
James gritted his teeth in determination and shook a fist at the two girls. "So, it's a battle then!"
Jessie flicked a hand through her hair and struck a confident pose. "Time to show off the latest from Team Rocket!"
All three villains raised their hands in the air and looked toward the sky.
"COME ON DOWN!" they shouted.
The two girls braced for something nefarious to happen. Then, with a weak buzzing sound, a small drone, barely larger than a dinner plate, rapidly descended from the sky. The drone had a sticker of a Pelipper face plastered to the front of it and a pair of Pokéballs attached to its underside. The drone hovered just above Team Rocket and the three of them looked suddenly deflated.
Serena frowned. "What?! Is that it?!" she needled.
Jessie and James grabbed the Pokéballs and looked annoyed.
James spoke first in a confident tone. "Clearly your tiny twerpette brain can't appreciate progress."
Jessie was next. "We're a leaner and meaner Team Rocket!"
Meowth crossed his arms and spoke next. "That's right, we're focusing our resources where it counts. Not on silly frills and extravagance."
The evil trio stood grinning and prepared for action. Then, the buzzing sound from the drone suddenly tapered off to a pathetic whine and the small machine fell out of the air and clattered on the bridge's paved surface. Abruptly, a loud rumbling sound issued from the stomachs of Team Rocket and they grasped at their bellies, looking embarrassed and famished.
"Hopefully meaner!" James whined.
"Definitely leaner!" Jessie groaned.
"Who's bright idea was it to slash the food budget?" Meowth moaned.
The orange haired girl and Starmie exchanged perplexed looks. Team Rocket didn't seem to have as much flash and glitz as they remembered.
The trio shook off their doubts and grinned fiercely again.
"Let's see what all our penny-pinching has gotten us?!" James exclaimed as he and Jessie tossed their Pokéballs forward.
The Pokeballs opened, white light flashed forward and a Zubat and Grimer appeared.
Jessie, James and Meowth all looked forlorn and stared blankly at the two less-than-stellar Pokémon. A pair of paper ribbons the size of fortune cookie slips floated down. They snatched the pieces of paper and squinted intently at them.
"Whoever's printing these is a real miser!" Jessie whined.
"Do they expect us to have a microscope on hand?" James added.
Serena turned toward the other girl and spoke confidently. "Hey, does your Starmie know Swift?"
The orange haired girl was a little surprised by the abrupt question. "Uh, yeah, Starmie can use Swift," she replied.
Serena nodded and looked at the device restraining her Pokémon. "Okay, I'll distract them. You have Starmie use Swift on that machine and break those restraints."
The other girl nodded and looked at her Starmie. "Okay, get ready," she said.
Serena took a step forward and pointed right at Team Rocket. "Charizard, use Dragon Breath!"
Charizard took to the air and swooped toward Team Rocket. The fire type growled and began readying its attack.
Meowth looked alarmed and pointed at Charizard. "YO! Big angry incoming at twelve o'clock!"
Jessie appeared stressed and frantically looked between Zubat and the slip of paper. "Quick! Use Air Slash!" she shouted.
James was in a similar state of distress and pointed at the oncoming Charizard. "Use Sludge Bomb!" he commanded of his Grimer.
Grimer looked confused and did nothing.
James squinted at the tiny piece of paper, trying to read it. "Sludge Wave!?" he tried a second time.
Grimer again looked perplexed.
James started to sweat. "How about just Sludge!?" he said desperately.
Grimer finally responded to James' command and started to launch the attack.
The Air Slash and Sludge attacks flew toward Charizard. The flying beast reared back and unleashed a torrent of green flame which incinerated the incoming attacks and then continued on to scorch the two Pokémon who had launched them.
At the same time, Starmie flew forward and sent a barrage of precisely targeted golden stars into the restraints of the diabolical device. The cheaply made machine instantly broke apart and Serena's Pokémon sprang free.
The smoke cleared from Team Rocket's defeated Pokémon, Charizard, Starmie and the rest of Serena's Pokémon returned to their trainers' sides and the two girls glared at the trio of villains.
"Come on you two!" James shouted at their unconscious Pokémon.
"Don't you have anything left in the tank?!" Jessie cried.
"Why should they," Meowth said in a dejected voice. "We haven't been able to fill up in months."
Serena looked at all four of her Pokémon and smiled. "Okay!" she said forcefully. She performed a flourish with her arms and pirouetted before dropping into a battle pose. "Let's send them out in style! Delphox, use Mystical Fire! Pancham, use Dark Pulse! Sylveon, use Fairy Wind and Charizard use Dragon Breath!"
A brief look of pride flashed over Charizard's face as he relished the opportunity to participate in one of Serena's impressive combo attacks. As her Pokémon began preparing their attacks, Serena turned to the other girl.
"Hey! You want to join in?!" she asked with inviting energy.
The orange haired girl smiled and nodded. "Sure!" she replied eagerly. She turned toward Team Rocket and pointed at them. "Okay, Starmie, use Hydro Pump!"
All five Pokémon charged their attacks and then unleashed them in a massive, multicolored blast of shimmering energy. The meshing of green, blue, red, pink and purple attacks was a truly beautiful sight to behold… as long as one wasn't on the receiving end of the fusillade.
Team Rocket briefly screamed in horror before they were engulfed by a massive explosion.
"What kind of third-rate garbage was that?!" Jessie shrieked as they soared up into the air.
"All our scrimping and saving… for what?" James moaned.
"Looks like you get what you pay for!" Meowth added.
"WE'RE BLASING OFF AGAIN!" they all cried out as they flew higher and higher, disappearing up into the sky.
Serena smiled in satisfaction and looked toward her Pokémon. "All right, great job everyone!" she said in a delighted voice.
Delphox, Pancham, Sylveon and Charizard all voiced their approval and congratulated each other over a job well done. Serena turned to thank the orange haired girl but Charizard suddenly lunged forward and engulfed her in a big hug.
Serena gasped and froze for an instant. That sort of behavior was very uncharacteristic for the fire type.
"Uhhhh! Charizard!" Serena said sharply, mildly rebuking the large creature for being so forward with a stranger.
Serena dashed forward and addressed the orange haired girl. "I'm so sorry, I don't know why-"
The other girl chuckled happily and gently ran a hand along Charizard's neck. "It's fine!" She replied to Serena. She then looked into Charizard's eyes and spoke in a quiet and tender voice. "Yes, I've missed you too."
Charizard growled happily and released her from the warm embrace.
Looking very confused, Serena glanced back-and-forth between the girl and Charizard. "Wait….. do you… know….. Charizard?" she asked.
A very wistful smile spread across the orange haired girl's face and she laid a hand on the end of Charizard's snout.
"This is Ash Ketchum's Charizard, isn't it," she said quietly.
Serena now looked even more confused. "Uhhhhh, yes….. but how…."
Serena then blinked and chuckled. She closed her eyes and shook her head in an amused fashion. "Let me guess," she said with a laugh. "Ash either battled against you or you traveled with him at some point, right?"
The orange haired girl looked a little surprised by Serena's words. She paused for a moment, considering how to reply and then spoke in a quiet voice.
"Yes, Ash and I traveled together for a while… a very long time ago."
Serena smiled and nodded. The orange haired girl inclined her head to the side and continued.
"How'd you guess?" she asked.
Serena chuckled and stepped so she could lay a hand on Charizard. "It seems like Ash has met everyone in the whole world at least once. Since you're a Pokémon trainer, I figured at some point you'd either traveled with him or battled against him."
The orange haired girl got a far-off look in her eyes and spoke in a distant tone. "Yeah, he was always on the move."
Serena retrieved a trio of Pokéballs from within her handbag and began recalling her Pokémon.
"I really can't thank you enough for helping me," she said in a grateful tone.
The other girl met her gaze and smiled warmly. "Well, I'm always happy to help out a friend of Ash's. Plus, I've had a few run-ins with Team Rocket. I know they can be trouble."
Serena returned the smile and stowed her collapsed Pokéballs inside her handbag. She glanced at Charizard and then looked back at the orange haired girl.
"You know, I didn't get your name….." Serena proffered in a friendly tone.
The other girl looked bashful for a moment and then smiled. "It's Misty."
Serena nodded. "Misty," she repeated. "I'm Serena," she said in a sincere tone. She paused a moment and then continued. "Well, it was a pleasure to meet you and battle alongside you."
Misty grinned. "Likewise," she replied in a cheerful voice.
Serena turned toward Charizard and started to climb up on the saddle. Misty furrowed her brow in thought, hesitated and then spoke up in an uncertain voice.
"Umm… if you don't mind me asking, how did you happen to get Ash's Charizard?" she said.
Serena finished mounting Charizard and settled into the saddle. She looked down at Misty, blushed slightly and smiled in an embarrassed fashion.
"Oh…. well….. I'm his girlfriend," she said, looking sheepish.
A small jolt went through Misty and she blinked a couple of times. "Oh! Uh! Really!" She took a couple of quick breaths and then smiled broadly. "That's so great! I'm really happy for you!" she said in a tense voice.
Serena blushed a bit more and nodded in gratitude. "Yeah, he's pretty awesome," she whispered.
Misty stared blankly for a few seconds and then looked at Serena again. She forced a smile and spoke in a happy tone. "Tell Ash, I wish you two the best!"
Serena smiled and nodded. "I will!" she replied.
With that, Charizard sent Misty one final glance and then, with a huge rush of its wings, soared up into the sky.
For several minutes, Misty stood watching the fire type fly away. The wind blew, her clothes and hair fluttered and countless memories flooded her mind. Eventually, when Charizard was just a speck in the sky, she hugged herself and started slowly walking back toward Cerulean City.
After a minute of walking, Misty folded her arms behind her back and stretched her torso. She sighed and tried to put all the old memories back where they belonged. She'd made peace with her feelings for Ash many times over but suddenly learning that he actually had a girlfriend had been a gut punch from nowhere. She'd always assumed it would happen at some point, but deep down, a part of her had hoped that one day he'd come around to Cerulean City and they'd get another chance. She'd hoped that perhaps a more mature and less dense Ash would actually pick up on the signals he'd completely missed in the past. Alas, that would never happen now…
Misty's eyes teared up a little and she took in a shuddering breath. Her heart ached a little; nowhere near as much as the infamous day when Ash had been so clueless when her sisters had taken off on a trip around the world and left her all alone to care for the gym, but it still stung.
She spotted a bench and sat down heavily. Starmie stood at attention and watched her carefully. Misty regarded her Pokémon and smiled kindly.
"Hey, Starmie," she said, her voice cracking. She pulled out a Pokéball and pointed it at the water type. "I just need some alone time."
Starmie voiced acknowledgement and Misty recalled the loyal Pokémon. She collapsed the sphere and slipped it into her short's pocket.
She leaned back on the bench, closed her eyes and tried to let go of her feelings for her long-time friend. She told herself that Serena had looked like a very nice young woman and that she and Ash would be very happy together. She reminded herself of the times when Ash had traveled to Kanto from Alola and when she'd gone to see him in Alola. Those visits had confirmed to her that she and Ash were still great friends but nothing more than that. She'd felt at peace after those visits. She tried to recapture that feeling of peace and contentment.
As Misty wrestled with her feelings she was vaguely aware of footsteps crunching along the paved path next to the bench. She didn't give them any heed, until she heard an all too familiar voice pipe up.
"Well! If it isn't the most beautiful girl in all of Cerulean City!"
Misty sighed, opened her eyes and lazily turned her head to the right so she could look at Georgio. His timing couldn't have been worse!
"Hello, Georgio," Misty replied in a slow and unenthusiastic voice.
Georgio smiled and crossed his arms. He'd grown a lot from the shy little boy who'd asked Misty out so many years ago. His hair was now cut shorter, his body was filled out and confidence had replaced timidity. In the intervening years, Georgio had combined his Pokémon training with a dedication to athletics. He'd even tried to become a professional Pokémon Base player for a time but that hadn't worked out. He'd since stuck to competing in semi-professional marathons and Pokéathlons. Despite all that, he still found time to ask Misty out every few months.
Georgio looked at the setting sun and then turned back toward Misty. "It sure is a beautiful evening, isn't it?" he asked.
Misty simply chuckled under her breath.
Georgio paused a moment and then opened his mouth to continue. Misty spoke first, however.
"I've told you a dozen times, Georgio," Misty said in a slow and deliberate tone. "If you can beat me in a gym battle, I'll go on a date with you."
Disappointment played across Georgio's face for the briefest of moments. He recovered immediately and smiled confidently.
"Well, I've been training nonstop," he said energetically. "Make sure you've got something nice to wear, cause I'll be taking you to the best restaurant in the whole city."
Misty sighed deeply. "You didn't already make reservations again, did you?"
Georgio looked a little embarrassed. "No, I learned after the last two times. You don't like to lose."
Misty was relieved. She'd felt genuinely bad for Georgio the last two times she'd beaten him. The guy was an adorable romantic but not the best Pokémon trainer.
Georgio clenched a fist and stared at Misty. "So, what do you say to a battle?!"
Misty sighed and paused a moment before she replied. "How about tomorrow, Georgio," she said quietly. "I'm a little tired today."
Georgio again looked briefly disappointed, but he recovered immediately.
"You got it!" he said, pointing a finger at Misty, as if they were confirming something truly important. "It's a date!"
Misty groaned. "Not yet, it's not!" she retorted.
Georgio took a step backward and flashed a grin. "Not yet…." he said, his tone implying that tomorrow he would finally get his date.
Misty chuckled and watched as Georgio strode away. Over the years she'd waffled back-and-forth on whether she liked or disliked Georgio. On one hand, he made her feel special, beautiful and loved. On the other, he was really annoying, persistent and he kept dredging up the feelings she'd once had for Ash. She'd often wished that he would finally find some other girl to be interested in. She'd even tried setting him up with one of her sisters. Nothing had dissuaded him from his pursuit of her, however.
As she watched Georgio walk away, Misty suddenly felt a different set of feelings stir inside her. In the past, she'd always dreaded the thought of losing to Georgio. The idea of going on a date with him had filled her with all kinds of fear and apprehension. It would've meant definitively saying goodbye to her hope of being with Ash one day. Now, that hope had finally been put to rest and suddenly the thought of going on a date with Georgio didn't seem so bad.
Misty leaned back on the bench and closed her eyes again. She smiled as the final warm rays of sunlight played across her face. Her emotions were very mixed but there was a part of her which wanted to finally award Georgio a Cascade Badge and then see what happened next.
Misty opened her eyes and chuckled. If Georgio did win, she'd have to borrow a fancy dress from one of her sisters. Fortunately, they had plenty for her to choose from.