Chapter Text
A promise is a promise
It had been quite some time since Ash had traveled to a new Region. He traveled often between regions he had already visited: Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, Sinnoh, Kalos, Alola, and Galar. By now he considered himself almost a citizen of each of them; after all, he could count on some excellent friends who could have easily hosted him.
Years before he had understood what was one of the fundamental steps to become a Pokémon Master: becoming friends with as many Pokémon as possible and protecting them at any cost.
It was a night in early March. They were the last days of winter, but it seemed that the cold did not want to leave the small town of Pallet Town. Under the covers, Ash could not manage to fall asleep. Two weeks before he had confirmed his title of Monarch of the World Coronation Series. His opponent, like all the other times, had been Leon. The two, off the battlefield, were excellent friends, but as soon as they put their hands on the Poké Balls, they became fierce rivals.
Pikachu had noticed the fact that his Trainer was not sleeping. To call his attention, he gave him a small headbutt on the chest.
«Pika?» The electric rodent barely whimpered.
«Yes? Are you worried about me? Yes, I cannot sleep, but don't worry. I'm fine. Sometimes it happens that certain thoughts don't let you sleep.» Ash tried to reassure him, in a whisper. Another headbutt.
«All right then. I will explain to you.» Ash immediately surrendered to the requests of his friend.
«I cannot hide my secrets from you. You know it. I want to become a Pokémon Master and I want to do it with you and with all our friends, and tonight I was thinking precisely about our dream.»
Pikachu emitted a small whimper of perplexity. It seemed he was asking him: «What do you mean?».
Ash, understanding the perplexity of his friend, tried to explain himself better. «See, I was thinking about what I must do to reach our goal. And I understood that, if I want to become a Pokémon Master, I must also help others to reach their goals. Think about May, Dawn or even Serena…»
Pikachu smiled upon hearing the names of each of his friends. He thought of May and Dawn and their dream of becoming Top Coordinators, and of Serena and her dream of becoming Kalos Queen.
Pikachu thought about how, in the final analysis, none of them had managed to obtain her goal. And the same could be said of Ash, when he had traveled with them: he had not become champion neither in Hoenn, nor in Sinnoh, nor even in Kalos.
«For this reason, I would like to travel to a new Region, with you and with our friends. I still don't know where to go, there are many places that we have not yet visited.»
Ash got up from the bed, turned on the bedside lamp and took a globe from his display case, just partially illuminated by the moonlight filtering through the shutters and partially by the faint light of the night lamp. «Look, these are the regions we have visited: Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, Sinnoh, Kalos, Alola, and Galar. And yet… we haven't seen anything! Look how many regions we haven't visited yet!» The boy spun the globe in front of the eyes of his electric friend.
«Who knows, maybe somewhere we will manage to find someone who can help us. Awwaaam!»
The World Champion let out a huge yawn. Perhaps talking about his doubts with his friend had helped him to fall asleep.
«Maybe tomorrow we will talk about it with Professor Oak. Who knows if maybe he will be able to give us a hand.»
The expert Trainer fell asleep, and Pikachu with him. The following morning, Ash woke up at ten in the morning. Relatively late, but rather early compared to his standards.
Ash, with Pikachu on his shoulder, went down the stairs and arrived in the kitchen, where his mother and Mimey were intent on tidying up the room.
As soon as the Barrier Pokémon noticed the presence of the Trainer and Pikachu, he immediately put some Moomoo Milk to heat up, while Ash hurried to take a large mug with various Pokémon printed on it and poured some coffee into it directly from a carafe; then he headed towards the cake, prepared by his mother the night before. It was a ricotta cake with chocolate chips, with a soft and inviting appearance.
He cut two nice slices, one for himself and one for Pikachu. Under the brownish surface was hidden a yellow-colored dough, with a soft and porous consistency, studded with small chocolate chips.
In the meantime, the milk had reached the right temperature. Mimey poured a part of it into Ash's mug and the remaining part into a bowl, which he placed on the table. He just had time to set it down before Pikachu took it by storm.
After drinking a bit of milk, the little electric mouse took a bite of the slice of cake, placed next to the bowl.
«Chaaa!»
The little electric Pokémon was surprised by how good that cake was, and the same could be said of his friend and Trainer, who finished off his slice in a couple of bites.
Finished with breakfast, the Champion jumped up from his chair.
«Ash, where are you going in such a hurry?» His mother asked him. She was used to seeing him enthusiastic even for small things, but this reaction of his beat them all.
«To Professor Oak's. I would like to ask him a small favor.»
Mrs. Ketchum remained motionless, with the dishcloth in her hand, staring at the door through which her son had just dashed away. Her words left her perplexed. "What could he possibly have to ask the Professor with such urgency?" She wondered, frowning slightly. "Does he perhaps want to leave for a new journey? Maybe he is running there to get advice on which Region to visit…" The woman was seized by a huge doubt. "No! It wouldn't make sense!" The woman crushed that thought in its infancy.
"Ash is no longer a rookie looking for badges. He is the Monarch, the strongest Trainer in the world. The rules of the game should have changed: Ash is at the peak of his career as a Trainer. It is the Gym Leaders, the Elite Four and the other Champions who should be lining up at our door to challenge him. Why does he still feel the need to ask for advice as if he had to start all over again from zero?"
That flow of thoughts, suspended between maternal pride and confusion, distracted the woman for a long enough time.
Ash and Pikachu, in the meantime, had started running, launching themselves towards Professor Oak's laboratory.
As soon as they crossed the gate, the black-haired boy was run over by the herd of Tauros captured in the Safari Zone.
«Calm down guys! I am also happy to see you!»
After standing up and shaking off the dust, Ash reached his other Pokémon. He went to visit them often and gladly, when he was not busy with his duties as World Champion, he spent a lot of time with his Pokémon and talked with them about his doubts and his aspirations.
«Hey, Bulbasaur! Could you do me a small favor?» Ash asked with an enthusiastic tone.
The Seed Pokémon followed the instructions of his Trainer, surprised by the boy's enthusiasm.
From the bulb on the Pokémon's back came a jet of golden powder that reached a height of several dozen meters in the sky, before exploding like a firework.
That was the signal. All of the Champion's Pokémon reached Bulbasaur and their Trainer.
As soon as the army of Pokémon reached Ash, they arranged themselves in a circle around their Trainer. The smallest in
front, the largest behind.
While his Pokémon were arranging themselves in a circle, Ash took his Rotom Phone and got in touch with Professor Kukui. While in Kanto it was mid-morning, in Alola it was mid-afternoon, the perfect time to get in touch with someone on the other side of the ocean.
The reason for Ash's phone call was not only to see his adopted family of Alola again.
He spoke with them often and had been to Alola several times even after becoming Champion. The reason was still linked to the new path he wanted to take.
He started the video call with Professor Kukui. The professor answered after a few rings.
After a nice chat to catch up, Ash got to the point.
He wanted to see the Pokémon he had caught in Alola: Lycanroc, Incineroar, Melmetal, and Rowlet. Only when he saw them on the screen of his phone, and only when he was certain of having maximum attention even from the Pokémon at the laboratory, did Ash finally begin his speech.
«Guys, if I wanted you all here it is because I have something important to tell you.» That sentence immediately captured the attention of his Pokémon: a confused murmur rose among the ranks as they began to exchange glances and questions. Ash waited for silence to return, then resumed with a softer tone.
«If I have come this far today, I owe it only and exclusively to you. You know it well. With you I have shared every challenge, every victory and every defeat, and I want it to be like this today as well. I have understood what is the next step I must take to become a Pokémon Master... but to succeed, I need your help.» The World Champion's Pokémon were now hanging on his every word, the curiosity was palpable. «I have decided to leave for a new journey, but this time it will be different from usual.» Continued Ash, looking them in the eyes one by one. «And I would like to travel with each of you. You are many, I know, and moving all together is impossible, but don't worry: in turns, you will all come with me. I have not yet decided what our destination will be, but in the end what truly matters is the journey, not the destination. It does not matter where we end up, I promise you that wherever we go it will be a beautiful experience and that you will meet many new friends. Now excuse me, but I must go talk with Professor Oak... see you soon!» The expert Trainer's Pokémon, charged with an even more overwhelming enthusiasm after those words, moved aside orderly, opening a gap in the circle to let him pass. «And that is all, guys.» The Rotom Phone returned to his hands.
He said goodbye to Professor Kukui, Professor Magnolia, and Lei.
Shortly after, Ash headed to the doors of the laboratory and rang the video intercom. The professor answered a few moments later: «Ah, it's you, Ash! Come on in!» Oak pressed a button and an electric buzz confirmed to the Champion that the lock had clicked. Ash, with Pikachu on his shoulder, entered and reached the scientist who, in the meantime, had returned to concentrating on the computer. «Good morning professor!» He greeted him with enthusiasm. «Hi Ash! What good wind?» Welcomed him Oak, turning with a smile.
That day the professor was alone. Probably Tracey was busy with some mission as a Pokémon Watcher around the world, but for Ash it was fine like this: Tracey was a dear friend, but at that moment he preferred to speak in private with the Professor. «Wind of dreams! I have finally understood what I must do to realize my desire to become a Pokémon Master, but to succeed I need your help!» Responded the boy. The professor turned around, visibly interested. «Good, I am proud of you! But tell me... what can I do, concretely, to help you?» Oak was an extremely kind person and would have done everything to support that boy, but at that moment he really could not imagine what Ash was about to ask him. «I have reflected on my journey and I have understood that a true Pokémon Master is he who helps friends to realize their own dreams.»
«I have reflected at length on my journey and I have understood that a true Pokémon Master is he who helps friends to realize their own dreams.» The Professor began to sense where the boy wanted to go with this. «But you have already traveled with May, with Dawn and with Serena. You have supported them constantly in their journey. Don't you think that is enough?» Ash shook his head and hurried to answer: «Unfortunately no. May did not become a Top Coordinator, and neither did Dawn. And the same goes for Serena, who did not manage to become Kalos Queen. Here... I feel that something is missing. I do not believe I have truly completed my mission with them. For this reason I asked for your help.» Finally Professor Oak had an epiphany: «Would you like me to put you in touch with a male or female colleague of mine, so that you can help a young male or female Trainer in their journey?» Ash smiled. The professor had understood fully.
«I see that I have understood. Perhaps I know who can help you. I warn you, they live quite far from here. It will be quite a journey.» Ash smiled; distance, for someone like him, had never been an obstacle. «It is about a colleague of mine who lives in the distant Region of Unova.» Explained Oak. «Her name is Juniper. Aurea Juniper. At her place it is already ten in the evening; it is a bit late, but knowing her she might answer.» The Professor started the video call and, after a few moments, Juniper appeared on the screen. She was a woman of about forty years, with light brown hair gathered in a singular hairstyle and large green eyes. She wore conspicuous square red earrings and wore a sports jacket over a pink t-shirt. As soon as she saw the face of the interlocutor, she greeted him warmly: «Hi Samuel! To what do I owe this night call? You know that here in Unova it is almost time to go to sleep! It must be something urgent.» Oak smiled: «In a sense it is... it's about this boy.» The Professor grabbed Ash by the jacket, jokingly dragging him in front of the camera. «Ash Ketchum? Why, it's an honor!» Exclaimed the woman, her eyes widening. «The Monarch, the strongest Trainer in the world! To what do I owe the privilege of this call?» Ash, a bit intimidated by that enthusiastic welcome, hurried to answer: «Good morning, Professor! I asked Professor Oak for help because I want to take a new step toward my dream of becoming a Pokémon Master. I have understood that, to succeed, I must put my experience at the service of others and help someone reach their own goal. I spoke with him about it and he suggested I turn to you.» The Professor smiled: «I understand perfectly. In three weeks I will deliver their first Pokémon to new Trainers and I think I already have the right person in mind for you. She is the daughter of a very dear friend of mine: a very shy and reserved girl. I am convinced that having an energetic boy like you as a traveling companion can help her break out of her shell and finally open up to the world.» «Yes! I accept the challenge!» Exclaimed Ash. Despite no longer being the boy of the beginnings, his enthusiasm had remained the same as ever. Professor Juniper laughed heartily upon seeing that reaction. «Excellent! It pleases me to hear you say it, Ash. I will send you all the details and the necessary documents through Professor Oak. Take the time to organize the trip, there are still three weeks left until the big day.» «Perfect, I will wait for your news. Thank you very much, Professor, I cannot wait to start!» Responded Ash with a wave of greeting. «Thank you for the availability. See you soon, Samuel, and thank you for letting me know this young talent.» Concluded Juniper addressing Oak before the screen went dark.
The professor sent the professor's contact to Ash. He had done his part; now the choice was in the hands of the Champion.
Ash returned to his Pokémon, who had remained waiting for him arranged in a large circle. At his arrival, the larger ones moved with respect to let him pass until the center. First of all, he recorded a short video message for Professor Kukui: «Professor, show this to the Alola kids: we are about to set off again!». Then, having put away the Smart Rotom, he addressed the audience of Pokémon surrounding him:
«Guys, it's official! Soon a new adventure will begin and this time we will go to a very distant region: Unova! We still have to settle the last details, but one thing is certain: we will travel together again and I can't wait to start again!»
The enthusiasm exploded instantly. The Pokémon began to exchange cries and excited looks, wondering which of them would have the honor of inaugurating the journey. They knew that, with Ash, sooner or later it would be everyone's turn,
but the curiosity to discover who would be the first to travel with him was almost unbearable.
The boy stayed with his Pokémon until lunchtime, taking advantage of it for a short training session and to ensure that everyone had eaten. Then, with a smile that struggled to contain the enthusiasm for the wonderful news, he walked towards home.
He found Delia and Mimey in the kitchen: the woman was busy at the stove, while the Barrier Pokémon was arranging the cutlery on the table. Without saying a word, the boy joined Mimey to help him finish setting the table.
«So? How did it go?» His mother asked him, noticing his radiant expression.
«Great. I still cannot promise anything, but I have found a person who might help me to reach my dream.»
«It is beautiful news, but... what is it about exactly? I know that your goal is to become a Pokémon Master, but now that you are the World Champion I wonder what sense it makes to start again from zero for a new journey.»
Ash became serious and explained: «I have reflected at length on my path and I have understood one thing: a true Pokémon Master is he who helps others to realize their own dreams.»
«Ash... this is very noble of you!» Responded his mother, with a tone that mixed pride and emotion. Then, becoming practical again: «But where is this Trainer that you will have to help?»
«In Unova!» He responded, naturally.
Mrs. Ketchum almost had a stroke. «It is very far away! It is almost eleven thousand kilometers of travel! I don't say I am worried... I am certain that you will manage, but I am still your mom!»
The woman took a deep breath to calm herself, then her critical gaze fell on her son's clothing: he was wearing a windbreaker, the usual blue and white hoodie, worn-out sneakers and the classic cap. Definitely not the suitable outfit for a Monarch on an official transfer.
«You will have to get yourself some new clothes. You will have to make a good impression, as the Champion that you are!»
Ash did not respond. His concern, at that moment, was something else entirely.
After lunch, the black-haired boy went up to his room and opened the address book of his Smart Rotom. He had a fixed thought in his head: at least for once, he did not want to leave alone. During his previous journeys he had always met people with whom he had struck up a friendship and shared the path, but he felt that the one he was about to undertake was not the "usual" journey.
Ash sat on the bed and began to stare at the screen of his Smart Rotom, scrolling through the list of contacts.
"I will have to act as a guide for a shy girl... perhaps it would be better if another girl were with me, someone who knows how to put her at ease. But who?"
He began to scroll through the names, discarding them mentally one after the other.
"Misty is out of the question, between the Cerulean Gym and her sisters she wouldn't have a free moment. May and Dawn? No, they are too busy with the contests in Kanto and Johto, I could never ask them to abandon their dreams to help me with mine. That leaves the Alola girls... but for them it would be a nightmare with visas and documents for Unova."
Ash's thumb stopped on the only name remaining.
"Serena. She is the only one. But will she accept to follow me all the way down there?"
It was just past two in the afternoon in Kanto. Doing a quick mental calculation, Ash realized that in Kalos it must be about seven in the morning, definitely too early to call her without risking waking her up. If he wanted to find her active, and perhaps well-disposed to listen to his proposal, he would have to be patient. At least another hour, better two, so that in Kalos it would be eight or nine.
Ash had his head full of questions. He wondered, for example, if Serena really wanted to embark on such an adventure, considering especially the distance of the region where they would have to go.
But what worried him most was another aspect: Serena was by now an established Performer and Coordinator, she had dedicated heart and soul to her career. Exactly as had happened with May and Dawn, Ash did not want her to give up her own desires just to follow him. Since the invitation came from him, he felt the duty to find a valid reason so that, for his friend, that would not be a trip for nothing.
Pikachu, noticing the dark expression of his Trainer, delicately placed a paw on his shoulder. «Thanks, buddy. You really understand me. But it's not me you have to convince, you know.» Pikachu nodded, although his concerns were slightly different. The Pokémon knew that Ash would not move alone, but his instinct also suggested to him a potential diplomatic disaster: who knows how Serena would take it if she discovered that her Trainer was about to leave for a distant region in the company of a perfect stranger...
Usually Ash was one of those people who thought better on a full stomach, but this time not even the hearty lunch consumed shortly before managed to clear his ideas.
In a scant hour and a half, the World Champion had to come up with something to convince his friend to travel with him. The only valid idea was that of doing a quick search on the region, in the hope of finding something that could also pique Serena's interest.
To his luck, the investigation immediately gave the hoped-for results, because in Unova Pokémon Showcases were held, just like in Kalos.
Delving deeper into the reading, Ash discovered that they were originally born as simple entertainment shows before sports events, but over time they had evolved until they became independent competitions of the highest level. Here was the winning card.
The Unova Showcases were considered among the most prestigious and arduous in the world, so Ash hoped that the climb to the throne of that region could be the stimulating challenge that his friend was looking for.
After the second place at the Kalos Master Class, Serena had dedicated herself to the Hoenn Contests, which unfortunately had not brought the hoped-for results. Perhaps that journey could represent the right opportunity for redemption for her too.
When Ash decided to call his friend it was about half past three in the afternoon in Kanto, which meant that in Kalos it was half past eight in the morning. Perhaps it was a bit early, but the boy wanted to try anyway, so he opened the address book of his Smart Rotom and started the call.
Serena, visibly still half-asleep, answered only after several rings. «Ash? Is it you? But do you know that it's very early here? It's half past eight in the morning!» She grumbled, with her voice still thick from sleep. It was evident that she had been woken up with a start by the ringtone. Ash, observing her from the screen, had to admit that Serena was incredibly fascinating even in those conditions, despite having messy hair and the marks of the pillow still on her face.
«I am so sorry, Serena! Doing the calculations I thought it was an acceptable time, but I think I got something wrong...» Ash began, scratching the back of his neck with an embarrassed smile. «I didn't want to wake you up like this.»
Serena rubbed an eye and tucked a lock of hair behind her ear, trying to give herself a tone. «Don't worry, Ash. Hearing from you is always a pleasure, even if you literally pulled me out of bed. But tell me, to what do I owe all this urgency? Has something happened?»
Ash became serious again, although not managing to completely control his body language: his eyes shone with a light that Serena knew all too well.
«Do you remember when we asked each other what it truly meant to be a Pokémon Master? Well, I believe I have found the answer, or at least the next step to get there.»
The girl straightened up slightly, now more awake and attentive. In the background the muffled voice of Grace was heard asking if everything was okay, at which Serena quickly reassured her mother before returning to stare at the screen.
«Really? And what is it about? Don't tell me you want to win another League... by now you are the World Champion!»
«No, no leagues this time!» He responded shaking his head. «I have understood that to grow even more I must put my experience at the service of others. I must help someone find their own path, just as my friends did with me in the past. I spoke about it with Professor Oak and he put me in touch with Professor Juniper, in Unova. It seems that there is a new Trainer who needs a guide.»
Serena remained in silence for a few seconds, processing the news. «Unova? Ash, it's on the other side of the world. It is a noble mission, certainly, and I am very happy for you... but me?» Her voice cracked slightly. «I was hoping that we could travel together a bit more, maybe near here. I had almost decided to come to Kanto to try the Pokémon Contest circuit there with you. Everything is ready for the start of the season.»
Ash knew that that moment would have arrived. It was his occasion to play the winning card that he had prepared with so much care.
«I know, and I absolutely do not want you to give up your goals for me. For this reason, before calling you I did some research.»
Ash brought his face closer to the camera, almost as if wanting to pierce the screen. «In Unova there are Pokémon Showcases. And they are not like those we have seen elsewhere: I read that they are among the most prestigious and difficult in the world. The competition is very high.»
Serena widened her eyes, surprised. Ash Ketchum had done research on Showcases? For her?
«Really? In Unova?»
«Yes. Imagine the challenge: a new region, never-before-seen opponents and the title of Unova Queen at stake. We could travel together. I act as mentor to this new Trainer and you aim for the title. It would be perfect, wouldn't it?»
The Kalos native bit her lip, conflicted. The idea of being with Ash was tempting, and the fact that he had worried about finding a professional motivation for her struck her deeply. However, her innate prudence suggested to her not to decide on the spot, especially just after waking up.
«Wow... you caught me off guard. I must admit that the idea is fascinating, but it is a huge change compared to my plans for Kanto.»
«We have three weeks before departure.» Ash pressed, hopefully. «You don't have to decide now. What do you say?»
Serena smiled, touched by that enthusiasm. She already knew that she would accept, she would never have let him go alone to a distant region, especially without knowing who this "new Trainer" to help was, but she wanted to talk about it face to face.
«Let's do this: give me a moment to organize myself.»
Ash nodded vigorously. «So you're coming here?»
«Yes. I'm coming there and we'll talk about it in person. All right?»
«Deal! I'll wait for you!» Exulted Ash.
After the phone call ended, Serena took her Poké Balls and let out her companions to update them on the latest news. Contrary to the chaotic platoon that Ash managed in his journeys, she addressed an intimate group: Delphox, Pancham, and Sylveon.
«I have some news to give you.» She began with a sweet but vibrant tone of a held-back enthusiasm. The three pricked up their ears instantly. «Ash has proposed to me to leave for a new journey. Rather far from here: in the Unova region. Sincerely... I don't know what to do. He told me that in Unova there are Showcases and that he would support me if we attempted the climb to the title of Queen of down there. But I am not sure about it. He has always supported me, both with Showcases and when we participated in the contests in Hoenn. Every time he could he was in the stands cheering for us. And yet, I am not sure I want to put myself back in the game again. What do you say?»
Sylveon tightened one of its ribbons around the Trainer's arm. The meaning was crystal clear: wherever you go, we are with you. Delphox extended its branch to the girl, while Pancham gave her an affectionate little punch.
«Yes. Thank you... I am very happy to be able to count on you.» Smiled Serena, feeling lighter. «Then let's do this: whatever the final choice about Unova might be… we will leave for Kanto. If it is not Unova, we will try the Contest circuit down there. Do you agree?» Delphox, Pancham, and Sylveon approved with a cry of assent. The decision was made: a ticket to Kanto was needed.
With renewed enthusiasm, the girl rushed to her desk. She turned on the laptop and set out to search for a plane ticket to Kanto.
Rapidly she arrived on the website of her region's national airline, Air Kalos. Given that she often and gladly took the flights of that airline, she was entitled to special discounts and promotions. And, that day the promotion concerned precisely the flights to Kanto.
The most convenient flight was for the next day. Boarding would have started at eleven in the morning.
The screen was flooded with an elegant shade of deep and brilliant azure, the distinctive color of the company's new livery. It was a hypnotic hue, almost metallic, on which stood out the stylized silver-colored logo, a Swanna wing, positioned in the top corner. Serena loved that color: it transmitted to her a sense of order, of tranquility, the exact opposite of the storm she had in her heart.
Without losing time, she selected the "Book now" option. Her eyes scrolled fast over the technical details so as not to linger on the reason for the journey.
Class: Premium Economy.
Luggage: One checked suitcase and one carry-on bag.
Seat: 14A, window side.
She clicked on the dark blue buttons with a mechanical precision. The mouse cursor moved quickly, a reflection of her internal agitation. She entered the payment details, pressed enter and held her breath for an instant.
A green checkmark appeared in the center of the azure screen.
BOOKING CONFIRMED.
Flight AK-350 for Saffron City.
Serena sighed, staring at that relaxing azure for one more moment before closing the laptop. It was done. She could no longer turn back.
Serena opened the door of her room and went down the stairs almost running, her steps light like they hadn't been heard for months.
«Good morning Serena! To what is all this enthusiasm due?» Grace welcomed her from the kitchen, without raising her gaze from the white coffee. «It doesn't seem to me that lately you have many reasons to celebrate. Or at least, so you had told me. Is it not that you are hiding something from me? Know that from a mother you cannot hide anything. Whatever you try
to hide from me, sooner or later I will find it.»
Serena stopped halfway down the last step, with a smile she was trying to contain. She knew that her mother was referring to the melancholy that had enveloped her after the defeat at the Hoenn Grand Festival. It had been a hard blow, of those that make you doubt having chosen the right path.
«I'm not hiding anything from you, mom. It's just that... I've just spoken with Ash.»
Grace raised an eyebrow, finally setting down the cup. «Ash? The boy from Pallet Town who attracts trouble like magnets? And let's hear, what has he done this time to make the color return to your cheeks?»
«He proposed to me to join him in Kanto and then leave together for Unova.» Serena explained, approaching the table with eyes shining with a new determination. «He says that there Showcases were born and grew, that there is an entire circuit to discover. He asked me to go with him, mom. He said that he will support me in everything.»
Grace remained in silence for an instant, studying her daughter's face. She saw the spark that had gone out after Hoenn reigniting forcefully.
«Unova, huh? It's on the other side of the world, Serena» She commented, though with a sweeter tone. «But if that blockhead managed to convince you to try again after the disappointment of the Contests... well, then perhaps that plane ticket you just looked for is the best medicine.»
Serena blushed. «How do you know about the ticket?»
«I told you that you cannot hide anything from me. Hurry up and eat, then go upstairs to prepare the luggage. Knowing you, it will take you hours to decide what to bring.»
After having had breakfast together with her Pokémon, Serena began to prepare her suitcases. By now facing intercontinental flights was pure routine.
It took her a couple of hours to choose what to bring in the checked luggage, in the overhead compartment luggage and in the carry-on bag. And she had to check more and more times to have everything.
Certainly, if something had been missing she could have bought it on site, but she preferred to avoid that type of unexpected events.
The following day, Serena got up very early. She had to take the train for the Lumiose City airport and she did not want to arrive late.
The flight was at nine in the morning; she would have had to be at the airport at seven. At a minimum. The journey by train lasted approximately one hour and a half and left from the Vaniville Town station at seven in the morning.
Serena, fearing to be late, had gotten up at five thirty in the morning, even before dawn. She had put on her backpack, her purse and taken the suitcase that she would then load into the hold and the small suitcase that she would load on the overhead compartment.
Before leaving, she had made sure to have purchased the right ticket. It would have been truly a disaster, otherwise. Yet another check confirmed that that ticket was a direct Vaniville Town-Lumiose City Airport. First class, the only one available on that line.
The following day, Serena got up very early. She had to take the train for the Lumiose City airport and she did not want to run the minimum risk of arriving late. The flight for Kanto was at nine in the morning; according to her calculations, she should have been at the terminal by seven, at a minimum. The journey by train lasted approximately one hour and a half and the first useful run left from the Vaniville Town station shortly before dawn.
Serena, victim of an agitation that had not allowed her to close an eye, had gotten up at five thirty in the morning. After a quick shower and one last check of the room, she had put on the backpack and the purse, dragging with her the large suitcase destined for the hold and the smaller suitcase that she would keep with her in the cabin.
Before leaving, she had made sure for the umpteenth time to have purchased the right ticket. It would have been an unforgivable disaster to get the very beginning of the journey wrong. The check on the display of the smartphone confirmed the validity of the travel document: a direct Vaniville Town-Lumiose City Airport in first class, the only configuration available on that line.
The Vaniville Town station was small and silent, perfectly proportioned to the size of the small town. It was a simple brick building that looked onto three tracks.
An underpass connected the platforms, while a very high metallic covering, designed to protect the passengers from the summer heat of Kalos, proiettava ombre lunghe e geometriche lungo i binari deserti.
Serena sat on one of the wooden benches, observing the monitors that showed the schedules in real time. Her train would arrive at six fifty-eight; it would stop for only two minutes before leaving again towards the metropolis. She knew the stops by heart: Aquacorde Town, Santalune City and finally Lumiose City, where the train would carry out two before terminating the run at the terminus, right under the runways of the airport.
To pass the time and combat the tiredness that was starting to make itself felt, Serena unlocked the phone. She began to scroll distractedly through the notifications, trying to keep the mind occupied so as not to count the minutes that separated her from the takeoff.
«Suburban train 31655 directed to the Lumiose City airport is arriving on platform 1. Move away from the yellow line!»
The metallic voice of the announcement system roused her abruptly. Getting distracted was not like her at all, and yet in that moment the thoughts were so loud as to have almost covered the roar of the incoming train. That moment of absence risked costing her dearly.
The enormous and very modern train slowed down with a hiss, stopping with millimetric precision. Serena sprang to her feet and quickly reached the nearest door of that long metallic snake. As soon as the leaves opened wide, she was hit by a jet of very hot air that ruffled her hair and warmed her face.
Once on board, while the door was closing behind her with a muffled click, she realized that the carriage was completely deserted. For this reason she decided not to lift the suitcase onto the overhead compartment; she preferred to keep it near her, fearing forgetting it on board. It would have been an irremediable disaster.
The two minutes of stopping slipped away and the train left again with a firm push. Sitting in a forward-facing position, Serena felt the acceleration glue her to the back of the padded seat. From the liquid crystal screen on the wall of the carriage she saw appear the name of the next station: Aquacorde Town.
The train reached it in just five minutes by the clock. As predicted, at that hour the hamlet was immersed in sleep and no one got on board. The journey resumed and the destination on the display changed: Santalune City.
That name evoked in Serena a mixture of sweet and bitter memories. It was the city in which she and Ash had found each other again after years of distance since the times of Professor Oak's summer camp; but it was also the place of the first, burning defeat of Ash against the Gym Leader Viola. Serena still remembered the tenacity with which the boy and his Pokémon had subjected themselves to an exhausting training.
Only that unwavering determination, which she had learned to love, had allowed him to win the Bug Badge on the second attempt.
Contrary to what happened in Aquacorde Town, in Santalune City some passengers got on board. The space in the carriage, however, was still abundant and Serena was not forced to move her luggage from the seat next to her.
For the next forty minutes no other stops would be scheduled. Finally the train had the possibility to unleash all its power, reaching a cruising speed higher than three hundred kilometers per hour. At that dizzying rhythm, the landscape beyond the window transformed into a mass of indistinct lines; the green of the Kalos countryside and the gray of the industrial sheds merged into an abstract and chaotic painting that hypnotized the gaze, preventing the mind from fixing on a precise point.
Those forty minutes passed slowly, punctuated by the magnetic hum of the motors, until the train began to decelerate to make its entrance into the first station of Lumiose City, in the western suburbs. On the platform, a large group of commuters awaited the opening of the doors.
Instinctively, Serena moved her trolley to free the seat next to her, ready to welcome someone with a polite nod, but no one seemed interested in that seat. In the carriage there were still many free seats and people preferred to distribute themselves elsewhere.
A quarter of an hour later, the train reached the central station of Lumiose City. Here a rapid turnover occurred: a large part of the passengers got off to pour into the heart of the metropolis, but just as many people, loaded with suitcases and headed to the international airport, took their place. The total balance of travelers did not change by much, but the energy inside the train was different, more frenetic.
Only the last quarter of an hour of travel remained. The final stretch that separated the station from the terminus: the airport.
The airport station was directly connected to the arrivals area. The girl would have to cross that huge atrium, making her way through the crowd of passengers who had just disembarked and their relatives and friends who were waiting for them. To reach the departures area she had to rely on the directions of the signs hanging from the ceiling. She knew that airport like the back of her hand, but she feared that the emotion could play tricks on her.
Arrived at the check-in area, she weighed her checked luggage and, after scanning the ticket, printed the boarding label. The young woman placed it on the handle of the trolley and headed to the delivery counter. Here she entrusted the suitcase to an airport attendant who, after a second verification of the weight, made it slide on the conveyor belt, headed towards the vehicle that would have loaded it into the hold of the plane.
Now that the most cumbersome luggage had been secured in the hands of the staff, it was the turn of the Kalos native to pass through security checks. A routine operation, quick and painless. Having reached the security check area, the girl took off her bracelets and necklace, then passing through the metal detector. In the meantime, her small trolley, her carry-on bag and her purse had passed through the scanners. Despite the girl having nothing to hide, she still had a slight shiver down her spine in seeing her personal effects swallowed by that machine. But it was a moment. Everything all right.
Serena collected her personal effects again and reached the long-haul departures area. The boarding of her flight had not yet started. She still had time.
She did not want to get distracted as with the train; thus, after having sent a message to Ash in which she notified him of the imminent departure, accompanying the message with a photograph of the airport apron taken from the huge windows of the departures area, where half a dozen planes were stopped waiting for their passengers to board, she kept the device in her purse and promised herself not to use it until she had boarded. Unless of compelling necessity, obviously.
Serena was among the first in line to reach the boarding gate. She positioned the digital boarding pass in the appropriate reader. A sound confirmed to the Performer that the operation was completed successfully. For a little while the girl almost forgot the Smart Rotom, with all her digital documents, on top of the optical reader.
After going down the stairs she got on, together with other passengers, an airport bus that would have taken them to the plane. The plane that she was to take stood out among all the others for the coloring of its fuselage: a wonderful metallic azure; the wings, painted in contrast, were white, as were the nacelles of the two enormous motors. On the tail fin, in silver, there was the logo of the airline, while in the rear part of the fuselage the registration number: KS-7G9. In the lower part of the cockpit a writing, also silver, identified the model: AMON 400 - 360B.
Having booked a window seat, she would be the first in her row to sit down and the last to have to leave. At least, upon arrival, the other passengers would not put pressure on her to get off. Of course, the window seat had a disadvantage. When she would get up to go to the bathroom, she would have to be careful not to disturb the passengers next to her. A small price to pay, but one that was compensated by huge advantages, such as being able to take beautiful photos for social media, during the ascent phase and the cruise. The boarding was completed in about twenty minutes and, after the cabin crew ensured that all the doors were tightly closed, the towing operations of the vehicle to the takeoff runway began. During this operation the cabin crew had begun to illustrate the safety procedures, such as the position of the emergency exits and the fact that the life jackets were under the seats or that these, in case of a water landing, should be inflated AFTER leaving the plane.
Those procedures were not a novelty for the girl, a regular on that route and with that airline, but in any case she decided to listen. Statistically the plane was the safest means of transport, but the anxiety for that meeting had made her imagine the worst scenarios.
When in Kalos it was half past twelve, and in Kanto half past seven in the evening, the meal was served. First to the Trainers, then to their Pokémon.
Serena was not particularly affamata, but she did not want to risk being hungry later.
Not that the food was of poor quality or uninviting, far from it: on the tray, served with metal cutlery and ceramic plates, stood out an inviting finely sliced roast meat, covered by a dark sauce and accompanied by mashed potatoes and steamed vegetables.
Despite the appetizing appearance, however, Serena ate almost mechanically. It must have been the cabin pressurization, which at thirty-six thousand feet of altitude, anesthetized the taste buds making every flavor more bland and muffled, or perhaps it was simply her stomach, closed in a grip of agitation for the imminent meeting. As much as the meat was tender, it seemed almost tasteless to the girl. She forced herself to swallow a few bites and a bit of bread just not to remain fasting, leaving however a large part of the side dish untouched on the plate.
Once the meal was finished and the tray handed over, it was the turn of the Pokémon to feast, and those of the Kalos native were no exception. At least they had an appetite.
After about two and a half hours from the meal, the cabin crew, escorted by some Grass-type Pokémon, ordered them to use Sleep Powder. This allowed the passengers to fall asleep.
A standard procedure, used by numerous airlines to allow their passengers to align themselves with the time zone of the destination.
Although at that moment they were flying over some unknown region, the passengers were still tuned to the Kalos time zone, seven hours behind compared to Kanto.
When the passengers were put to sleep, in the Kanto Region it was ten at night.
After seven and a half hours of flight, the passengers were by now all awake. Some earlier, some later, but all had worn off the effect of that sleeping aid, waking up rested. To wait for them only one hour of flight.
Shortly after the general awakening, while the lights of the cabin were being adjusted to simulate a faint rosy dawn, the flight attendants passed rapidly through the aisles for one last service.
Nothing too demanding: a light breakfast composed of a hot drink and a baked product. Serena gladly accepted a cup of boiling black coffee, whose intense aroma helped to chase away the last residues of torpor caused by the Sleep Powder, and a small croissant.
She nibbled on the sweet absentmindedly, with her gaze fixed out of the window, while below her the layer of clouds began to thin out, letting catch a glimpse of the first lights of the Kanto region.
After the Trainers, it was also the turn of the Pokémon to have breakfast.
Serena looked at the time on her Smart Rotom. Three quarters of an hour remained until the landing.
She took advantage of the fact that the bathroom was free to go there, both out of necessity and because it had been hours that she had not gotten up from the seat and she wanted to stretch her legs a bit. She had kept the seatbelt fastened even when the sign had been turned off and she had refastened it when, after the meal, she had returned from the bathroom.
She had gotten used so much to its presence that she had attempted to get up without unhooking it, remaining anchored to the seat. At the second attempt she unfastened the belt and got up. She walked the aisle of the plane and reached the bathrooms. Staying in that semi-reclined position all that time had numbed her legs. Upon her return, the cabin crew gave the ultimatum: whoever had to go to the bathroom had half an hour left, then the services would be closed for the final descent.
While the plane was beginning the landing phases, after having completed some holding patterns turning in circles in the skies around Saffron City, Ash had reached the arrivals area of the International Airport.
The boy positioned himself in the area destined for the welcome. As much as he desired the opposite, he did not go unnoticed: a large group of male and female admirers asked him for photos and autographs. The World Champion accepted willingly; he was sorry to disappoint his fans.
After having satisfied several dozen people, finally Ash was able to concentrate on the real reason why he had reached the airport so early that morning.
Serena's plane was completing the last phases before the landing.
Ash still could not see it, but he knew that very soon he would be able to spot it through the huge windows of the airport. The plane was now a few dozen meters from the ground. The landing gear had come out and was perfectly locked.
Still a few moments and the azure giant would have touched the ground.
In an instant the wheels impacted on the runway with a light skid mark: first the rear gears, then delicately the front one.
As soon as the plane stabilized, the Captain operated the controls to safely brake the aircraft, activating brakes and thrust reversers.
Serena, contrary to Ash, was patient, so she would have quietly accepted letting the other passengers get off before getting off in turn. «What is the point of fighting to get out? Sooner or later we all get out!» She thought. When the flow of people began to thin, Serena took her backpack from under the seat in front of her and the small trolley from the overhead compartment above her head; then she took the aisle and exited the plane. After a short journey on an airport bus, similar to the one on which she had gotten on before boarding in Kalos, she reached the area dedicated to baggage claim and, after a short wait, recovered her large suitcase. With all the luggage, finally the Kalos native would be able to reach Ash. She began to pull the heavy load, cursing herself for how much she had filled it.
The maximum weight of the checked luggage was thirty kilos and she had exploited until the last gram. Same goes for the overhead trolley and its twelve kilos. She was however certain of one thing: for the rest of the journey that great gentleman of Ash would carry them for her.
As soon as they met, time seemed to stop for an instant.
As soon as Serena's figure emerged from the sliding doors of the arrivals, Ash's face lit up with a sincere smile. The boy began to wave his arms with enthusiasm to get noticed, making his way through the crowd to go meet her.
Serena, at the sight of that unmistakable cap, felt all the tiredness of the long journey vanish at once.
Her heart took a leap in her chest while a faint blush colored her cheeks; she accelerated her pace, dragging the luggage with renewed energy. When they were one in front of the other, the emotion was palpable: big speeches were not needed, it was enough to cross their gazes to communicate all the happiness of having finally found each other again.
Pikachu lost no time: with an agile leap he jumped from the shoulder of his Trainer to that of the girl, affectionately rubbing his cheek against hers and greeting the girl with a squeak.
Serena laughed, happy with that welcome, and greeted the little Pokémon in turn, stroking him gently on the head.
«Leave it, I'll do it!» Exclaimed the boy immediately after, grabbing the handles with a chivalrous manner. Ash began to pull his friend's trolleys, realizing very soon how heavy they were.
After having crossed the arrivals area, walked a corridor, gone down a flight of stairs and passed a further corridor, the three arrived at the airport train station.
As for Lumiose City, also in that case the airport was the terminus of the route they were to take.
Their train would have left just five minutes after their arrival.
In Kanto the trains were always punctual. Perhaps too much: the train drivers were punished if they left late, or early, even if by a handful of seconds.
If possible, the trains in that Region were even more beautiful and perhaps faster than those of Kalos.
Certainly they were more crowded, but despite this they were quieter. The local culture provided for an almost religious silence on board public transport; despite the dozens of people on board, the silence was almost deafening. Ash, given the crowding, was forced to position Serena's large trolley in one of the overhead compartments. They had to remember to retrieve it at the end of the journey, or they would have had to pay a visit to the lost and found office. And, after a journey of so many hours, Serena really did not feel like it.
The train stopped at all stations. The first stop outside Saffron City was Cerulean City, the city from which Misty was originally from, the Gym Leader specialized in Water-type Pokémon and Ash's first historic traveling companion.
A part of the passengers got off the train, allowing Ash, Serena and Pikachu to be a bit more comfortable.
The second stop was Pewter City, city from which Brock was originally from. At that moment the friend was not present: the last time they had heard from each other, Ash had discovered that his studies as a Pokémon doctor had forced him to move to the Sinnoh region.
Finally for the two the station of Viridian City arrived, the city closest to small Pallet Town.
Pallet Town, contrary to Vaniville Town, was not served by train tracks, so Ash would have had to get in touch with his mother to ask her for a ride; but, in that moment, his priorities were others.
After having recovered the heavy luggage, Ash and Serena exited the Viridian City station. The morning air was crisp and smelled of wet grass and dew, a sharp contrast with the aseptic smell of the plane.
Ash led Serena towards a side street, far from the main flow of commuters, until stopping in front of a small place with a dark wooden sign: "Butterfree's Refuge".
«It's here!» Ash announced with a smile, while he struggled slightly to keep the thirty-kilo trolley in balance. «It's a quiet place, far from the tourists. I used to come here often with my friends when we wanted to plan our next moves without too much confusion.»
Inside, the place was cozy, with solid wooden tables and large windows that looked out onto a lush internal garden. Despite Ash's world success, the owner, an elderly man who seemed to have seen entire generations of trainers pass by, limited himself to a respectful nod of greeting, leaving them the privacy they needed.
They sat in a sheltered corner. Ash ordered for both: two hot chocolates, a freshly squeezed berry juice and a tray of chocolate cream pastries.
When the scent of the chocolate reached Serena's nostrils, the girl finally felt the tension of the journey melt away completely. She looked at Ash, sitting in front of her, and for the first time since she had landed, she truly realized being there, with him, in the heart of Kanto.
After breakfast, Ash got in touch with his mom, to ask her for a ride to Pallet Town. The two took advantage of that time to continue chatting and to take a short walk through the city.
After about half an hour the two were reached by the woman, right along the main street of the small town, where the two saw a vehicle with a decidedly... singular silhouette advancing.
It was a Rino Six, the historic family car.
The design of the car was eccentric to say the least: with that strange bulge at the base of the windshield and the unusual arrangement of the headlights, it seemed the result of a bizarre genetic experiment, a cross between a Palafin and a coffee pot.
Despite the questionable aesthetics, the car advanced with a dignity all its own.
Ash observed the vehicle with a mixture of affection and resignation. Several times, strong in his position as Monarch and from the considerable prizes won in international tournaments, he had offered to gift his mother a brand-new model, maybe a luxurious sedan or a modern SUV. Delia, however, had always categorically refused.
For her, the Rino Six was unbeatable: the ratio between space and dimensions was incomparable. It was compact enough to park anywhere, but inside it was so spacious as to make a van envious, perfect for transporting her gardening tools, the groceries and, when necessary, the luggage.
And then, the six seats on two rows of seats.
Delia pulled over with precision and lowered the window, greeting the two youngsters with an outstretched arm and a radiant smile.
Ash settled the suitcase in the trunk of the car, terrifyingly wide, despite the small external dimensions.
While Ash loaded with no small effort the heavy luggage, Serena remained motionless on the sidewalk staring at the vehicle. Despite it not being the first time that she saw it, her reaction was always the usual: she tilted her head slightly to the side, then to the other, as if changing perspective could help to give a sense to those lines. That... thing defied every known aesthetic canon.
Serena had to force herself not to laugh. In her mind the cross between a Palafin and a coffee pot was decidedly taking over.
She could not understand where the hood ended and the windshield began. But the true surprise arrived when Ash opened the front left door.
The Performer's eyes widened. «Wait...» Serena indicated the interior of the passenger compartment, incredulous.
«That is... a seat?» Between the driver's seat and the passenger's, where usually there was the handbrake or a storage compartment, a third seat towered, equal to the other two. «Three seats in front?» She asked, looking at Ash as if she expected a denial.
«Cool, huh?» Responded the boy. «It's the only car that allows everyone to stay in the front row! Mom loves this thing.» Serena smiled, amused and a bit shocked.
Once the shock was over, Serena made herself comfortable and, after Pikachu curled up on her lap, Ash got on board in turn.
The journey was quite short, just a quarter of an hour, a time in which Delia had already begun to pepper the girl with questions about her plans for the stay.
Arrived at destination, Delia parked the car in the driveway of the house, a small villa similar to all the other homes in the city: a white house with two floors, surrounded by a garden and equipped with a small porch. The typical village villa.
Every time she visited the small town, Serena wondered, a bit ironically, how they could recognize their house if all the houses in the small residential center were white. From this, after all, derived the name of the city.
«You have made a long journey, if you want you can rest. You know that here you can act as if you were at your own home!» The woman invited her.
Despite the invitation, Serena declined the offer. She would have preferred to do something else, such as for example training for the contest in which she would participate in Saffron City. She had not spoken about it with Ash, but the result of that contest would decide her destiny.
If she had won, she would have dedicated herself to the Kanto contests and would have found a way to keep Ash away from the claims of the Unova fans. If she had lost she would have left for Unova with Ash.
The contest in question would be a double performance, therefore the girl would have to perform only with two Pokémon. She only had three Pokémon with her, but choosing with whom to perform remained a difficult choice; after all, on this depended her future.
The young woman sat on the steps that led to the entrance of the Ketchum house and extracted from her bag her three Poké Balls: Delphox, Pancham and Sylveon.
"Let's see... Delphox and Pancham work well together... but also Pancham and Sylveon, or Sylveon and Delphox... in short, it's difficult. Then... I cannot ask Ash. No. I don't know if he is so involved. Then, even if I told him about the contest, how would he take it if I entrusted this decision to a single contest? And then, now that I think about it, do I truly want to entrust my next career choices to just one contest? Maybe two or three... but one?"
Serena did not notice it, but at about halfway through her interior monologue, at a short distance from her Delia had sat down.
Over time, Serena had learned to know her: a woman of less than forty years, brown hair and eyes of the same color. Serena knew that the woman had really gone through so many things, that she had become a mom very young, just at nineteen years old… and that she had had to raise Ash alone. She had never dared to ask about Ash's father. After all not even she had ever known hers.
The silence between the two was broken only by the light rustle of the leaves moved by a light breeze.
Delia had not said a word until that moment, respecting the girl's space, but her attentive eyes had not missed a single detail. She had noticed the way in which Serena's fingers nervously touched the smooth and cold surface of the Poké Balls, passing continuously from one to the other.
«You know...» The woman began with a calm tone, careful not to make her startle too much. «Usually, when Ash stares at his Poké Balls in that way, it's because he is trying to invent some absurd strategy for his next battle.»
Serena gave a slight start, returning abruptly to reality. She turned towards Delia, her cheeks suddenly tinged with a light blush for having been caught in such a vulnerable moment.
Delia addressed a reassuring smile to her, tilting her head just slightly toward the three spheres that the girl was holding in
her lap. «But looking at you, I have the impression that it is not just about a battle or training.» Continued Ash's mother, her tone became sweeter, almost complicit. «You have the look of someone who finds herself at a crossroads and does not know which path to take. Is there something troubling you, dear?»
Serena sighed, squeezing Sylveon's sphere a bit tighter, as if she were seeking courage in the cold metal. «It's not just a matter of technique, Delia,» She finally admitted, lowering her gaze to her shoes. «I mean... yes, I don't know who to choose. Delphox and Pancham have rhythm, Sylveon is elegant... but the real problem is something else.»
She raised her eyes toward the woman, trying not to let her voice tremble. «I made a bet with myself. A stupid bet, perhaps. I decided that the Saffron City contest will be my judge: if I win, I will stay in Kanto and try the Contest circuit here. If I lose... I will follow Ash to Unova and dedicate myself to showcases.»
Delia listened to her in silence, with an indecipherable but sweet expression, encouraging her to continue with a simple nod of her head.
«It seemed like a perfect plan when I thought of it.» She continued, with a bitter smile. «Black or white. Victory or defeat. Kanto or Unova. But now that I am here, sitting on these steps... I feel ridiculous.» The girl placed the spheres on the step next to her, as if to free herself from a physical weight.
«Do I really want to let my future be decided by a single performance? Is my career as a coordinator really worth only one contest?»
She ran a hand through her honey-colored hair, frustrated. «It is this that scares me, Delia. It is not choosing between Pancham or Sylveon. It's that I am entrusting a decision to a contest instead of taking it myself. I am looking for an excuse to let fate choose, because maybe... maybe I don't have the courage to choose by myself what I truly want.»
Delia listened to the outburst with an understanding smile, but with a playful spark in her eyes that she could not manage to hide. «You know, Serena...» The woman began, delicately resting a hand on the girl's shoulder. «If the decision rested with me, I would prepare the suitcase for you myself right now. And I would send you direct on the first flight for Unova, stuck to that blockhead of my son for the whole journey.» She laughed slightly, dissolving a bit of the tension that was building up. «But you must forgive me, I am biased. I love seeing you together and, as a mother, I would be much calmer knowing that there is someone with a head on their shoulders checking on Ash. So my vote doesn't count: it is a vote... tainted by affection.»
She became serious again, looking Serena in the eyes with sweetness. «Why don't you try to talk about it with your friends? Sometimes those who share your same passion and are more or less your age, see things differently from us "adults".»
Serena nodded thanking her, but inside herself she felt an alarm bell ring loudly. Her mind ran fast to possible conversations, discarding them one after the other.
"If I asked Shauna or, even worse, Miette…" Serena shuddered at the mere thought. "They wouldn't give me career advice, they would give me a sentimental ultimatum." She smiled bitterly. "Miette would put me with my back to the wall, she would tell me something like: «Either you go with him to Unova and you confess, or I'll step forward!».
In the same way also Shauna would have pushed her toward Unova without hesitation, only to force the hand on the question with Ash, completely ignoring her dreams as a Coordinator. It would have been a choice dictated by others' hearts, not by her head.
"And then there's May…" The thought went to the Hoenn Coordinator. "I mean... she is my friend, certainly, and I respect her a lot, but they were also rivals on the same stage." Serena bit her lower lip. «She too, almost certainly would advise me to go to Unova. I would be one less rival.»
After all May knew well what Serena was capable of with her team. One less dangerous rival would have favored her climb to the rank of Top Coordinator.
"No!" Serena concluded to herself, tightening her fists on her knees. "None of them can give me an answer that isn't biased. Shauna and Miette only see the love story, May sees the competition. I am alone in this choice."
She raised her gaze again to Delia, aware that that advice, even if given with the heart, was not the right path.
«Perhaps talking about it with Ash is the best choice.» Delia proposed to her, after having been in silence for a long time and having observed her reflecting in silence.
«No. Or rather, I wouldn't want to talk only with him. I have reflected on what my friends would have told me, and none of them could help me and no, I am not sure I want to talk about it with him.»
«By now you know him. Rather, perhaps even better than I do. He is perfectly capable of putting aside his desire just to make you participate in the contests here in Kanto. He would wait without problems and then, he would propose to you to leave only when you have become Top Coordinator.»
"Wait". That word bounced in Serena's mind. After all if they were in that situation, it was in part also her fault. After the defeat in Kalos she had wanted a change of air.
She had tried with the contests of Hoenn, Johto and Sinnoh. She had always been able to win the fateful five ribbons and to participate in the respective Grand Festivals, but she had never won one.
In one way or another she had always lost in the final, almost as if it were a curse. And, if it truly was a curse, it had to be broken.
"Perhaps I should start from where the curse started?" Serena asked herself, without obtaining an answer.
"Perhaps I should really talk with him, maybe without saying anything regarding the fact that my choice will depend only on a contest."
Serena got up and massaged her back. She had not been sitting for long, but her back still hurt a bit.
Shortly after, the girl entered the house. Delia was intent on cooking and almost did not notice Serena's presence.
«Ash and I are going to take a walk, we'll be back soon!»
Ash was a bit surprised by his friend's words. Not that he didn't want to go around with her, heaven forbid, only that he didn't expect such a proposal. He thought that Serena wanted to rest, after the long journey and, in addition, Pallet Town did not offer who knows what attractions.
Apart from these two reasons, Ash had no reasons to refuse the proposal. After all it had been he who invited her, he did not mind at all the idea of spending some more time alone with her. «Where do you want to go?» Ash asked her, in a curious tone.
Serena did not respond. It seemed that the important thing was not so much the destination, as rather the fact of talking with him.
In any case, the two went out, complete with jackets and backpacks. Ash and Serena did not have a precise path to follow, with Serena dragging Ash from one side to the other, remaining in silence.
Despite having visited Pallet Town several times, Serena seemed almost a curious tourist. Her enthusiasm was a mask for the great doubt that tormented her. How to introduce that topic?
"If I told him that, if his objective were that of leading someone to their goal, I would be the ideal candidate, I would seem too selfish and too direct." She thought. "And then did I really set out with the desire to become a Top Coordinator?" A second thought was added to the first.
«Is this really what I desire? Or is it just a makeshift?» Doubts were beginning to accumulate.
"And then how would they see me, as a foreigner, as Top Coordinator of the year?" Perhaps that was the most excruciating doubt.
"In Unova it is different." She thought, remembering the geography lessons at school. "Unova is a crossroads of people from every part of the world, no one asks you where you come from." She recalled her memories. And, in fact, the current Showcase Queen came from Johto.
Ash noticed how Serena had remained in silence for all that time, as if she were trying to keep a secret and feared revealing it as soon as she opened her mouth.
«Everything all right?» Asked Ash, in a worried tone.
«You know, I was thinking about wanting to participate in the Saffron City contest…» Responded Serena.
From her tone it seemed that she had been holding that news inside for a long time.
«Well, I don't see where the problem is. It should be in two weeks, so we will be able to leave without problems...»
Serena interrupted him: «I don't know. Lately I have been wondering what my true dream is.»
«You had said it yourself. You wanted to become the Kalos Queen. After everything that happened you decided to dedicate yourself to Pokémon contests, but you never said that that would be your definitive choice.»
The Performer thought about it for a bit. Effectively Ash was right. She had never expressed her desire to become a Top Coordinator. The contests had been a sort of makeshift for her.
«I thought that my experience in Showcases would have helped me in the contests. But I was wrong. They are two totally different worlds. And when I understood it, it was too late. Yes, I won some ribbons, I mean, you followed many of my contests, you know how it went. But it was not easy at all. But, here... I would like to try one last time.»
«I understand. You know well that I will support you at any cost. Do not give up and try until the end! Whatever it takes.» He encouraged her. Serena was surprised by that reaction. She knew Ash very well and knew that the boy would have supported her, but she was starting to fear that he had grown tired of seeing her continually fail when she was a step away from making it.
«But... I mean... lately you have always followed me, you were there practically at every one of my contests...»
«Believe me. Doing it has not weighed on me at all. Otherwise we would not be where we are now.»
Perhaps Serena misinterpreted Ash's words, and for this she blushed. They were alone, in that moment. Alone together.
«Everything all right?» Ash asked her, worried.
«Oh, yes. Absolutely.» The Kalos native tried to remove from her mind everything that she had thought until that moment.
She feared the boy's reaction. «And the commitment that you took on? I don't want you to have to give it up just for me.»
For Ash finding the right words was not easy at all. «After all, also that of becoming a Top Coordinator is a goal. And I never specified that I must help a Trainer to become Champion.»
«If you say so.» Serena responded in a doubtful tone. She knew very well that Ash's heart beat only for battles, and those words of his sounded a bit like grasping at straws. «In any case I was thinking about one thing. I will participate in this contest and, based on how it goes, I will decide what to do. In case it should go badly, I will attempt the climb to the throne of Unova. Perhaps returning to showcases could do me good.»
Ash stopped suddenly. After a few moments of silence Ash managed to formulate a response: «You surely don't want to give up on becoming a Top Coordinator just for one contest?»
Serena, who in the meantime had continued to walk, had noticed only in that moment the distance that separated her from Ash. «It's not just one contest. It has been almost twenty-five contests and three Grand Festivals that I have been trying. Perhaps I should return to the origins and try again with Showcases. And besides, it's my life. I would like to be the one to decide.»
Serena was beginning to get heated, and both Ash and Pikachu noticed it.
«It's not that. It is right that you follow your path. I cannot decide for you, and I will always support you, whatever choice you decide to take. You know it.»
The blonde smiled. That was the Ash she loved.
«I would say that we can go back. I promise you that I will prepare this contest like all the others. I will try not to think about how important it is.» The two returned to the base just in time to have lunch. As soon as they crossed the entrance threshold, without even having time to put the jackets and backpacks on the coat rack, Delia unleashed her curiosity.
Era la prima volta che Ash, di sua spontanea volontà, iniziava un nuovo viaggio con un'ex compagna di viaggio.
«So, how did it go?» Because of how the woman's question was formulated it could have been addressed to both, but Serena understood very soon that it was addressed to her. «I told him everything. It went well. Just as you had told me.»
Both Ash and Pikachu scratched their heads. What were they referring to? What were his mother and his friend plotting? The rumbling of Ash's and Pikachu's stomachs shifted priorities to another field.
The World Champion helped Mimey to set the table.
The woman, despite the short notice, had prepared a lunch with all the trimmings, complete with appetizer, first course, second course, side dish and dessert. After the hearty lunch, it was Serena again to take the initiative. «Can I ask you a question?»
«Yes?» Ash was still finishing his third slice of ice cream cake. By now he had almost completely lost sensation in his mouth because of the low temperature of the dessert.
«You have always told me about having caught other Pokémon besides those from Kalos, but how come you have never introduced them to me?»
Ash froze at his friend's words. It was true. Especially since at the Kalos League, contrary to previous leagues, he had not had other Pokémon fight outside of those caught during the journey.
«We never had time. We have always been in quite a hurry. Every time you came here you passed through for a greeting and that's it. Now however time is not lacking, we can go and stay there all the time that you desire.»
The two went out of the house again and headed towards Professor Oak's laboratory.
Serena did not know the way, so Ash had to act as her guide.
The laboratory was located on top of a small hill; it was a large building surmounted by a wind turbine that provided for a good part of its energy needs. Not far from it there was a fence that surrounded a large plot of land.
«Here. This is where my Pokémon live!»
Serena remained in silence for a few moments. «But I don't see anyone. You're surely not making fun of me?» The girl did not have time to conclude the sentence when immediately the ground began to shake.
«And what is this? An earthquake?» Serena was terribly frightened.
«I would advise you to move!» Ash warned her.
«Why should I?» Asked the Kalos native.
Pikachu, who by now knew the script by heart, jumped from the shoulder of his Trainer and pushed Serena away with a powerful blow of his tail, making her fall.
«HEY! BUT WHAT'S WRONG WITH YOU? HAVE YOU GONE CRAZY?» Serena shouted.
Pikachu did not respond, sitting down simply next to his friend.
Soon the vibrations of the ground became even more intense and, in the distance, a gigantic cloud of dust appeared that was approaching their position at great speed.
Shortly after, to the tremor was added the noise of hooves.
A moment passed and Ash was projected into the air. «Ouch! Ouch! Ouch!»
Ash fell back to the ground and, having stood back up shortly after, he massaged his back and brushed off the dust. «Here, they are my Tauros!»
The herd of Tauros surrounded their Trainer and began to lick him affectionately. «They are very affectionate and quite turbulent, and I didn't want them to hurt you.»
Serena blushed. Ash had worried about her. She had been wrong to take it out on Pikachu. «Forgive me. I was wrong to take it out on you. You only wanted to avoid me getting hurt. Forgive me again.» Pikachu jumped on her shoulder and rubbed his cheek with that of the girl, his way of making her understand that everything was settled. Serena, in response, stroked his head.
Serena and Pikachu, very slowly, reached the herd of Tauros.
«Be calm, you can pet them, they don't do anything to you.» Ash reassured her.
Serena, a bit fearful, stretched out her hand towards the nearest specimen. She slowly approached her hand to the Pokémon's head and touched it. Tauros, in response, licked her arm. «Hey! But you're tickling me like this!» Serena could not help but laugh.
Having overcome the initial surprise and fear, the girl gave a quick look at the herd of Pokémon that surrounded her. «Sorry if I am intrusive, but why did you catch... One, two... three...» The Performer continued to count in her mind. «Thirty Tauros?»
Ash smiled embarrassed: «To tell the truth it is they who decided to be caught. Quite a few years ago I and my traveling companions of then visited the Safari Zone to catch some Pokémon and well… they were faster than me.» Serena tried not to laugh, imagining that herd of Tauros chasing the boy and the Safari Balls that caught them. «I understand... I understand. It's they who caught you...»
After a few moments, the girl became serious again «But the others?»
«They're coming, they're coming! Hey! Bulbasaur!?!» The Seed Pokémon, as soon as he heard his Trainer's voice, started running towards him. He braked his run as soon as he saw what was, for him, a total stranger.
«Oh, excuse me. I haven't introduced her to you. This is Serena. A very dear friend of mine.» Ash introduced the friend to him.
Bulbasaur eyed the girl from head to toe. After a few moments, the Seed Pokémon emitted a convinced "saur!".
At a first examination, that girl was an okay person.
He approached further and smelled her.
«It seems that he recognized that you have Pokémon with you. Perhaps he wants to meet them before trusting completely.» Ash tried to interpret his Pokémon's gesture.
Serena, understanding that in that moment she was in a certain sense a guest, could not do anything other than humor him. «Come on! Come out!» The girl took the three Poké Balls from her bag and let out her Pokémon.
From the spheres came out a Delphox, a Pancham and a Sylveon.
Bulbasaur eyed each of the Pokémon that had just materialized, starting with Delphox. The Fire/Psychic fox seemed to him an okay Pokémon.
He then passed to Sylveon. She too remained calm, receiving Bulbasaur's approval.
Pancham, instead, was quite nervous, a tension that was sniffed out by Bulbasaur.
The Seed Pokémon moved away from Pancham and began to charge a Take Down.
As soon as Bulbasaur started to run, Pancham understood his intentions and launched in turn a powerful Stone Edge: from the ground sprouted enormous sharp blue boulders. Bulbasaur seemed to notice in time and, exploiting his powerful vines, destroyed the boulders and then used them to grab his opponent.
«HEY! YOU TWO! WHAT ARE YOU DOING!» Serena could not stand to see Pokémon argue. She was not against battles, otherwise she would not even have become a Trainer, a fundamental step for most careers, but she could not stand to see two Pokémon fight without reason. «Let them vent. Perhaps they will respect each other once the fight is concluded.» Ash explained to her, intent on observing the confrontation.
«As you wish!» Serena limited herself to saying.
In the meantime, Pancham had attempted to attack with Ice Punch, hitting Bulbasaur's whips and forcing him to let go of the grip. Pancham, now free, attacked with Dark Pulse. From his upper limbs was generated a series of rings of dark energy, violet in color, which however went wide. Bulbasaur dodged them rolling towards the right.
Simultaneously, from his mouth began to be generated a sphere of energy of a greenish color. A sphere that recalled, in some ways, a sort of eye.
Something, however, was not right, at least in the eyes of Pancham and Serena. Why on earth was Bulbasaur launching his Energy Ball in the opposite direction compared to where Pancham was? Ash, on the contrary, had understood what Bulbasaur's intentions were: to use a technique invented by his Torterra when he was still a Grotle. Swallow his own Energy Ball and then hit the opponent with an incredibly more powerful Grass-type move. Torterra and Bulbasaur were excellent friends, so it was probable that Torterra had taught him to master such a powerful technique.
Ash's intuition was not wrong. Bulbasaur took a leap and swallowed his own attack. Serena, Pancham and the girl's other Pokémon remained stunned. Never had they seen a Pokémon swallow its own attack.
Poco dopo, dal bulbo del Pokémon Seme si generò un gigantesco raggio di energia dal colore giallo-arancione che colpì in pieno Pancham, mandandolo al tappeto.
Serena rushed towards Pancham, helping him to stand back up.
After the Playful Pokémon regained consciousness, she took care of disinfecting his wounds with a potion.
Bulbasaur also approached Pancham, now devoid of any bellicose intention.
Only after having resolved the confrontation with the Playful Pokémon, he exploited his powerful Solar Beam to call all of Ash's Pokémon who, more or less rapidly, reached the couple. «Are there so many?» Serena asked, observing the mass of Pokémon that was approaching. «Many more!» Ash responded to her, letting a smile escape.
In a short time, all of the World Champion's Pokémon arrived at the two. The first to show his affection was Muk, who jumped on top of his Trainer. It was his way of making a fuss. «Thanks! I am also happy to see you!» Ash tried not to suffocate under the weight of his Pokémon.
Serena smiled a bit less. She knew that Muk was capable of secreting toxic substances and was quite worried about this. She calmed down only when she saw Ash come out of that shapeless and violet mass safe and sound.
The Pokémon caught in Kalos rushed towards Serena first. They were those who had the most confidence with the girl.
The others remained more indifferent towards her whom they considered simply one of Ash's many friends.
«Come on! A bit of enthusiasm, she will be our traveling companion, I would like you to welcome her with at least a bit of warmth!»
Ash invited them.
«Hey! But you had accepted my proposal. You had said that we would leave for Unova only if my contest had not gone well. You had said that also helping me become a Top Coordinator fell into the goal of helping someone realize their dream!» Serena corrected him, surprised by Ash's words.
Ash had not forgotten the conversation with the friend, and he had also prepared a response for such an eventuality. «Whether it is here in Kanto or in Unova, they will come with me anyway. I only said that we would start a new journey together. Nothing else.»
Serena had to admit that Ash had an incredible capacity to pull himself out of difficult situations.
Little by little all of Ash's other Pokémon approached Serena and her Pokémon, beginning with Swellow and Staraptor, great friends of Talonflame.
The three flying Pokémon kept themselves in shape by challenging each other in battles and in flying competitions, quite often, giving birth to friendly rivalries among them.
The thought of the two flying Pokémon caught in Hoenn and Sinnoh was simple: if Talonflame trusted that girl, then perhaps they should trust her too.
Serena and her Pokémon, in a short time, were surrounded by the Pokémon caught by Ash in Hoenn and Sinnoh, and shortly after also by those of Kanto and Johto, Bayleef aside, and by those caught during the journey that had led him to become World Champion.
With the temperatures that were starting to drop and the sun that was about to set, the warmth they transmitted was truly pleasant.
The Kalos native had not noticed how Pancham and Ash's Buizel were glaring at each other, but before the situation could degenerate, Bulbasaur intervened to calm the spirits, separating them with his whips.
«Now that I have met them, can you tell me why you waited so long to introduce them to me? They all seem quiet and friendly to me.» «Simply we never had the time. No other reason.» Ash responded to her.
The boy had not noticed that Bayleef had remained aside, and that she had not joined the other festive Pokémon.
The Leaf Pokémon did not know how to explain it to herself, but she really didn't like that girl. She had as it were the feeling that she wanted to steal Ash from her. That girl was totally different compared to all of Ash's other friends.
What should she do? Attack her? In that moment it was not a good idea, all of Ash's Pokémon who would have defended her.
And one against everyone was not a winning strategy.
She would show her intentions in the moment in which she would be chosen as part of Ash's team.
With fewer opponents she would be able to make her intentions understood in a clear and unmistakable manner.
In those same instants, after quite some insistence from the girl, finally Dragonite let go of the grip.
«Is it not that they are trying to bribe me?» Serena asked, halfway between serious and humorous. «When I asked you to come here you didn't offer resistance because you knew that your Pokémon would have convinced me to come with you to Unova!»
«Not at all!» Ash responded to her. «I simply spoke of the fact that we would have helped someone to reach their goal. Yes, I admit I spoke of Unova, but I never said "we will go to Unova with Serena". Can you confirm?»
Ash's Pokémon, each in its own way, confirmed his words.
«Then if it is so, you won't mind if I ask one of your Pokémon to participate in the Contest with me, will you?»
Ash smiled at her, then scratched his head. «You know well that you don't have to ask me.»
«Oh, sure. Right!»
Serena knelt and approached Bulbasaur. «Would you like to participate in the next contest with me? I saw how you fought with Pancham and you made me think of new combinations for the Contests. What do you think?»
The Pokémon delicately tightened one of his vines around the blonde's arm, a delicate and gentle grip, like that of Sylveon's ribbons.
«So it's a yes?» Bulbasaur responded with a slight nod of his head.
«Incredible. You managed to obtain his trust immediately!» Ash complimented.
After having made the pact with the Performer, the Seed Pokémon had approached his cumbersome friend Torterra, to entrust to him the responsibility of the laboratory's Pokémon.
Torterra was a wise and quiet Pokémon. From what he remembered, Bulbasaur had seen him angry only once. And it had been enough for him. For this reason he believed that he was the ideal candidate to maintain peace among the boy's different Pokémon in his absence.
«Well, since he is in agreement I would say that there remains nothing else but to recover his Poké Ball. Professor Oak should have it somewhere.» Ash explained.
Serena limited herself to nodding. It was ironic that they were heading to the one who, in a certain sense, had made them meet by now eleven years before.
Professor Oak was a man of almost sixty years, short and gray hair, black eyes, with a square face. He had a freshly shaved beard and emanated a strong scent of aftershave. He wore a white laboratory coat; under it it was possible to catch a glimpse of a red polo shirt. He wore light brown pants and dark brown work shoes.
«Ah, it's you Ash... and I see that you also brought a guest...»
The professor eyed Serena from head to toe.
«But you are Serena! How did I manage to not recognize you!» The man called himself stupid by himself.
He and the girl, after the summer camp, had seen each other only in video calls.
«So... when will you leave for Unova?» He asked. He was quite impatient to inform his colleague on the thing to be done.
Ash and Serena looked at each other in the eyes, then the Kalos native took the floor. «We still haven't decided. Before leaving we will have to settle a little thing.»
Serena was quite vague, triggering the scholar's curiosity. «Excuse me if I am intrusive, but may I know what it is about?»
The Kalos native nodded. «Absolutely. A Pokémon contest. It will be held in two weeks in Saffron City. Based on how the contest goes we will decide the thing to be done.»
Professor Oak limited himself to nodding.
«And about this, I would like to ask you a favor.» Ash added.
«Tell me indeed.» The Professor responded to him.
«Do you by any chance know where Bulbasaur's Poké Ball is?»
The professor responded to him without asking himself the reason: «Sure, I'll get it for you immediately. But don't stay out there. Come in and let me offer you something!»
Ash, Serena and Pikachu made themselves comfortable in the professor's laboratory, sitting on the sofa.
The professor began to heat some water in the kettle. While the water was heating up, Oak opened the refrigerator and took a tray of sweets, then headed towards the area of the laboratory where he stored the Poké Balls. They were arranged in alphabetical order, so it did not take him long to find Bulbasaur's.
The man arrived with the empty Poké Ball in one hand just as the water had reached boiling point. With his free hand he turned off the device, poured the boiling liquid into the three cups where he had already placed the filters and, finally, recovered the tray that he had extracted shortly before from the refrigerator. He placed it delicately on the low coffee table, right in the center: they were cream and fruit pastries, fresh and inviting, perfect to accompany the hot drink.
In short, the color of the water passed from transparent to intense amber.
In turns the three put the sugar. Ash, as usual, abounded with the cubes, transforming his tea into a sort of sweet syrup, while the professor preferred it natural to appreciate its aroma. Serena, amused by that difference of tastes and nibbling on a cream puff, opted for a middle way.
«Here you go, Serena.» The professor handed her Bulbasaur's Poké Ball, but before letting it go he turned it for an instant between his fingers, with a pensive air. «I must admit that I am surprised, though.»
«Surprised? And why?» Asked Serena, cleaning a corner of her mouth from the powdered sugar.
«See, Bulbasaur takes his role as "guardian" of the laboratory very seriously. It is he who settles the brawls and maintains the peace among the most turbulent Pokémon. He refuses almost always to move away, even when Ash asks him to for some friendly battles.» Oak smiled, looking at the girl with esteem and offering her another pastry. «The fact that he has accepted to follow you for this contest demonstrates that he has seen something special in you. He does not grant his trust to the first one who passes by.»
Serena blushed slightly, flattered by those words. She had not thought about how important that gesture was for the Pokémon.
Ash, who in the meantime had already swallowed two whole sweets, intervened with his mouth half-full: «Don't worry about the garden, Professor. Bulbasaur made a nice speech to Torterra. I believe he passed the command to him.»
Oak chuckled, nodding while sipping his bitter tea. «I imagined so. Those two are in perfect harmony. Torterra has the size and the patience necessary to be listened to by everyone. Well, then I can rest easy.»
After having had the snack, the two, accompanied by the Professor, arrived again at the garden which, illuminated by some spotlights, had a completely different atmosphere.
Bulbasaur was giving the last instructions to Torterra on how to behave in his absence. He finished as soon as he saw his Trainer, Serena and Professor Oak heading towards him.
The Seed Pokémon approached almost instinctively his temporary Trainer.
Serena had knelt towards him, with the Poké Ball in hand and her finger resting on the opening mechanism.
Bulbasaur hit the sphere with one of his whips, making it roll from the hands of the Kalos native.
«It would seem that he does not want to go inside. Maybe before entering he wants to know you better.» Commented the professor.
«Is it so?» Asked Serena.
Bulbasaur made a small sign of approval.
«You know, Bulbasaur is not a type who trusts easily. But it seems that he likes you.» Ash explained to her.
Serena smiled. «I am happy about it.»
The girl picked up the Poké Ball from the ground and tucked it into her bag. «I hope to succeed in convincing him, at least for the contest, to enter. The entry on stage is important in Pokémon Contests.»
Ash knelt towards Bulbasaur. «Understood friend? Do you think you can do it? It will be only for a few minutes, don't worry.»
The Seed Pokémon signaled that he understood.
By now he had a bit lost the habit of staying in the Poké Ball. He was used to living the outside world, to having control. But, when he was inside the sphere, he lost every capacity for reaction. Despite this, he would have accepted staying in the Poké Ball with that girl, provided that it was for a short time.
Having recovered Bulbasaur, the two took their leave of the professor and returned home. Pikachu and Bulbasaur followed them walking at a short distance from the couple.
The electric rodent, in his language, was explaining to the friend the particular relationship present between the two.
He also told of the kiss given by the girl in the moment in which they had separated, at the end of their journey in Kalos.
Pikachu also told of how the contest he would face alongside Serena would be fundamental to decide the thing to be done. In case of victory they would travel through Kanto; in case of defeat, in the distant Unova Region.
Bulbasaur understood the words of the friend. In case of defeat, Serena and Ash would have had a greater possibility of getting closer without someone forcing them too much.
He would have done his best in that contest, but he would have been ready to sabotage it, in case it was needed. Hearing those words, Pikachu corrected him: he could not betray in this way the trust of Ash and Serena.
The days passed rapidly between training sessions, meetings with fans and hordes of suitors struck down with a look by Serena, until, finally, the eve of the contest arrived.
To avoid arriving late, Serena had proposed to Ash to leave for Saffron City that day, with Ash who had accepted the proposal without opposing.
Delia accompanied the two to the station. Ash, as on the day of his arrival, had opened the door for Serena and had waited for her and Pikachu to settle in before sitting down in turn.
Delia was a bit sorry. It had pleased her to have a “daughter” to spoil, and now not only was she leaving, but Ash was leaving too. For now they would move away only for a day, but then, perhaps, the matter would be prolonged for quite a long time.
The woman was aware of the situation: on one hand she had understood that between the two there was something more than a simple friendship and, perhaps, a new journey together could make it bloom, whatever it was. Perhaps it would have been better, for both, that the journey occurred in the distant Unova Region, but the woman did not feel like rooting against Serena. She knew that, however things went, Ash would have supported her and would have accompanied her in her dream. Whatever it was. And this, for her, meant truly a lot.
Having accompanied the two to the station and having taken leave of them, the woman returned home.
Ash and Serena's train would have arrived after a wait of half an hour. The small Viridian City station was not very crowded, so they easily found a bench where to sit and wait.
Once they had taken the train, they would have had to cross almost half the region: they would have stopped at the Saffron City central station. «The regional train 7845541 directed to the Saffron City airport is arriving on platform 2. Move away from the yellow line!» The recorded voice made the two startle.
At least they were on the correct platform. The train, very similar to the one they had taken two weeks before, had just arrived.
The few passengers on board had gotten off. Ash, Serena and the two Pokémon were the only ones to get on. The carriage was completely deserted: they could have sat wherever they wanted.
A few moments later, the train began to move in the direction of Saffron City. The convoy, as per tradition, would have stopped at all stations: Pewter City, Cerulean City, Saffron City outskirts and, finally, their destination, Saffron City central.
The train, during the journey, had filled up with people. Many travelers were directed to the airport, just as many were directed to the center of the city.
Upon their arrival at destination, Ash and Serena, accompanied by the Pokémon, had to go back up a river of people to be able, finally, to breathe again.
After having exited the station they had reached the central square of the city, Foundation Square, dominated by the statue of Cornelius Silph, the visionary industrialist who had transformed an ancient commercial village into today's modern technological metropolis.
Now their destination was the hotel they had booked: the Hotel Excelsior.
To reach the hotel they would have had to take a bus.
Like all the most important cities, the central square was the terminus of numerous urban bus lines, including the one they were to take: Line Q.
The route was served by a COVI Urban 12E, an electric bus with a serious and modern air: the front was characterized by a wide black band that incorporated the light groups, giving it an almost severe and technological look, typical of the latest generation vehicles. It was painted in a white and azure livery, clean and elegant. On the roof, a complex metallic structure extended upwards to allow rapid charging via the current cables present at the terminus. That vehicle, after seven stops, would have taken them literally in front of the hotel in which they would stay.
The Hotel Excelsior rose majestic in front of them: a thirty-story skyscraper with a facade in dark glass and chrome steel, which reflected the frenzy of the metropolis distorting it into artistic forms.
The entrance was sheltered by an elegant Liberty-style canopy, supported by golden columns that contrasted with the modernity of the structure.
Once having crossed the revolving door, the atmosphere changed radically: the hall was a triumph of luxury and silence.
The ceilings were very high, adorned with drop crystal chandeliers that spread a warm light, and the air smelled of lavender. The hotel included also a Pokémon Center. Ash and Serena took advantage of it to have a check-up done for their Pokémon. Ash, in that moment, had with him only Pikachu, and had entrusted Bulbasaur to Serena.
Pikachu jumped on the Nurse's counter, while Bulbasaur hoisted himself with his vines. In the meantime, Serena had handed over her Poké Balls. The two Pokémon jumped rapidly from the counter to the Nurse's cart, while the woman arranged Serena's Poké Balls in the appropriate slot. While the Nurse was taking the cart into the back room, Ash and Serena directed themselves to the counter to do the check-in.
It was a counter in fine wood, perfectly in tune with the high class of the hotel.
The surface on which the various objects were resting was made of marble, as were the floors. From the wide windows, from which it was possible to see the outside but not vice versa, a lot of light entered. Spring was about to arrive, after all. The young employee had immediately recognized Ash.
«Good morning. How can I be of help to you?» Asked she, stretching dangerously towards Ash, visibly making Serena nervous.
She was a girl more or less of their age, red hair, fair skin. She had her face covered in freckles and blue eyes. She wore a white shirt with the hotel logo embroidered on it covered by a dark vest. She wore some small silver earrings with precious gems set in them.
«Good morning. The room we booked. The double.» Serena cut it short, driven by jealousy.
«Oh, yes. Here it is. Here. It is room 1208. It is on the twelfth floor, but don't worry. You can quietly take the elevator. It is back here. I only need your documents.»
The two looked in their respective Smart Rotoms for their Trainer Card, an official identification document recognized at the international level.
The young employee scanned the QR codes. «Perfect. This is the card for the lock. You will have to insert it into the appropriate slot to activate the electricity when you are inside. Please, carry it always with you. Ah, by the way...» The receptionist smiled mischievously. «The room has a double bed.»
Serena blushed. «Double bed?» Repeated she.
«But what are you doing to me, Ash?»
Ash felt embarrassed in turn. «To tell the truth I only booked a double. I had no idea of the fact that...»
Serena, in her heart, believed it. She was of the opinion that Ash still had not understood it, so it was legitimate that he expected a room with two single beds. In any case, the girl turned towards the receptionist and saw her laughing to herself. And she understood immediately one thing: the attendant had done it on purpose.
After having moved away from the counter, Ash and Serena arrived in front of the large elevator. Serena pressed the button to call it. A short acoustic signal confirmed the arrival of the elevator. The metallic door opened, allowing the two to enter.
Ash pressed the button for the stop at the twelfth floor.
The door closed and the elevator began to rise. It was called at the fourth and ninth floor by people directed to the ground floor, but, because of the operating logic of the device, it would have reached the higher floor first and then descended again.
As soon as the door opened, the two exited.
The floor of the corridor was a fine oak parquet.
Ash looked with his gaze for their room, the eighth of that floor. Serena preceded him, finding it in the wing opposite to the one in which Ash was searching.
Having identified the room, Serena took Ash by an arm and pulled him in her direction to then almost snatch the card from his hand.
Having arrived in front of the door, the Kalos native rested the card on the sensor and this made the lock click, then she opened the door and rushed inside the room.
She did not even care to insert the card into the system that activated the electricity.
That was not her priority.
She turned towards the bed. And yes. Effectively it was a double bed. King size, what's more.
Serena felt her blood boil in her veins. She would have wanted to throttle the reception attendant.
The room, like the corridor, had a fine oak parquet floor; next to the bed there were two nightstands in mahogany wood, dark and shiny. Resting on them were a telephone to contact the reception and a bedside lamp.
Not too distant from the bed, a small table with two chairs and a flat screen television of at least sixty inches.
The walls, colored in a delicate yellow, were decorated by numerous paintings, representing mainly Pokémon of the Kanto Region.
On the ceiling there was not a proper chandelier. The lighting was entrusted to some soft lights on the corners of the walls. In the wall closest to the entrance and furthest from the bed there was the door that led to the private bathroom.
Ash noticed immediately the friend's discomfort, who was staring at the bed as if it were a giant Rellor.
«A DOUBLE bed???» Serena had remained paralyzed in front of that furniture, with her hands on her face and murderous
thoughts in her head. «Too bad Pikachu is with the Nurse, otherwise I could have asked him to divide the bed in two with
Iron Tail.»
Serena, returned to reality after that joke, began to laugh and could not stop for a while.
Humor was one of the things she most appreciated about Ash.
«Yes... sure, and then they ask us for damages!» She responded, after having recovered trying to hide the blush, because of the embarrassment that was returning forcefully.
The two placed their backpacks at the foot of the bed.
Serena extracted from her bag the dress that she had brought with her.
It was all rumpled because of the transport, therefore she would have to take it to a dry cleaner.
Serena looked on her Smart Rotom searching for the nearest facility.
While the girl scrolled through the map, Ash gave a distracted look at the dress. It seemed a dark evening dress.
He had never seen it, and already imagined it worn by the friend.
Serena inserted the electronic card into her purse and exited the room, followed by Ash.
Then the two took the elevator and went down to the ground floor.
«Well, how was the room?» Asked the reception attendant, with the clear intent of teasing Serena regarding the double bed. «Nice, nice.» Responded the Performer with a tight smile, not giving a chance to her "rival".
«Ah, it's you!» Ash and Serena immediately recognized the voice of Nurse Joy. «Your Pokémon are in perfect shape!»
The two approached the Nurse's counter, who had already prepared Serena's Poké Balls.
Pikachu and Bulbasaur, instead, were still on the cart, waiting for the two.
The electric rodent, as soon as he saw Ash, jumped on the counter and from there leaped onto his Trainer's shoulder, while Bulbasaur, helping himself with his whips, descended to the floor.
Serena dragged Ash to the hotel exit. To their luck they did not have to go a long way: the dry cleaner was located exactly on the other side of the street.
Ash and Serena arrived in front of a low building, whose ground floor was occupied by several small commercial activities.
The girl dragged Ash and the Pokémon inside one of them. It was precisely the place that she had searched for a few minutes before on the maps. In the small business only two people worked. The Twin-Gleam Laundry.
Two girls, to be precise. They were twins, identical as two drops of water. They both had black hair cut in a bob and wore a pair of glasses with a thick and round frame. They wore the same uniform: a white polo shirt and a lavender-colored apron. The only thing that allowed them to be distinguished was a hair clip in the shape of a bow: one wore it red on the right side, the other blue on the left side. Both had recognized Ash and had immediately noticed that he was accompanied by a beautiful girl. They exchanged a look of understanding that lasted a fraction of a second, but that was worth more than a thousand words.
«Hello!» Greeted Serena politely with a deep bow, imitated shortly after by Ash.
«How can I help you?» Asked the one with the red bow.
«Here...» Serena placed the envelope that contained her dress on the counter. «Could you take care of my dress?»
The girl with the blue bow smiled, completing her sister's thought: «Normally I would tell you that you should wait at least a week, given that we are full, but given that you are Ash's girlfriend... we will make an exception and you will have it ready for tomorrow morning. Provided that you sponsor us in one of his matches of the World Coronation Series.»
Serena blushed violently. As much as she desired it, Ash was not her boyfriend. At least for now. But if that misunderstanding allowed her to have the dress ready for the following day, she would have accepted to pretend that he was.
«Good. We would need your Trainer card, so tomorrow we will be able to recognize you.»
Serena, in the grip of an attack of embarrassment even greater than that of a few minutes before for having been defined as Ash's girlfriend (possible that even perfect strangers associated her with the boy?), handed to the salesgirl her Smart Rotom with the QR code requested. Her hand was trembling slightly.
The attendant, after having scanned the code, returned it to the owner with a complicit smile. As soon as they exited the shop, Serena afferrò l'orecchio di Ash e lo tirò.
«Ouch! But why?!»
«Because you didn't deny it!»
«And then, otherwise they wouldn't have prepared the dress in time for you, right?» He added, when the girl let go.
Serena pretended to make an angry face, but inside herself she was happy. Since Ash had not opposed, then perhaps it would have meant that he did not mind being with her. Or perhaps he was simply too naive.
Having entrusted the dress to the specialists, the two, together with the Pokémon, had the opportunity to go around the city, with Ash in the role of exclusive tourist guide.
After a quick tour of the city, the two reached as far as the arena where the contest would be held. It was a building situated in the middle of the park in the center of the city.
It recalled a sort of dome, supported by several arches. On the main door there was displayed a large sign. «Entries for the Saffron City Pokémon Contest are open until 07:00 on the day of the contest.» It recited.
«Since we are here, you could also register now, what do you think?» Proposed Ash.
Serena thought about it for a few moments.
Ash cared about the fact that she was participating in that contest.
They were right at the entrance of the arena and then, probably, the next day there would be much more of a line.
«Yes. Good idea. Let's go.» Ash, for chivalry, opened the door for the friend and entered immediately after her.
Once the door was closed, he noticed how the registration room was empty. Apart from the booth for the attendant, the room was occupied only by some plants and some small sofas. All completely empty.
The only human presence, excluding Ash and Serena, was the registration attendant.
«Good morning!» Greeted Serena.
«Good morning to you!» The attendant greeted her. «I imagine that you have come here to register for the contest, isn't it so?»
Serena responded in an affirmative manner, with a small nod of the head.
«Perfect, then let me register you.» Serena passed her Smart Rotom to the attendant in order to scan the Trainer card and the Contest Pass.
«I see that you have participated in several contests. But this is your first time here in Kanto. You have experience, I believe that you will be able to do well.»
She reassured her. Serena smiled. «I hope so.»
Once the procedure was finished, the two returned to the hotel just in time for the start of lunch.
The restaurants were on the first and second floor and served different types of dishes. From more refined buffets to more classic preparations, even if revisited.
After lunch, the two continued the exploration of the city, visiting numerous points of interest until sunset.
The temperature, as soon as the sun disappeared from the horizon, became too low to be endured with a simple jacket.
Having returned to the hotel, something captured Ash's attention: a long line of male and female Trainers that was pressing towards a side door. «Sorry if I am intrusive, but why is there all these people?» Asked Ash, addressing the reception attendant. The same girl who had caused the little «incident» of the double bed.
«They discovered that you would be staying here and they believed to find you in the battle field. The guards, in order to make people understand that you were not there, had to lock themselves inside. Well, now that you are here you could satisfy them.»
Ash crossed gazes with Serena. From a simple exchange of glances, the Kalos native understood not having a choice.
«Good. Where will we have to go?» Asked the native of Pallet Town.
«Follow me.» The girl stood up and signaled to the two to follow her.
They exited silently from the hotel and reached a secondary entrance that led onto a poorly lit little alley.
A small neon light illuminated the entrance, emitting an annoying hum that caused a certain restlessness.
The receptionist extracted a bunch of keys from her bag and, having found the right one, inserted it into the keyhole, making the mechanism click. The door was not opened often, so the young woman had to apply some force. She seriously risked breaking the key. The half-rusted lock clicked and the receptionist lowered the handle. With a significant push, the door opened allowing the three to enter.
As soon as they entered, the receptionist operated a series of small levers, similar to those of electricity meters. Several stadium floodlights turned on, illuminating the entire field as clear as day. After having noticed the low temperature of the room, the young woman also turned on the heating.
The battle field was quite wide, surrounded on all sides by equally wide stands.
To reach the field one had to pass through a corridor located under the stands. The two let themselves be guided by the receptionist: not that there was the risk of getting lost, in the worst case scenario they would have ended up in the bathrooms or in the locker rooms, but simply to reach the field as soon as possible.
As soon as they arrived in front of the protection net, the receptionist opened the padlock that closed the access door to the battle area. The high fence allowed the audience to be protected from the Pokémon's attacks and avoided field invasions.
«Good, now I can let the audience in!»
The receptionist abandoned the two and headed to the main door, a large double door, closed by a padlock and a bolt. She unlocked the padlock, removed the bolt and opened the door.
She did not even have time to open it completely that she was overwhelmed by the enormous mass of people who were waiting for Ash.
The spectators competed to grab the best seats, those that allowed for an optimal view of the battle field. Many of them were Trainers who were challenging gyms. Others were coordinators. Despite the differences in approach, they were united by the desire to see the World Champion in action.
After several moments of silence, in which Ash and Serena looked around, contemplating the stands packed with spectators, from the opening in the stands opposite to the one from which Ash and Serena had reached the battle field, an elderly couple made their triumphal entrance, in all probability the owners of the hotel.
The man had white hair, short. He was about one meter eighty tall and of a robust build. As a young man he must have had a physique to be the envy of Bruno, the Elite Four specialized in Fighting-type Pokémon.
He had a mustache in the shape of an isosceles trapezoid and it seemed he also had a gold tooth. He wore a green sweater, a white shirt that peeked out around his robust neck, brown pants and black shoes. Around his neck he had a chain in solid gold. On the ring finger of his left hand, a gold ring. The woman wore an identical ring. Ergo the two were married.
The woman, of a slender build, slightly taller than Serena, had slightly gray hair, tied in a bun. She also wore a sweater, but of a light pink color, and a long black skirt.
When she moved her arm, Serena could not help but hear the tinkling of her bracelets.
«And so the champion and his little girlfriend have decided to pay us a visit!» The elderly woman began.
«Here... I... really...» Serena tried to deny the woman, with a tone of surrender.
She was about to deny it publicly but, noticing how the numerous girls present looked at Ash with dreamy eyes, she decided not to say anything else. If to keep them away from HER Ash it was enough to pretend to be his girlfriend, she would have accepted.
But now was not the time to think about those things. It was clear that the two elderly Trainers wanted to battle.
The receptionist had positioned herself in the referee's station.
«The tag battle between the World Champion Ash Ketchum and the uhm... Performer? Coordinator? Trainer? Serena… begins.»
It seemed that the receptionist did not have great sympathy for Serena. Or perhaps she was plotting something. But what? If she really wanted to favor the hosts, it would have made more sense to take it out on Ash. Provocation or not, that way of acting did not please her at all.
«…And the owners of the hotel, Mr. Renato and Mrs. Emiko, is about to start. Each Trainer will be able to use only one Pokémon, the battle will be concluded when both Pokémon of a pair are no longer able to continue! Trainers! Send out your Pokémon!»
Ash and Serena looked each other in the eyes. Whatever choice their opponents had made, they had clear ideas on who to send onto the field. «Buddy, do you feel up to it?» Pikachu responded affirmatively, deploying onto the field.
«Sylveon! It's your turn!» Shouted Serena, while she threw the Poké Ball of the Intertwining Pokémon.
«I rely on you!» Both elderly people shouted simultaneously, sending onto the field respectively an Espeon and an Umbreon.
«Fantastic! An Espeon and an Umbreon!» Ash, despite his experience, had not lost a shred of enthusiasm. «They seem truly strong!»
The two elderly people looked at the pair of youngsters. «You do well not to underestimate us!» Responded the elderly man.
«Do we want to hurry up? There is an audience here that is waiting for nothing else!» The red-haired girl urged them.
«Yes, sure!» Ash responded to her.
«If you don't mind we will start! Pikachu go with Quick Attack on Espeon!» Shouted Ash, shortly after.
«And you Sylveon use Swift!» Serena added.
Pikachu started running at great speed against the opponent, with the latter initially seeming not to react.
Similar talk for Umbreon. It almost seemed he wanted to be hit.
«Dodge!» Both elderly people shouted in unison, as if they were a single person.
Pikachu was stunned, seeing his attack interrupted a few moments from being successful. And, to worsen the situation, he was about to be hit by the attack of Serena's Sylveon.
«Quickly! Destroy the stars with Iron Tail!» Ordered Ash. The structure of Pikachu's tail modified itself, transforming into a sharp metal sword. The energy stars launched by Serena's Sylveon were destroyed, transforming into dust.
Serena took a sigh of relief. Certainly it was not her intention to attack an ally of hers.
«Quick Attack!» Second order.
Always as if the two elderly people were a single entity. The two Eeveelutions started running at great speed against Pikachu. They would reach him soon. «Quickly! Iron Tail on the ground!» Ordered Ash.
Pikachu prepared himself to carry out one of his great classics. He took a big leap helping himself with the muscles of his hind limbs and, upon landing, hit the ground with a violent blow of his tail, creating a large crack on the floor and projecting both opponents into the air.
«Well, exactly what we needed! Sylveon, use Fairy Wind!» Serena's Sylveon generated a very strong pink-colored air current that violently threw both opponents toward the protection net.
As hard as the hit had been, it was not enough to defeat them.
After having shaken off the pain, Espeon and Umbreon were again ready for the attack.
«Shadow Ball!» Again the two elderly people ordered the attack in unison.
Espeon and Umbreon generated from their mouths a large sphere of dark energy, dark purple in color tending toward black, coated with numerous energy discharges similar to lightning.
«Quickly Pikachu! Use Iron Tail to destroy their attack!»
Pikachu took a leap and, with a violent blow of his tail, made one of the two spheres of dark energy explode before it could hit Sylveon.
He tried to do the same with the second, but, before he could even get close, he was blocked by an invisible force: it was the Psychic of Espeon and Umbreon. Because of this, Sylveon was hit head-on by the second Shadow Ball.
The energy of that attack was sufficient to project her against the protection net.
«Are you all right, Sylveon?» Serena's Pokémon landed on her feet, confirming to her Trainer that everything was all right.
Despite this gesture, Serena noticed how the impact with the nets had caused some wounds to her Pokémon.
«Go, use Swift!» Sylveon carried out her Trainer's order, generating a fan of pinkish stars that she hurled against the two opponents.
Espeon and Umbreon tried to defend themselves by hurling Shadow Ball, but the two spheres of dark energy collided with some of Sylveon's stars, exploding. The rest of the energy rays hit them.
«Very well, Pikachu! Let's close in style! Use Thunderbolt!»
The electric rodent generated from the pouches on his cheeks a very powerful electric discharge that hit both opponents head-on and projected them into the air.
«Sylveon! Are you ready? Use Fairy Wind!» Serena's Sylveon generated a very powerful current of air that again threw the two opponents against the net.
«Espeon and Umbreon can no longer continue! Pikachu and Sylveon win! Consequently the winners of the match are Ash and Serena!» Declared the referee.
Ash, Serena and the elderly owners of the hotel met in the middle of the battle field and shook each other's hands: «I must admit that your bond is truly strong. Perhaps more than ours»
The elderly man complimented. Serena blushed at that compliment. She knew she got along well with Ash, but that her bond with Ash was even stronger than that of a couple that had probably formed when perhaps not even their parents were born...
Her thoughts were interrupted by the applause of the audience. It had been truly a nice battle and the numerous spectators had enjoyed themselves. And this was the important thing.
After such an intense battle, hunger made itself felt. And in addition it was almost half past eight in the evening, the perfect hour to have dinner.
The crowd of people, although they were impatient to have dinner, decided to give priority to those who had battled.
After dinner, hearty at least for Ash, since Serena ate almost nothing, be it for the tension, be it for the terrible joke of the reception employee, the two, escorted by their Pokémon, reached their room and, after having watched a bit of TV, went to bed.
Ash and Pikachu fell asleep immediately, contrary to Serena.
She had lain down, but she could not manage to fall asleep. She was dangerously close to Ash. Although Ash was sleeping blissfully and was on the outermost edge of the bed, he was anyway decidedly too close and this made her feel quite uncomfortable.
Furthermore, the huge embarrassment for the situation was causing her a very strong sensation of heat that further worsened things, making it impossible for her to sleep. In the end, that night, Serena did not close an eye.
Ash, as soon as he woke up, immediately noticed his friend's bad look. «Everything all right? From your face it seems to me that you haven't slept much.»
It had happened what she feared. And now Serena had to invent a plausible excuse. Luckily for her, Ash was a simple boy who did not ask himself too many questions. «The tension for the contest didn't let me sleep. Don't worry, I'm fine.»
The response did not wait: «If you say so.»
After having gotten ready as best as they could they reached, via the elevator, the room dedicated to breakfast.
Ash, as was his habit, gorged himself with food and Pikachu did the same.
Serena, still tense, ate the bare minimum: just a croissant and a coffee, the first of a long series.
After breakfast they headed immediately to the dry cleaner to be able to pick up the dress and then took the bus to reach the arena where the contest would be held.
As soon as they arrived, Serena showed the entry receipt to the attendant and rushed towards the dressing rooms. She wanted to be impeccable, that contest was very important for her.
As soon as Serena looked at herself in the mirror she got scared. She hadn't slept and the absence of sleep had presented the bill: her face was marked by terrible dark circles. To hide them she would have to make extensive use of makeup, going against her principles; usually she opted for a light makeup or for a natural look.
While she was getting ready, she managed to drink another three coffees. Every minute that passed, the absence of sleep weighed more and more.
She only hoped that not having slept would not compromise the results of the contest.
She could no longer turn back, especially because of the great importance of the event.
Her only luck was the absence of May, she whom she considered as her greatest rival.
The Princess of Hoenn had had a small mishap and would not be able to participate: it seemed she had remained stuck in Slateport City because of a sudden strike of the ferries.
May's absence was not an excuse not to commit, even if it would make her life a bit easier.
«All male and female coordinators must report to the plenary within five minutes!»
Serena heard the loudspeaker croak and realized the very little time she had at her disposal. The Kalos native quickly finished applying her makeup, concentrating on hiding the dark circles, and on arranging her hair. She also managed to carve out the time to drink her fifth coffee of the day. The caffeine was starting to make her nervous and to make her tremble slightly, but she could do little about it. The alternative was to collapse asleep.
After the brief meeting, the Performer reached Ash.
She wore a dress designed and made personally: it was a black chiffon dress with an asymmetrical cut, with the skirt that went down almost to the ground on the left side, while on the right it remained above the knee, revealing the leg. The one-shoulder bodice delicately wrapped the torso, embellished at the waist by an emerald green silk band. Elegant black heels completed the outfit, and a pair of hanging green earrings, matched with the band.
«Well, how do I look?» Serena asked.
Ash, in that moment, was surrounded by numerous fans, but as soon as he heard the friend's voice, he signaled to the several girls surrounding him to make a bit of space.
Serena, noticing all those girls around the friend, was about to explode with jealousy.
She could not stand that strangers buzzed around her Ash.
The friend, Pikachu and Bulbasaur turned towards the Kalos native: she was simply divine.
«You are fantastic!» Ash responded to her, never stingy with compliments. The Pokémon confirmed the expert Trainer's words.
The other girls, looking at her, understood that they would never be able to compete.
A few minutes later, Serena and all the other coordinators moved away to reach the area dedicated to those who were to perform.
Serena would be the fifth to perform. Not performing among the first allowed her to have a taste of the level of her opponents.
A quite high level, despite May's absence. The high level was an excellent motivation to push her to give the best. «Serena?... Serena?» A female voice made the girl startle.
«Yes?» She asked, still concentrated on the screen, where a coordinator was greeting the audience, having just finished his performance.
«You will be the next. You'd better start getting ready.»
The Kalos native did not hesitate to respond. «Sure. I'm coming immediately.» Serena, not knowing the floor plan of the building, decided to follow the attendant. The risk of getting lost in that maze of corridors was enormous. If she hadn't followed her, in all probability she would have lost her way. Not the best way to start such an important Contest.
Serena was a bit nervous, but her nervousness was well justified by the importance of that event.
A few steps from the exit she was already beginning to hear the chants of encouragement. Serena performed the last steps that separated her from the arena.
She was surrounded by the audience on every side. On the left there was the small judge's bench composed, as per tradition, by Mr. Contesta, a gentleman of about fifty years, black hair with a gray tuft, dressed in an elegant red-colored suit, by Mr. Sukizo, a man of about forty years, short brown hair, dressed in a dark blue suit and, last but not least, by the local Nurse Joy.
As soon as she found herself in front of the audience, she greeted everyone with a gesture of her hand. Then, when she received the signal, she sent onto the field the Pokémon that would participate in the acting trial: Pancham and Bulbasaur.
Before her entry onto the stage she had called Bulbasaur back into his sphere.
The Seed Pokémon had collaborated, entering the Poké Ball despite preferring to stay out.
The sphere, as well as Pancham's, had been inserted into a semi-transparent light blue Capsule. On it Serena had applied some Seals, special stickers that, at the moment of the Pokémon's entry onto the field, would generate unique visual effects, replacing the classic flash of white light with a choreography of lights and shapes suitable for the performance.
The first to take the field was Pancham, who emerged in a triumph of electric discharges generated by the Lightning Seals that coated his capsule. Immediately after it was Bulbasaur's turn: his entry was accompanied by a rain of petals created by the Flora Seals, which the Seed Pokémon elegantly dispersed with a rapid move of Vine Whip, transforming his entrance into a dance.
Now that the two Pokémon had landed, it was the moment to get serious.
«Let's begin! Pancham! Use Stone Edge! You, Bulbasaur, absorb the Energy Ball and then go with Solar Beam!»
While Bulbasaur began to generate in front of his mouth a sphere of energy of an intense green color to then incorporate it and power himself up, Pancham hit the ground with violence. Immediately, gigantic pillars of rock, wrapped in a blue glow, sprouted from the floor.
The harmony between the two was perfect: without need for further orders, while Bulbasaur was charging the move, Pancham began to scale the stones just created with incredible agility. One somersault after another, he reached the top of the highest pillar.
In the meantime, Bulbasaur had completed the absorption of the Energy Ball: his bulb shone with a dazzling light. He was charged. «Now! Pancham! Use Dark Pulse on the Solar Beam! You, Bulbasaur! Launch an Energy Ball upward, then hit the stones with Vine Whip!» From the top of the rock, Pancham released from his upper limbs a series of rings of dark and violet energy.
At the same instant, Bulbasaur released the Solar Beam. The Dark Pulse wrapped the ray of golden light, creating a magnificent bicolored spiral that recalled the structure of a double helix.
The fusion lasted only an instant: Bulbasaur launched a second Energy Ball right into the heart of the spiral. The clash between the three energies generated a spectacular explosion, making violet, green and golden sparks rain over the whole stage. Only the grand finale was missing. With perfect timing, Bulbasaur used Vine Whip to shatter the base of the Stone Edge. The rocks crumbled into a shimmering dust and Pancham, exploiting the fall, landed in a perfect plastic pose, surrounded by the blue dust of the stones that was descending like snow.
«Truly remarkable!» Commented Mr. Sukizo laconically.
«You were truly fantastic, you expressed your skills to the maximum» Added Mr. Contesta.
«Two small Pokémon truly full of energy, who delighted us with their great skill!» Concluded Nurse Joy. Despite the positive judgments from the entire jury, Serena was quite nervous. She was aware of the excellent work carried out by the Pokémon, but she could not be certain of the passage to the next phase, at least until the official announcement.
The Kalos native was sitting in the waiting room and observing the performances of the last rivals.
«And now, after Francesca's performance, we announce the eight coordinators who will access the phase of the battle contests!»
Little by little, the images of the finalists' faces appeared on the screen. Serena was the sixth.
Once the presentation of the finalists was finished, an animation appeared on the screen showing the creation of the pairings for the following phase.
Her first opponent would be precisely Francesca, the last coordinator to have performed.
She was a girl about a couple of years younger than her; she had very light blonde hair, almost white, very pale skin and blue eyes. She wore a dark dress that made her seem even paler.
Judging by her performance it was quite probable that that, for Francesca, was one of the first contests, if not the first.
The girl, during the acting trial, had used a Midday Form Lycanroc and a Furfrou with the Dame Trim. The Pokémon's hairstyle recalled a sort of lady's hat and under the hat sprouted some braids.
By regulation, during the battle contest round, the coordinators would have to deploy the same Pokémon with which they had performed during the performance round.
When it was their turn, Serena and Francesca looked each other in the eyes and smiled at each other.
Francesca knew her opponent: she had seen her perform in the Hoenn, Johto and Sinnoh contests. She knew very well that Serena was an extremely expert coordinator. And she also knew the result that she had obtained as a Performer. Serena had come close to being Kalos Queen, losing in the final against Aria, the reigning Queen. She knew she could not beat her, but having against her an opponent of that level was the best way to accumulate experience. They were only waiting for the signal.
Which arrived almost immediately.
«We'll start! Furfrou, use Sand Attack! Lycanroc, use Scary Face!»
From the ground, the Poodle Pokémon raised a dense cloud of dust and debris. At the same instant, Lycanroc projected the dark energy of its Scary Face against the moving sand. The combination was frightening: the dust took shape, modeling itself into a sort of gigantic sand monster with demonic eyes that loomed against Serena's Pokémon.
The score of the Kalos native dropped visibly because of the theatrical impact of the attack. Despite this, Serena remained imperturbable. She knew perfectly how to respond to that threat.
«Bulbasaur! Use Energy Ball to disperse that sand! Pancham, create a defense with Stone Edge!»
Bulbasaur launched from his mouth a sphere of emerald green energy that went to crash right in the center of the sand «monster», making it explode into a harmless rain of grains and canceling Francesca's theatrical effect. Simultaneously, Pancham hit the ground with a punch, making a barrier of rock pillars with a blue glow rise around him.
Francesca did not let herself be intimidated. «Lycanroc! You use Stone Edge too!»
The Wolf imitated the opponent: he hit the ground with his front limbs and generated in turn a series of sharp boulders that went to collide with those of Pancham at mid-field.
The impact generated an explosion of blue sparks and rock fragments that rained like confetti, costing both coordinators points in equal measure.
It was the moment to raise the level. «Bulbasaur! Absorb the Energy Ball and then go with Solar Beam! Pancham, keep yourself ready!»
Bulbasaur launched a sphere of energy upwards, to then take a leap and incorporate it. His body, and in particular the bulb on his back, began to shine with an intense greenish light: he had accumulated enough energy to launch his most powerful attack without having to wait for the solar charging.
A devastating beam of light started from the bulb, directed towards Furfrou. «Go! Defend yourself with Charge Beam!» Shouted Francesca.
Furfrou made his fur stand up and released a crackling beam of golden electricity that intercepted the Solar Beam.
The two attacks collided in a roar, illuminating the arena.
Francesca still preserved a slight advantage in points, and decided to exploit that moment of chaos to settle the score. «Lycanroc, use Accelerock! Go around the Stone Edge and hit!»
Serena smiled. It was exactly what she was waiting for. «Pancham! Now! Arm Thrust!»
Lycanroc dashed at an impressive speed, transforming into a brown trail that bypassed the rocks remaining on the field.
But, just while he was about to hit, Pancham emerged from behind one of the rock pillars that he had used as cover. The Playful Pokémon surprised the Wolf in full run, hitting him with a barrage of open-handed slaps.
The force of the impact, joined with the speed of Lycanroc itself, threw the opponent into the air.
«Now, Bulbasaur! Energy Ball!»
With the target defenseless in mid-air, Bulbasaur did not miss. The sphere of energy hit Lycanroc full in the chest, sending him to the floor amidst a cloud of dust.
Silence fell in the arena for an instant, broken only by the judge's voice.
«Lycanroc is no longer able to battle. The winner of the contest is Serena!»
The screen showed Serena's photo full-field. The two girls met at the center of the arena, calling back their Pokémon, and shook hands sportingly.
«You were very good!» Francesca congratulated, with her breath still short from the emotion.
«You too. It was truly a nice battle.» Responded Serena with sweetness. «You have talent to spare. I am sure you will have a great future in Contests.»
Francesca blushed slightly, extremely happy for the compliment. Receiving those words from a coordinator she admired so much filled her with pride and erased the bitterness of the defeat.
The two coordinators cleared the field to allow the other matches to take place.
At the end of the quarter-finals, from the eight that they were, the participants remained four. Serena observed her potential opponents with attention: they were a girl and two boys, all determined to take home the Saffron Ribbon.
Her opponent for the semi-final would be a boy named Ryo. His appearance was singular for a Pokémon Contest: he had black hair cut into an impeccable crew cut and wore an anthracite gray suit with a starched white shirt and a blue tie.
More than a coordinator, he seemed a young sales agent ready for an important business meeting.
Even his Pokémon reflected that almost robotic precision: Ryo had performed with a Porygon2 and a Magneton. Their strategy was based on precise calculations and coordinated electromagnetic attacks, but it lacked that creativity and elegance necessary to truly impress the judges.
For Serena it was not difficult to find a flaw in that so rigid tactic. She had on her side the agility of Pancham and the versatility of Bulbasaur's vines. The natural skills of the two Pokémon managed to throw the coordination of Ryo's Pokémon into haywire, snatching the victory with relative ease.
Having won the ticket for the grand final, Serena allowed herself an instant to catch her breath. Her last opponent would be Elin, the girl who had dominated the match following hers, demonstrating a superfine technique.
During the brief break before the final, Serena took advantage of it to put her dress back in order, retouch her makeup to hide the last traces of tiredness and, above all, ensure that her teammates were in perfect shape thanks to the care of Nurse Joy. When she returned to the arena, she found herself face to face with the rival.
Elin was approximately her same age and, judging by the confidence with which she moved, an experience decidedly comparable to that of the Kalos native.
Her features were delicate: lavender-colored hair that framed her face in soft waves, eyes of the same magnetic shade, a small nose and thin lips that hinted at a concentrated smile.
Her clothing reflected an innate class, sober but of impact: she wore an ivory-colored silk dress, with a slip cut that reached the knee, with three-quarter lace sleeves and a thin bronze-colored belt that marked her waist. No excessive pomp, no accessories: only pure elegance.
At her side were her trusted companions: a Vaporeon and a Flareon. Water and Fire.
A classic but lethal combination if managed with mastery. Having seen them dominate the acting trial and the previous rounds, Serena knew well how dangerous they were and how their coordination was impeccable.
The two finalists studied each other for a time that seemed infinite. The audience in the stands held its breath, sensing the electricity in the air.
The crossing of gazes ended only when the luminous scoreboard gave the green signal.
There were no surprises on who would take the field, but the challenge promised to be equally uncertain.
«Andiamo!» Shouted the two girls in unison. Four spheres opened, and the contenders took their positions. The final had started.
«Let's not waste time! Vaporeon, Shadow Ball! Flareon, show your speed with Quick Attack!» Ordered Elin, with a firm and confident voice. Vaporeon opened the dances generating a sphere of dark energy crackling with violet electricity, while Flareon dashed forward leaving a trail of light behind him.
«Let's respond in kind! Bulbasaur, intercept with Energy Ball! Pancham, raise the defense with Stone Edge!»
The two spheres of energy collided in mid-air in an explosion of violet and green sparks that illuminated the arena.
It was a magnificent sight, and the score dropped for both. But Serena had an ace up her sleeve: the blue pillars generated by Pancham did not serve only as a shield, but, emerging from the ground with violence, they hit the Flareon in its run, throwing it backward.
Elin's point bar suffered a hard hit, putting Serena in the lead.
«We're not giving up! Flareon, again Quick Attack on Bulbasaur! Vaporeon, Iron Tail on Pancham!» Elin tried to force the rhythm. Serena, however, remained motionless.
The audience held its breath: it seemed that the Kalos coordinator was paralyzed, while the opponent Pokémon were approaching dangerously. But it was a trap. «Now! Bulbasaur, grab him with Vine Whip! Pancham, use one of your throws: throw Vaporeon away!» The timing was perfect. Bulbasaur's vines snapped like snakes, wrapping around Flareon a few centimeters from impact. Simultaneously, Pancham dodged Vaporeon's tail, grabbed its end and, exploiting the opponent's momentum, hurled it with force to the other side of the field.
Serena dominated the score, but three minutes still remained until the end.
Elin, a veteran as much as she, understood that she had to change strategy. «Flareon! Overheat! Vaporeon, take advantage of it and use Ice Beam!»
Flareon's body began to shine with an intense red, emanating an unbearable heat.
Bulbasaur clenched his teeth, trying to maintain the grip, but smoke was starting to rise from his vines.
He was literally burning.
«Pancham! Use Stone Edge around you, quickly!»
The panda erected a barrier of circular rock just in time to intercept Vaporeon's freezing beam.
The rocks were instantly covered with a thick layer of ice.
Bulbasaur, intanto, was forced to let go of the grip with a cry of pain. Flareon fell to the ground, free but panting.
«Let's exploit their attack! Pancham, launch the frozen boulders with Arm Thrust!»
With a series of rapid palm strikes, Pancham shattered his own defense and hurled a rain of rock and ice debris towards Elin.
A beautiful move that made the stage shine, taking other points from the opponent.
Serena felt the victory in her grasp. Only one minute remained.
«Vaporeon! Send everything back to the sender with Iron Tail! Flareon, maximum power: Flare Blitz!»
Vaporeon moved with the elegance of a mermaid, using its metallic tail like a baseball bat to send the ice and rock projectiles back towards Serena's Pokémon.
Flareon, wrapped in a cloak of bluish flames, charged head-down.
«Bulbasaur! Stop him with Take Down!»
It was a total gamble. The two Pokémon collided at the center of the field in a deafening roar.
The explosion raised a cloud of black smoke. «NO!» Shouted the two girls in unison.
When the smoke cleared, both Flareon and Bulbasaur were on the ground, unconscious.
«Flareon and Bulbasaur are no longer able to continue!» Thundered Mr. Sukizo. «By regulation, since it is not possible to establish who went out of combat first, the clash becomes a one-on-one! Two extra minutes will be added to the timer!»
The crowd went into delirium. The scoreboard marked the new time: 02:30. All to be redone. The points were almost even.
«Pancham! We'll close this! Arm Thrust!»
The Playful Pokémon set off for the charge, his glowing fists ready to hit.
Elin smiled. She had noticed a detail. «Vaporeon, aim at Pancham's hands! Ice Beam!»
She did not aim at the body. The blue beam hit with surgical precision Pancham's hands just while he was about to deliver the blow.
The ice blocked the panda's fists, unbalancing him completely because of the sudden weight.
Pancham tripped, falling ruinously to the ground and shattering the ice, but remaining stunned by the impact.
Serena saw her point bar plummet until reaching Elin's.
«Vaporeon! Finish him! Iron Tail!» The Bubble Jet Pokémon dashed and, with a fluid and lethal movement, brought down the steel tail on the panda still on the ground.
«NO! PANCHAM!»
The impact was decisive. The last portion of Serena's point bar vanished into thin air along with the dust raised by the blow.
«Time is up! The coordinator Elin wins, who is awarded the Saffron City Ribbon!»
Despite the burning defeat, Serena approached her opponent and congratulated her for the results of the contest.
The Kalos native's face began to be streaked with tears. Not so much for the defeat or for the promise that she had made, as rather for the fact of having disappointed expectations.
The girl ran straight into the dressing room to abandon the performance dress and, if possible, destroy it.
Still in tears, she finished changing. Having put on her daily clothes in a great hurry, she extracted from her bag Delphox's
Poké Ball and let her out.
The Fox looked at her Trainer and could not help but notice the great sadness that pervaded her.
«Yes. I lost. Now destroy it!» Serena held the dress hanging on the hanger keeping it well distant from her body with her arm outstretched, while she kept her gaze directed toward the opposite side.
Delphox lit her branch as if it were a torch, but did not move an inch. The flame wavered and illuminated the room with a warm and flickering light.
«Come on. Go ahead! I am your Trainer... I know what...»
Delphox did not move. That gesture reminded her so much of the day in which the Performer lost her first Showcase. Then she was still a little Fennekin: that time, her Trainer was so disappointed with herself and with her error with those ribbons, as to carry out a symbolic, but most courageous gesture. She had decided to make a clean cut to her hair.
Now she wanted to do the same with that dress. It was the symbol of failure. Of an error of judgment of hers that had led her to the defeat. The reluctance of the Pokémon in carrying out that gesture, apparently symbolic and powerful, made Serena reflect.
«Is it truly like when I lost that Showcase?» She asked herself.
«If I asked Delphox to burn this dress what would change?» She thought shortly after.
«I certainly can't blame the dress if I lost. It's only my fault!»
«Are you saying that if I lost it's not the dress's fault?» Delphox extinguished the flame on the stick and handed it to her Trainer.
«You are right. We had sworn, with Pancham and Sylveon, that we would have won the Master Class Showcase. But we did not succeed. And yet, you did not want to abandon it. Perhaps this is what you want to tell me?»
The fire fox made a sign of approval.
«You are right!» Said she, without stopping to cry.
«I will become Unova Queen… and… when I challenge the Queen I will do it with this dress. But I will be able to do it on… only if you and the others are with me!»
Delphox approached and, with a sweet smile, wrapped Serena in a warm hug, promising her silently her unconditional support. Serena called back Delphox into the Poké Ball and reunited with Ash and Pikachu.
«Here... Bulbasaur was magnificent.» She handed him the sphere of the Seed Pokémon, who in the meantime had completely recovered.
Serena lowered her gaze, clenching her fists. «It is I who was not up to his level. I did not manage to make him shine as he would have deserved.»
Ash, sorry in seeing her so dejected, tried to hearten her in his own way, without however weighing his words well: «But come on! You were fantastic, really. And then, it doesn't matter how it went. After all it is only a Contest, it is not the en...»
Serena interrupted him abruptly with a sharp gesture of her hand. The "only a contest" had been the worst thing he could say.
«Did you forget it? Really?» Her voice trembled slightly.
«What had we told each other before leaving for Saffron City?»
Ash and Pikachu exchanged an interrogative look, scratching their heads with the same identical perplexed expression.
«Eh? Regarding what?»
Serena stared at him, incredulous. «What do you mean "regarding what"?»
On the girl's face was painted a mixture of burning disappointment and anger.
Ash, perceiving the danger, tried to save himself in corner. «Come on... Give me at least a clue!»
That was the straw that broke the camel's back.
«All right then! If for you it was "only a contest" and you don't even remember our promise, then it means that to Unova you will go alone! I will stay here to continue with the Contests!»
Serena turned suddenly and walked away at a brisk pace along the corridor, leaving Ash petrified.
The boy felt the ground missing under his feet. Unova... alone? Panic assailed him.
It was not so much for the journey itself, as for the mission that awaited him.
How would he manage to help that girl without Serena? He was a direct type, impulsive, at times clumsy; he did not have the sensitivity necessary to manage a delicate situation like the one that was presenting itself. Without Serena's empathy and sweetness acting as his shoulder, it would have been an announced disaster.
And, worst thing, Serena was truly moving away. She emanated nervousness and disappointment from every pore. Ash swallowed and dashed forward. He could not let her go away like that. He had to make amends, and immediately, or his journey to Unova would end even before starting.
Having come out of the bustle of the arena, Serena searched for a quiet corner behind the building. She looked around furtively. «Clear way!» She whispered.
She took Sylveon's Poké Ball and let her out. In that moment, she desperately needed the empathy of her Intertwining Pokémon to put order in the chaos she had in her head.
As soon as she materialized, Sylveon lost no time: she delicately wrapped her ribbons around her Trainer's arm. Her feelers vibrated, catching instantly the girl's emotional tumult: disappointment, bitterness, but also a strange form of relief. «See? I had promised Ash that I would have gone to Unova with him if I hadn't won the Saffron City contest... but apparently he has completely forgotten it! As if nothing mattered to him of me or of my decisions!»
Sylveon tilted her head and looked at her Trainer with her large blue eyes.
Her gaze was eloquent. Serena sighed, lowering her defenses. «Yes... perhaps it is true. He is like that. He is a big simpleton who thinks only of battles and food. He forgets things, he doesn't do it with malice.»
Sylveon tightened the ribbons a bit more, sending her a reassuring wave of warmth.
«You are right. You truly know how I feel. I can lie to people, I can lie even to myself... but not to you.»
The Pokémon pulled the girl slightly towards herself, inviting her to spill the beans. «I really must tell you... I understood an important thing today. After all, I have never lived this Contest as a matter of life or death.»
Ash, who had followed her worried and had hidden behind the corner of the alley, had to bite his tongue not to yell. "But what is she saying? What does she mean that it didn't matter to her? But she was crying until a minute ago!" He asked himself, confused, trying not to make the minimum noise.
Serena, unaware of the presence of the friend, continued to confide in Sylveon. «Or at least, it has been like this since I saw Francesca. I saw myself so much in her. She reminded me of myself at the beginning of my journey, when I was attempting the climb to the Kalos Showcases. I saw in her eyes the same pure enthusiasm, the same desire to shine on the stage... I don't know if you understand me. But this must remain a secret between us girls, understood?» Sylveon made a small sign of approval and loosened the grip of the ribbons, returning to move them with her usual ethereal grace. «Good. Now there remains nothing for me but to find the courage to notify Ash and tell him that...»
Serena took the Smart Rotom from the bag and composed the number of the friend, decided to close the matter.
"PA! PA PAM NIAOOO!" A familiar ringtone broke the silence of the alley.
And it came from three meters behind her. Serena turned suddenly and saw Ash, in total panic, who was answering the phone by unconditioned reflex. «Hey, hello! Everyth...»
«But how did you allow yourself to stalk me?!» The Kalos native put down the call and approached with big steps towards the friend, with her hands on her hips and a menacing air.
«Truly, here I... I only wanted...» Stammered Ash, backing away.
Serena arrived in front of him and, instead of yelling, she touched the tip of his nose with her index finger.
«Don't tell lies. I notice it immediately!» She told him, and a diverted smile finally illuminated her face.
Ash took a sigh of relief. «I had worried for you. I saw you run away after what happened and I wanted to make sure that you were okay.»
The girl remained in silence for a few instants, looking him in the eyes.
«Ok. You did not tell a lie. I did.»
Ash widened his eyes. He had heard part of the confession, but decided to pretend nothing was happening to leave her her time.
«In what sense?»
«See... I would have come to Unova with you even if I had won the contest. Rather, perhaps I would have come there regardless.»
Serena stroked Sylveon's head. «Today I had the opportunity to compete against a girl who opened my eyes. Watching Francesca reminded me...»
Ash and Pikachu were hanging on her words, motionless.
«...It reminded me how much I loved the Showcases. Not the Battle Contests, but the pure performances. That is my path. That is what I must aim for.»
Ash managed to simulate a sufficient surprise not to let her understand having heard almost the whole conversation. Even Pikachu had to pretend to be surprised, showing off his magnificent acting skills.
Serena dragged the two to the nearby bus stop, the one that would have led them to the hotel.
Their booking, in fact, included also the lunch. After having eaten and collected the luggage, the two took one last tour of the city, before heading towards the station to take the train for Viridian City.
Once they had gotten on the bus that would have taken them to the station, between one chat and another, Ash took the Smart Rotom to get in touch with the mother and ask her for a ride home.
Noticing it with the corner of the eye, Serena stopped him. «Viridian City and Pallet Town are not then so far. What do you say if we went on foot?» The girl proposed.
Ash and Pikachu looked each other in the eyes. «Yes. It's fine. We will arrive later, but it's not a problem.»
The journey on the bus was quite short, just a dozen stops, and led them right in front of the train station.
They had already bought the tickets previously, so they would not have to go to the ticket office.
Looking on the large screen where the arrival times were reported, they understood that, if they had wanted to take the first available train, they would have had to hurry up. They took a long underpass running that would have taken them to the platform opposite to the one in which they were.
They managed to arrive just in time.
The train stopped a few moments after their arrival. The two got on board after having waited for the large number of passengers to get off, managing also to find two seats near each other.
The journey on rail was fast, interspersed only by the usual intermediate stops, until the arrival in Viridian City.
From there a nice walk until home would await them.
They would have taken advantage of that route on foot to discuss the last details before the departure: one week remained until the day in which Professor Juniper would have delivered the first Pokémon to those young Trainers. And among them there would be that mysterious Trainer.
But of their appointment with fate they would have spoken later, with Professor Oak.
They arrived at Ash's house just in time to have dinner.
Ash and Serena, rather tired from that walk, went to bed almost immediately after dinner.
The next day they would have had to get up early. They had several errands to run, not least speaking with Professor Oak. «Certainly you are really scruffy, Ash!» Commented Serena, noticing how much the friend was criminally badly dressed.
Not that Ash had ever had who knows what taste in dressing, but that morning he had surpassed himself. For the worse. He wore an old T-shirt with yellow and blue horizontal stripes, matched with some camouflage pants decidedly too wide. As a final touch, on his feet he wore some white sponge socks pulled up until the calf.
A true punch in the eye.
«For this journey you will decidedly need some new clothes… however, if you don't mind, I will help you choose. If I didn't know you so well, I would have thought that a colorblind stylist had dressed you!»
Delia laughed loudly at that joke of Serena's. Ash, on the contrary, felt bad about it.
When Ash set off for his journeys, it had always been the mother who took care of the wardrobe factor, and the results were visible.
«All right… all right, but first we must go speak with Professor Oak.» Proposed Ash, trying to change the subject.
«Excellent idea! At this hour in Unova it should be evening. Then, if we call Professor Oak's colleague now, we will have the whole day for us.» Proposed the Kalos native, stressing particularly the “for us”.
Detail that passed completely unnoticed to Ash's ears.
After having had breakfast, the two, escorted by Pikachu and Bulbasaur, reached Professor Oak's laboratory.
The professor, a morning type, was already at work.
Before entering, Ash and Serena allowed Bulbasaur to return to his duties as guardian. The Seed Pokémon headed immediately to Torterra, asking him for a detailed report of what had occurred in his absence.
While the two Grass Pokémon were conversing, Ash, Serena and Pikachu reached the entrance.
Professor Oak, as soon as he saw them from the window, opened the door, welcoming them inside the laboratory. The man smiled seeing them. «Hello guys, early birds today, eh!»
«Good morning Professor. We have passed by to confirm the decision to you.» Began Ash, becoming serious.
«I have reflected on the proposal of Professor Juniper. I have decided to accept the task: I will go to Unova to act as mentor to that new Trainer.»
Professor Oak nodded with a satisfied smile, crossing his arms over his chest.
«It pleases me very much to hear it, Ash. I knew I could count on you. It is an important responsibility, but I am certain that you will be up to it.»
Then, the researcher's gaze moved to the girl at Ash's side. «And Serena? Will she come with you?» He asked, although he already intuited the response.
«Absolutely yes. I could never let him go alone!» Responded promptly the girl, with a tone that did not admit replication. «Otherwise he would end up in trouble even before getting off the plane.» She pricked him.
«Excellent. I am sure that Anita will be happy about it.» Commented Oak, unaware of the weight of his words. «She is a very introverted girl... perhaps having a new friend, a female presence, could help her to open up much more than what Ash could do.»
Anita.
On Serena's face was painted for an instant an indecipherable expression, a mixture of surprise and sudden alarm: Ash had spoken generically of a "new Trainer" or of a "person to help", but he had never specified that it was about a girl. And what's more about a girl who needed to "open up". "So we will travel with another girl? A potential rival?" The alarm bell of jealousy rang insistently in her head, but Serena managed to silence it almost immediately thanks to a second, more lucid consideration.
"Wait a moment. Ash knew it. And among all his friends, among all the girls he met in his journeys... He did not call them. And he did not call even May, the only one I know in person. He asked me to come."
That thought was sufficient to make the smile return to her. If Ash had chosen her as companion to manage this "Anita", it meant that her place at the side of the Champion was special.
«However, now...» The professor interrupted Serena's thoughts. «It will be better that I put you in touch with Juniper, so that you can communicate the good news to her.»
The researcher immediately put himself in contact with his colleague. He opened the program on the computer and started the video call.
Professor Juniper answered after a few moments.
Compared to the first time that they had heard from each other regarding the matter it was much earlier, so the woman did not think of an emergency or something of the sort.
«Good morning, Samuel!» The Professor greeted her colleague cordially, who responded just as cordially. «I imagine that if you called me there is news.»
The professor signaled yes with his head. «Big news Aurea, but I would like them to give it to you. I hope that it is not a problem if I pass you directly the protagonists of this story.» Samuel moved to the side, leaving space for the two youngsters in front of the webcam. «Hello Professor!» Began Ash with his usual enthusiasm.
«Ash! What a pleasure to see you again. From your cheerful face I deduce that you have made a decision.»
«Exactly! I have decided to accept. I will come to Unova.» Ash made a brief pause, resting a hand on the shoulder of his friend. «And I will not come alone. She will come with me. I hope it is not a problem!»
Serena made a small polite bow towards the camera, slightly excited. «It is an honor to meet you, Professor Juniper. I am...»
The woman on the other side of the screen widened her eyes slightly, broadening the smile and anticipating her. «Oh, but there is no need for introductions! You are Serena Gabena, am I right? I followed the broadcast of the final of the Kalos Master Class, if I am not mistaken you were in the final, a couple of years ago. You were exceptional, truly moving! And if my sources are not mistaken, lately you have made a lot of talk about yourself in the Pokémon Contest circuit as well.»
Serena blushed visibly, flattered and surprised by the fact that a famous researcher from such a distant region knew her path. «Yes... here... it's really me. I thank you very much, you are very kind.»
«Don't mention it!» Responded the Professor, before becoming serious again. «But enough chatter. Since your departure is confirmed, I will buy the tickets for you. As soon as they are ready, I will send them to you. Don't worry. I will come to pick you up personally in Castelia City.»
Ash and Serena looked at each other in the eyes. «Perfect. We will be happy to help you. Although I would have a question to ask you.» Ash returned to look into the camera.
«Tell me everything.» Asked the scholar.
«I hope it is not a problem if Serena participates in Showcases.»
The woman smiled. «No problem. On the contrary. I will do my best to follow them and support her.» She turned in Ash's direction. «After all, also becoming the Unova Queen is a goal.» Added she.
A girl's voice off-screen surprised those present. «Unova Queen?» The professor turned. «Bianca! Does this seem like the way?» From the screen, Ash, Serena, Pikachu and the professor saw a girl appear with blonde hair styled in a funny way, large green eyes and fair complexion. She wore red glasses. She was dressed in a laboratory coat similar to that of the professor, which covered an orange t-shirt. «Hey! But that is a Pikachu! I had never seen one that wasn't in a photograph! I can't wait to mess it up with cuddles!» Shouted the girl with dreamy eyes.
Pikachu, in response, began to emit electric discharges from his cheeks.
«Calm down, buddy! I know you don't like people who are too intrusive.» Ash tried to calm his friend.
«Hey! But I am not intrusive!» Complained the girl, ignoring Pikachu's sixth sense.
«Forgive her... she is Bianca, my assistant. She is a very good girl, but she is very enthusiastic.» The professor apologized, glaring at the youngster. «Well. Now that I am sure of your presence, I will tell Anita. I believe she will be happy about it. Now however excuse me, but I have a small commitment and I must leave you, see you soon!» Professor Juniper took her leave.
«Goodbye!» They greeted her in turn.
Shortly after Ash and Serena also took their leave of Professor Oak.
They had errands to run, first of all the renewal of Ash's wardrobe. Having left the laboratory, they headed towards a bus stop, the only public transport service present in the small residential center.
Their destination was Celadon City, a city known for its colossal department store, the largest in all the Region, as well as for being the home of Erika's Grass-type Gym.
According to the schedules posted on the chart, the bus directed to Celadon City should have arrived in about ten minutes.
Serena's plan was simple: spend the whole day with Ash and return only late in the evening, with the last bus, the one at eight in the evening.
The bus arrived with the typical local punctuality. It was a COVI INTERCITY 12H. The front was similar to the one they had gotten on in Saffron City, but it was decidedly higher.
The lower part of the vehicle was occupied by the compartments for the luggage, while the upper part was dedicated to passenger transport. The bus was brand new. It had a very dark blue livery, on the sides it had some red and the company logo was in white. The windows were tinted, guaranteeing the privacy of the passengers.
The driver stopped the vehicle and opened the door, allowing the two to get on board.
Inside, the bus smelled like new. The seats had the side bolsters and the rear part in faux leather and the seat in durable blue fabric. On the aisle-side seats there was a yellow plastic handle.
Ash had Serena sit in the window seat, then he sat next to her.
Serena felt a slight embarrassment, despite there being nothing wrong with Ash's gesture. The boy had simply sat next to her. It was not the first time that it happened.
Pikachu, sensing the friend's feelings, lowered the armrest between the two seats with a small movement of his tail, without Ash noticing. Serena, to thank him for having created the small anti-embarrassment shield, gave him a delicate caress on the head.
The vehicle set in motion and left for Celadon City. The journey, which lasted an hour and a half, was comfortable and silent, interspersed only by the regular stops in the residential centers encountered along the route, until their destination: the Celadon Department Store, which had a dedicated stop.
The Celadon Department Store stood out in front of them like a modern giant of steel and glass, with its imposing automatic doors that swallowed and spat out a continuous flow of people.
The building was organized in an almost scientific way: the ground floor was the reign of the grocery stores, followed by technology and the stores dedicated to Pokémon. Going up one found the accessories for Contests, then the departments for footwear and clothing, divided by gender, until arriving at the last level, the paradise of restaurants.
Had it been for Ash, they would have rushed directly to the last one to fill their stomachs, but Serena had a precise mission. Ignoring her friend's silent protests, she dragged him towards the elevator, pressing with decision the fifth-floor button. In the Performer's head, Ash's restyling had to start from the foundations: the look is redone from the bottom up. «We start from the shoes!» Sentenced she.
After dozens of attempts and various stores, between huffs and interminable trials, Serena managed to find two pairs that
satisfied her aesthetic taste and Ash's request for comfort. The first pair was sporty, in tones of blue and gray, perfect for traveling; the second, in tones of black, was decidedly more elegant, but sufficiently soft not to make the boy complain.
With Ash already forced to act as a porter with the first boxes, they went up to the floors dedicated to men's clothing. As soon as they entered the first store, Ash's instinct led him to veer towards sportswear, but Serena was quick to intercept him and to drag him towards more casual-chic departments.
«No way, Ash. You must stop dressing as if you were going to the gym!»
It was a tour de force. Serena forced him to try on and buy everything: several pairs of jeans, from ripped ones for a jaunty look to models with a cleaner cut; elegant pants to match with the black shoes; a supply of t-shirts, discarding those with childish prints and, a true novelty for the boy's wardrobe, shirts and structured jackets. There were obviously no lack of belts, underwear and swimsuits, in addition to a selection of hats that went from classic caps to more mature models.
Ash felt like a Magikarp out of water with those formal clothes, but Serena was immovable: «You are almost nineteen years old, Ash. It is time to start dressing like a young adult, not like a little boy.»
Serena was already planning the next stop towards the women's departments, when a sudden roar interrupted her thoughts.
It was not thunder, but Ash's stomach.
«Did we really take so much time to choose that stuff? Is it already lunchtime?» The girl asked herself, checking the time.
The friend's stomach was more precise than any clock.
Nothing to be done, the stop on the last floor was mandatory. Among the many options, they chose a typical Alolan restaurant. Ash, accustomed to the cuisine of that tropical region, transformed into a severe but satisfied judge, while for Serena it was a delicious first experience with those exotic flavors.
Once the hearty lunch was finished, while Ash relaxed on his chair, Serena's gaze lit up with a new light. She had fixed her "knight", now it was her turn: after all, she too would have to be always impeccable at his side.
The second part of the shopping was decidedly faster and more efficient, the girl had in mind what to buy. She started from the shoes: she chose a pair of brown leather boots similar to her favorites, some pink and black sports shoes for long walks, a pair of medium heels, sober and elegant, and some comfortable sandals, in the eventuality that the stay in Unova was to be prolonged towards the hot season.
Passing to the clothing, the shopping cart filled up quickly: skirts of different lengths, skinny jeans, short pants, in addition to a variety of tops, blouses and shirts. Serena wanted to buy also a couple of elegant dresses. They were not performance clothes, but dresses for eventual dinners or formal events.
To conclude, she treated herself to a new spacious and fashionable bag, and forced Ash to replace his old worn-out backpack with a new one, also matching it with a more practical pouch.
When they exited the department store, the sun had by now set. Loaded with bags and packages, they waited for the eight o'clock bus. After having loaded their purchases into the belly of the vehicle, they got on board.
The return journey was silent and quiet; Ash collapsed almost immediately, exhausted by that fashion marathon, while Serena smiled satisfied, observing the nocturnal landscape through the tinted window.
The day of departure arrived rapidly.
Ash and Serena had prepared their suitcases the evening before. But, for the host, the luggage was not the only concern. He also had to decide which Pokémon to take with him.
He had promised his Pokémon that, during the journey it would be everyone's turn, but choosing who would accompany him right at the beginning, was a hard choice.
After careful reflections he decided to take with him, besides naturally Pikachu, also Gengar, Infernape, Noivern and Lucario.
Delia took care personally of accompanying the two as far as the Saffron City international airport with her car.
Their flight was scheduled for eight in the morning, a time that had forced them to an early wake-up before dawn.
Being a long-range intercontinental flight directed to Unova, the security procedures were extremely rigid.
They arrived at the departures terminal three hours before takeoff, as advised. The airport was already bustling with life despite the hour. The first stop was the check-in: they handed the heavy suitcases to the conveyor belt, seeing them disappear behind the black rubber curtains, directed to the hold. Then came the moment of security checks. They had to place backpacks, belts, Smart Rotoms and even the Poké Balls in the appropriate plastic trays to make them pass under the X-rays, while they crossed the metal detector. Pikachu, as always, did not much like having to pass through the scanner, but Serena managed to calm him with a caress.
Once the checks were passed, the moment of farewells arrived, right before the gate area. Delia looked at her son, by now a young man dressed in an "impeccable" way, and her eyes moistened slightly.
«Please, Ash. Eat regularly and change your underw...»
«Mom! Not here!» Ash interrupted her, blushing, while Serena giggled to herself.
Delia smiled and hugged her son tight, then held Serena to herself too. «Take care of each other. And Serena... keep an eye on that blockhead for me.»
«Don't worry, Mrs. Ketchum. He is in good hands.»
Once having said goodbye to Delia, the two reached Gate 12. In front of them, beyond the enormous panoramic windows, towered the vehicle that would take them across the ocean. The Unova Airlines plane. An AMON QF600: a colossus of the skies with two floors, pushed by four enormous engines hanging under the mammoth wings. So enormous that their tips were folded, to allow it to transit along the taxiways without damage.
The livery was elegant: the fuselage was of a brilliant pearly white, while the tail was night blue, decorated with a stylized
red and white star. A thin red line ran along the whole side, separating the two floors of the plane.
«It's gigantic...» Ash murmured.
«Yeah. Thirteen hours of flight await us.» Serena commented checking the ticket. «But the funny thing is the time zone. We leave at eight in the morning and, thanks to the fact that we will fly "backwards in time" relative to the sun, we will land in Castelia City... at eight in the morning of today itself!»
Ash looked at her confused for a moment, then shrugged his shoulders smiling. «In practice we will live this morning twice? Fantastic, double breakfast!»
Professor Juniper had been decidedly generous: she had booked for them two tickets in Business Class.
As soon as they got on the upper deck of the AMON QF600, the two youngsters found themselves immersed in a muffled and elegant atmosphere, light years away from the chaos of departures. The environment was illuminated by soft LED lights, which faded from blue to amber, designed to reduce the stress of the journey.
Their seats were situated in the same row, but only one of the two offered the outside view. Ash, with his usual, instinctive chivalry, did not think twice and insisted that it be Serena to settle in the window side to enjoy the panorama of the takeoff.
Serena looked around, admired. Those were not simple seats, but true armchairs in cream-colored leather of the highest quality. Each station was equipped with a twenty-inch high-definition touch-screen, noise-canceling headphones, power outlets, USB ports, and a large compartment to store shoes, given that the passengers were provided with comfortable courtesy slippers.
The detail that most struck Serena was the structure that separated her seat from that of Ash. It was not a simple thin armrest, typical of economy class, where one inevitably ends up brushing elbows. Between them there was a wide fixed central console, almost thirty centimeters wide. That «barrier» housed the pull-out burl wood table, a compartment for drinks and, above all, a control panel full of backlit buttons.
"Perfect!" Thought Serena, taking an internal sigh of relief. "A bomb-proof anti-embarrassment barrier." That partition was sufficiently wide to prevent accidental contacts, hands that brush each other by mistake or shoulders that touch while sleeping.
In theory.
«Hey, Serena, look here!» Exclaimed Ash, enthusiastic as a child in a toy store, starting to press the buttons on his console. «It says "Invigorating Massage"! And look, if I press this button, the seat becomes a bed!» While Ash's seat began to vibrate rhythmically and to extend, Pikachu climbed right onto the central console, using it as a walkway to pass from one Trainer to the other, canceling the idea of «separation» that Serena had just constructed.
The mammoth plane took a running start and took flight: despite the not indifferent size, it gained altitude rapidly and with an impressive stability. It reached the cruising altitude of thirty-six thousand feet, about eleven thousand meters, in relatively short times. Once stabilized, the signal that obliged passengers to keep their seatbelts fastened turned off with a faint ding.
After approximately two hours of flight, the first meal was served.
Despite for the biological clock of the passengers it was late morning, the staff served a rich dinner.
In Business Class the menu provided three options: The meat option consisted of a tender seared fillet, served with a reduction of dark sauce and accompanied by golden baked potatoes. The fish option, instead, provided a delicate steak, steamed and served on a bed of crunchy seasonal vegetables.
Finally, the vegetarian option was available: a rich cream of pumpkin and carrot soup garnished with crunchy croutons and toasted seeds, followed by a vegetable flan.
Ash, hungry as always, opted without hesitation for the meat, devouring everything with gusto. Serena chose the fish, finding it a lighter option suitable for such a long journey. Everything was concluded by a small spoon dessert and by drinks of choice.
The company's strategy followed the standard procedure to reduce jet-lag, and align immediately to the time zone of Unova, where at that moment it was nine in the evening. After Ash, Serena and their Pokémon had eaten, they spent the following hour fantasizing about how their journey in Unova would be.
At a certain point, the cabin lights lowered gradually, simulating an artificial sunset. The cabin staff passed through the aisles accompanied by some Grass-type Pokémon. Thanks to their Sleep Powder dosed with mastery, they diffused in the air a relaxing aromatherapy conceived to induce a deep and natural sleep.
The effect was almost immediate. The passengers collapsed one after the other.
Pikachu, perhaps out of survival instinct or simple habit of battles, held his breath as soon as he saw the shimmering powder hovering, managing to remain awake.
Sitting comfortably on Serena's legs, the Mouse Pokémon observed the scene that was presenting itself before his eyes. The armchairs had been reclined, but not completely.
Overcome by the induced sleep, Serena's head slipped slowly towards the left, resting on the edge of the central console. Ash, in the same way, slipped towards the right. Suddenly, that «anti-embarrassment» partition that Serena had so much praised did not seem then so wide.
Their heads ended up meeting right in the center of the barrier. Their foreheads touched delicately, their breaths synchronized. The contact was inevitable, but decidedly not unpleasant. Pikachu, who contrary to his Trainer had understood very well the dynamics between the two, stifled a giggle covering his mouth with his little paws.
He decided to enjoy that romantic scene for a bit: he would have woken them or separated them only in case of extreme necessity.
In the end, be it for a bit of soporific powder stirred by an involuntary movement of Serena, be it for boredom, also the electric rodent yielded, snuggling right in the space between the arms of the two youngsters.
After several hours of flight, the passengers woke up.
Everyone except Ash. The black-haired boy had an incredibly heavy sleep; probably not even a jackhammer would have woken him.
The heaviness of the boy's sleep gave Serena the opportunity to recover from the embarrassment.
Had she spent hours and hours so in close contact with Ash? And he had not moved? Perhaps this meant that he truly appreciates being so close to her? Whatever the reason was, she would not speak of it. If something was to happen, it would happen and that's it, without forcing. The only thing that woke Ash was the scent of the breakfast sweets. For him the scent of food was more effective than any alarm clock. After breakfast only an hour and a half of flight remained for the two, which passed with great tranquility.
The plane descended slowly and landed on the runway with grace, despite the weight of several hundred tons.
Serena extended her arm in the direction of Ash to prevent him from bolting as soon as the disembarkation procedures began.
She was aware of Ash's great enthusiasm and wanted to avoid that this led him to make one of his usual fools of himself.
Serena allowed Ash to get off only when a large part of the passengers had disembarked.
As soon as they got off the plane they were welcomed by a mixed smell of kerosene and burned rubber, anything but pleasant.
As in the other large airports, to accompany them as far as the building of the arrivals area was a white bus.
Once off the vehicle, they found themselves in front of the building dedicated to arrivals: an enormous and modern structure, made of metal and concrete, which was accessed by an electric sliding door.
Inside the gigantic hall, several conveyor belts allowed the passengers to recover their suitcases.
After a short wait, Ash and Serena were able to recover the luggage. Ash, the gentleman that he was, pulled also Serena's suitcase, much heavier and more cumbersome than his. Following the directions on the ceiling, the two managed to reach the exit.
«And so you two are Ash and Serena?» Asked a voice that the two had learned to know.
«Professor Juniper?» Asked the two in unison.
A woman with light brown hair and green eyes responded: «In person!»
Ash and Serena looked at her better: she wore a light green t-shirt and a black skirt, with some winter shoes.
«We'll chat later… I left Bianca alone in the car and I'm afraid she might do damage!»
The woman led the way for them as far as the parking lot.
Arrived at a short distance from the car, the woman extracted the keys from the bag. The sinuous shape and the red leather coating betrayed the class of the vehicle.
The professor's car was not a simple vehicle, but a true flagship. A specimen of Lumina Aegis:
a long sedan of a dark metallic gray color, characterized by soft, solemn and extremely elegant lines. It must have been for that serious color, for the particular alloy wheels with a flat design, or for the tinted rear windows that concealed the interior, but Ash remained hypnotized. In his eyes it seemed a vehicle come out of a retro science fiction movie, or from a video game with a unique style.
The design was unmistakable: the front was dominated by an imposing entirely chromed grille in the shape of a large vertical shield. This element was not only decorative, but sculpted the entire nose of the car, dividing the long engine hood and highlighting its raised central rib. At the sides of the shield, set in the bulging fenders and clearly separated from the grille, the headlights stood out: they had a particular geometric shape, rhomboidal but with rounded edges, small and technological.
The entire vehicle body was embellished by thin chrome profiles that ran along the bumpers and the sides, connecting perfectly with the rear design and giving the whole a timeless charm, a clear recall to the style of the most prestigious vintage cars, but reinterpreted in a modern key.
The enormous trunk of the car opened with the pressure of a simple button on the keys by the Professor. Without wasting time, Ash loaded the suitcases and the backpacks, then closed the tailgate.
Having done this, Ash opened the rear right door for Serena. It took him a few seconds to realize that in Unova, as in the majority of the World, the driving was on the left.
The opening of the door revealed the luxurious interiors of the car: dominated by quilted red leather, metal and mahogany. They smelled like new.
Ash waited for Serena and Pikachu to settle in, then closed the door and settled on the other side.
After Serena had settled in, Ash sat down in turn.
In the meantime, Professor Juniper got into the driver's seat and turned on the engine. Or at least, Ash's eyes noticed the woman's hand press a button next to the steering wheel.
The sound of the engine was so muffled and distant as to be almost inaudible.
The journey from Castelia City to Nuvema Town would be quite long, composed in large part by
mainly on the highway, where the qualities of a great long-distance runner of that flagship made themselves noticed indeed. It was silent and comfortable, very comfortable. The journey seemed to last barely ten minutes.
The woman, arrived in the small town of Nuvema Town, parked the car and signaled to the passengers to get off. The professor's laboratory was on the main street of the village. It was totally different from that of Professor Oak: while that of Oak was in the middle of the countryside, surrounded by a vast garden, that of Professor Juniper was a not too large building with a battle field at its side.
«I welcome you to my laboratory!» Welcomed them again.
The enormous trunk of the Lumina opened automatically with the pressure of a simple button on the remote control by the Professor.
Without wasting time, Ash loaded the suitcases and the backpacks, ensuring that everything was well settled, when the boy finished the operation, the Professor pressed the button to close the electric tailgate again.
Having loaded the luggage, Ash headed towards the rear right door to open it for Serena. It took him a few seconds of hesitation to realize that in Unova, as in the majority of the world, the steering wheel was on the left and one drove on the right lane: the exact opposite of Kanto.
The opening of the door revealed some sumptuous interiors, a traveling lounge dominated by quilted red leather of the highest quality, real mahogany inserts and magnesium details. The passenger compartment still smelled like new. Ash waited for Serena and Pikachu to settle on the rear bench, closed the door delicately and went around the car to get in from the other side. In the meantime, Professor Juniper took her place at the wheel. Ash noticed that she did not use any key: it was enough for her to press a "Start" button on the dashboard to give life to the vehicle. The engine started, but the sound was so muffled and distant as to result almost inaudible inside the soundproofed passenger compartment.
The journey from Castelia City to Nuvema Town would have been rather long, winding mainly along the highway. It was precisely there that the qualities of a great long-distance runner of that flagship made themselves noticed indeed: the suspensions absorbed every roughness and silence reigned supreme. Cradled by that exceptional comfort, the journey seemed to last barely ten minutes.
Having arrived in the small and quiet town of Nuvema Town, the woman parked the car and signaled to the passengers to get off.
Professor Juniper's laboratory rose on the main street of the village. It was a structure totally different from that of Professor Oak: while the Pallet Town laboratory was a rustic residence immersed in the countryside and surrounded by a vast natural garden, this was a more modern and compact building, equipped with a battle field right at its side. «I welcome you to my laboratory!» The woman welcomed them again, spreading her arms with a smile.