Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“Oh, hey, I think I found something.”

There was a loud huff that followed the statement, which meant that Bonnie definitely didn’t buy whatever Clemont said, but it didn’t stop Serena drifting closer to the scene. Ash was squinting off into the distance, trying his best to view whoever was driving that car, and Pikachu was beside him squeaking out in rage with sparking cheeks, rightfully upset that he was knocked off his favourite perch.

But Serena really didn’t have much of a role right now. She wasn’t bad, and she wasn’t the best, so she was stuck painfully in the middle waiting for something to happen to her. It’s been like that for days, to be honest: finding herself nodding along whenever Ash talked about his Gym Battles and how the Battle Chateau was going to be totally worth it, listening to Clemont as he planned out his next inventions as they made their way from town to town. She knew that she didn’t have to force her way into something, she’s learnt from that mistake, but waiting has been… well, boring so far. Nothing has been happening lately. Nothing’s happened to her, either.

She walks up to where the siblings were, catching sight of a purple box. “You see,” Clemont was saying, using his sister to stand up shakily while dusting himself off with his free hand, “That must’ve come out of that person’s car—I think there’s something there, maybe—“

Serena stepped up just a bit further ahead and crouched down right in front of the mystery in question, to maybe see what’s inside the box rather than see the box itself, and just at that moment something tumbled out of it and bumped her knees, sneezing and scattering out sparkly black-gold powder that harmlessly disappeared into the wind.

Black eyes look into her own blue ones, and her heartbeat now thudded in her ears as she instinctively raised an inviting hand in front of it. 

“Hey there,” she whispered, words hidden underneath sibling banter and Kanto shoe dust, and yet somehow, inexplicably, the creature decided to nuzzle against her palm after a seconds thought. “Okay, okay, you’re a cutie too!” And then Serena snapped her mouth shut as she suddenly noticed the weight of the rest of the group noticing her, and where she was, and what she was doing.

“That’s a Scatterbug!” Clemont said, rushing over to see the Pokémon and wincing when he noticed the powder on Serena’s clothes, powder that wasn’t doing anything, pretty but ineffective. “And considering that you’re not experiencing any pain right now, that probably means that this one is very weak at the moment, probably been for a while now. We need to get to a Pokémon Centre right now— C’mon, Ash, we got to go!”

“What’s the matter?”

“I’ll hold the computer thing for you, Serena!”

“Thanks everyone…”

All of a sudden, the air was full of movement and talking and hurrying-- hands gently pushing her forward, voices calling out to each other, a shivering Pokémon in her hands looking just as confused. Serena straightened herself up as she nodded, not really understanding the situation but at least coming to an understanding of what she should be doing now.

Take Scatterbug to the nearest Pokémon Centre. That’s easy enough, right?

(She should really be careful with what she wished for.)

Scatterbug was such a small, small thing.

Serena had it cupped in the inside of her hat, making sure to dust off her hands beforehand in case the powder did work but at a slower rate (Clemont) and being pushed to her limits to run as fast as she could (Ash), grassy lowlands blurring as the village they just left rose from the bottom of the valley. Just a little further. Just a bit more.

She may not have any long term goals right now, but she has one goal now and it’s to save Scatterbug.

There was a town they had passed through, a small village that they stopped to get some breath and restock. This was the place she was aiming for, and for once she understood why Ash loved to run so much. Running didn’t lend time to think or worry— running meant that there was an end destination in mind, from A to B, quickest path available.

Her hair may be getting tangled by the wind and her shoes may have tracked an incalculable amount of mud, but all that mattered was the Scatterbug nestled in her hands.

Flying fast and flying free and aiming true, the town’s gates opened and with some people giving her some curious looks. She disregarded them as she stopped at the nearest intersection, turning her head quickly to find any sign of the nearest Pokémon Centre. Ash almost overshoots past her, running a few meters forward before turning on his heel and shouting, “This way, Serena; we’ve checked!” and her heart drummed out to a determined tune as she followed his guide and ran by his side.

For once, not thinking about the boy next to her.

Scatterbug mumbled weakly, and she looked down at the Pokémon. “We’re close, little one!” she said, over and over, past all of the winding ways and people meandering by. Her tongue felt numb by the time the red roof was visible, and yet she didn’t stop repeating those words until they burst through the doors, Nurse Joy looking up from her desk with surprise on her face.

A Wigglytuff and a stretcher later, and it was just them two, sitting at the seats next to Scatterbug’s room.

Serena bit her lip, feeling almost lost in the awkward space. Next to Ash. Just the two of them. Her hand twitched a little as she started to reach out towards the hand that he left on the bench, his head turned to the door where Scatterbug disappeared into.

She didn’t have much, sure. But she had memories of summer in a different region with him, and those memories were happy, and she would do anything to grasp some of that joy.

Pikachu jumped off Ash’s shoulder and Ash stood up suddenly, wincing as he rubbed his head. Serena squeaked as she pulled her hand back, pretending to look at anything but him. “Can’t believe I forgot…” Ash muttered, scratching the back of his neck.

“Huh?”

He shook his head, jogging in place and glancing at the outside door before making his way there. “Don’t worry about it, just stay here in case Scatterbug is okay! I'll go to check on the others, hopefully they didn’t get lost on the way here.”

“But they have my—“ And Ash was gone. Again. Serena sighed through her nose as she looked down at her legs, wondering why her crush was always in such a rush.

Then it was just Serena and her thoughts. Serena and the Scatterbug, separated by a door, waiting for something to happen.

Maybe she should’ve gone to find Clemont and Bonnie herself. It’s not like she has anything to do here. She twisted her skirt with her balled up hands, feeling so incredibly small.

Scatterbug wasn’t her fault, she knew. But still, no matter what, she couldn’t quell that feeling of not doing enough. Where was it from? What happened to it? Will it ever be okay?

Okay, maybe the last question was a little too pessimistic. Nurse Joy was looking after the little Pokémon! Of course it would be okay.

Everything will be okay.

“You can come over to— Oh, wasn’t there somebody with you?”

Serena straightened herself up and stood to her feet, shaking her hair out and giving the Nurse Joy a large smile. “The others are coming soon, but in the meantime, I’m here. Is there anything you want to tell us?”

Nurse Joy did not return the feeling. She looked apprehensive, fiddling with her fingers as she looked at a point past Serena herself. “But I called about the boy…” The lady shook her head, before turning to Serena with a tight-lipped smile. “Well, in the meantime, I would like for you to stay in the lobby. Let me know when your friends arrive, alright?”

Her hand clenching by her side, Serena nodded. Turned away again. Not worthy again.

“Okay! Thanks again, Nurse Joy!”

The same, again.

“Oh… please… never do that again…” Clemont panted as he leaned on the side of the wall, chest heaving with every breath. Bonnie rolled her eyes as she stood over him, strangely imposing for such a young girl, and Ash laughed it off as usual.

Serena bit back a reluctant smile seeing them again. Even as her breath quickened and her heart started pumping harder, she couldn’t help but feel a little more calmer seeing them. A bit more steady. “We can take a rest here, if you like?”

Clemont shot her a grateful look, nodding slightly after his latest deep breath. “That’s… nice. Thank you, Serena.”

“Geez, bro, you’re such a lightweight!” Bonnie cried right afterwards, stomping her foot down in emphasis. “How are you even alive at this point?!”

“Because of his amazing inventions, of course?!” Ash looked so happy at the conclusion he made, and the two girls shook their heads as Clemont ducked his head down. “But seriously, we can take a break here. Might as well see how Scatterbug is doing, after all this time.”

“Yeah…” Serena felt some knots twist inside her stomach, remembering the grave look Nurse Joy gave her. Something wasn’t right. It was taking too long, the atmosphere around here too harsh.

—Of course, she never had her Pokémon hurt to such a degree, but still. There was something off about this Centre. “I’m just going to take a small walk outside in the meantime, okay?” She needed to clear her head a little.

The group waved at her as she turned around and walked out of the Pokémon Centre, holding her hat at an angle as the bright sun and strong winds embraced her. Even though it’s been a little more than a week since Serena first started her journey (and joining the group a couple of days later), she still felt so new at this. So shaky, so unready for it all. It’s so strange, feeling this way.

There are no Rhyhorn here. No expectation to be the best. As far as the others know, Serena is perfectly, completely unknowing of every possibility in front of her. A clean slate. Something just waiting for the right trigger, the right moment, the right words.

“Sca, sca, scatta!”

Such a tiny sound. It was almost impossible to hear, if one had something else to do and a place to go to.

Serena was already around the corner of the Pokémon Centre as she meandered around, her hands in her pockets as her legs led her around the circumference of the building. Somehow she must’ve been at the back of the area— she could see through the small gap in the window a stretcher and white walls. The treatment wing.

And on the windowsill, a small, determined Scatterbug trying to pull itself up.

She found herself almost running to that window, looking left and right to make sure that nobody was around. The back of the Pokémon Centre was empty, deserted; even inside the room, there were no other signs of life. It was only Scatterbug and her, a window and a strong breeze, tiny fluff ruffling as the Pokémon kept trying to mount the cliff that was the inner part of the sill.

“No, little one; you have to stay back and get your strength back,” Serena urged, cupping her fingers around it to softly push the Pokémon back up into the windowsill. Scatterbug refused, pulling its head away, chirping in annoyance, wiggling insistently.

Serena knew that this Pokémon Centre already had a problem with them. The responsible thing to do is leave Scatterbug here so there wouldn’t be any suspicions about their intentions. It’s also the safer method as well, because none of them were true medics, Serena the least of all. All logic pointed to making sure that Scatterbug stayed put inside the little room with Nurse Joy. it was so unbelievably clear what the choice should be here.

But Scatterbug didn’t want to stay here.

Scatterbug wanted to leave, for whatever reason it had in its little heart.

(And who was she to say no to that?)

She let her hand fall down, fingers still embracing the tiny Pokémon that looked up at her with something a little like surprise. Serena couldn’t… Well… “If that’s what you want,” she sighed, feeling all of the fight seep out of her. She smiled down at the Scatterbug in her hands, moving her hands away so she could squat onto the ground. “So, is this where you want to go?”

“Sca-bug!” The Scatterbug crawled onto the ground, looking left and right before its antennae drooped. Serena looked around, wondering what was wrong. Could it be that Scatterbug…

The ground shook, and Serena looked back on reflex. There was something coming, and it was loud, and Scatterbug was scared now, running a round in tight circles as it chirped in alarm.

And, well, who was Serena to not help? 

(To not scoop it up into her hands again, to try to find shelter, even though that window gaped and that room echoed pure white and antiseptic, waiting for a patient that left some time ago.)

What is Serena, if not always reaching a hand out to anyone who would take it?

Ash looked around, foot impatiently tapping on the tiled floor. Clemont was checking his tablet, and Bonnie was playing with Dedenne and Pikachu by gently bopping their noses at different intervals.

It’s been a while since Serena first left.

It’s also been a while since Scatterbug first came here.

The Kantonian shook his head, standing up from the seat that he was on and walking over to the door. Bonnie perked up at the movement, her hand falling to the couch as Pikachu ran over to where Ash was walking. “Pikapi?” 

The Trainer shrugged. “I’m just checking where Serena is. Hopefully she didn’t get lost or anything.” Before he could take any more steps, though, a big pink body got in his way. “Hey! What’s gotten into you, Wigglytuff?”

Nurse Joy’s assistant puffed up her cheeks, glaring at him with her round blue eyes. Pikachu’s own cheeks crackled with electricity, and Ash felt his stance becoming more active as a result.

“Is there something wrong?” Bonnie piped up from the back, pulling the drawstring of her pouchette over her head and tilting herself to see the confrontation as Dedenne scrambled to get inside. 

No matter how Ash bent himself, Wigglytuff somehow blocked the way. Narrowing his eyes, he put a hand out behind him and spoke to his friends. “Wait, maybe you should get—”

“Oh, Wiggly!” Quick taps on the ground echoed before the runner of the Pokémon Centre stood behind Ash, causing him to turn around and notice how she was mirroring his pose as she stared him down. Glancing behind her briefly, Nurse Joy nodded at her Pokémon before returning her attention to the boy in front of him.

Said boy opened his mouth, “Excuse me, but I—”

“I’m sorry, but I can’t let you go.” She stood firm in front of them, her Wigglytuff staring them down from behind.

His blood ran cold all of a sudden. Even now, after countless near-death and actual deaths, Ash felt a part of him wilt underneath the glare of the nurse in front of him. “What?”

“You heard me. As of now, this city is under lockdown and this Pokémon Centre especially. No one, including you, is allowed to leave until further notice.” She went to walk away, pace clipped, and Ash stared at her in befuddlement.

Once Wigglytuff passed him, totally bumping into him on purpose, Ash tried the door and gritted his teeth as he found it unresponsive. Looking over, he then called out, “What do you mean, we can’t leave?”

Nurse Joy shook her head, her face betraying a kind of anger that Ash had rarely seen in those few moments as she walked to the desk she usually sat at. “You’re the one who brought that Scatterbug, right?”

“Well, actually, my brother first found it.” It was comical having Bonnie throw her hands over the counter as she stood on her tiptoes, trying to see beyond the small wall that was a counter, but her attitude was serious as could be. “And Serena ran it here, and Ash helped her find the Pokémon Centre.”

The woman looked conflicted, turning her gaze to Clemont. He nodded, standing protectively next to his sister. “She’s right. We’ve only just come to this place for a small break before we resume our journey. We have no ill intentions at all, for people or Pokémon.”

“Wait, is that what you think?” Ash was more confused than angry at this point, even if his clenched fists and gritted teeth pointed to otherwise. “We didn’t steal the Scatterbug, if that’s what you’re saying! If you want, we can even look for its Trainer… although I’m not sure what good a Trainer that person is if it was in a cage.”

“It’s not a caught Pokémon.” She looked apprehensive in the face of them all, looking down at the three. “Just… look, can you wait? Officer Jenny will be here shortly, and then you can explain your case to her.”

“But I’m telling you that we didn’t do—” A hand laid on Ash’s shoulder, and the Kantonian turned to see Clemont gently shake his head. Ash looked down and saw his other hand intertwined with Bonnie’s, the younger girl looking a little shaky.

Pikachu rubbed his side of his face against Ash’s, a slight tinge of electricity zipping in between them.

Ash took a deep breath and shut his mouth afterwards, letting Clemont pacify the upset matron of the building and walking the group away from the front desk, towards where the general rooms were. He still felt that confused righteousness rushing through his veins, mixed with protectiveness and worry. Once they rounded the corner, he turned to Clemont, trying to control his voice to say, “But Serena is still outside.”

“I know.” They kept walking forward, watching the inventor as his glasses started to take on an unfamiliar gleam. “She’s not going to let us out just because of what you said, Ash. If I’m not mistaken, she probably thinks that you stole Scatterbug, and she has enough conviction to call Officer Jenny about it too. In any other case I would say that we should just wait it out and talk to the authorities instead, but…”

“We can’t leave her behind, can we?” Bonnie said, looking up at him. 

Clemont nodded, before turning to Ash. “I’ve got a plan, but we’ll need some free space. You’ve looked at the map, right? What do you think?”

They don’t have a room, and the cafeteria and other public places were out as well. But that’s what Nurse Joy would think, right?

“You’re not saying…” Bonnie started, looking between the two boys in front of her. “No. You’re both crazy!”

Ash merely shrugged and shared a look with Clemont, both of their mouths curling into something that could definitely be classified as worrying. “If that’s what it takes,” he said, adjusting his cap as they walked on forward.

Pikachu hopped off Ash and stayed next to Bonnie instead as the group headed deeper into the Pokémon Centre, an almost worried ‘chuu’ whispered in the stilted, bubbling silence.

In all honesty, Serena didn’t mean to wander too far or for too long.

Scatterbug was distrustful, preferring to wander around the ground on its own many feet. This meant that it was easy to lose, terrifyingly easy to accidentally step on (thank goodness it never came to that) and a little too stressful for Serena to keep track of the time it took to calm it down.

“Scatterbug, wait for me!” she called out as she found herself looking for it once again, squatting down and slowly making her way forward by one ungainly step at a time. Some stalks of grass rustled and she found herself smiling as she went closer to it, seeing Scatterbug panting as it turned towards her. She offered her hand again, quietly saying, “Come with me. I won’t hurt you, I promise.”

“Scatta?” It held a questioning expression as it sniffed her hand, looking up at her and opening its mouth so that its single tooth caught the light. “Bah?”

The ground shook again, and Serena quickly scooped up the bug and held it close as a Buneary bounced by. Scatterbug shivered against her, and she found her heart melting as she pulled her hands away from herself to look at it and give it her best reassuring smile. “It’s not safe for you to go out on your own, especially since you weren’t completely healed yet. If you let me help, you can find what you’re looking for a lot sooner. Okay?”

The Pokémon wiggled its antenna in thought, before chirping in agreement. It then started to push itself up, pointing at her hat, and she pulled it down. “Do you want— Okay, that’s pretty cute.” Scatterbug squeaked happily as it ran around the rim of her hat, looking happy, and Serena wasn’t going to take that away. “If you want, you can stay there? Alright, but make sure you don’t slip off, and warn me if anything happens."

With that settled, Serena tried to look for where the Pokémon Centre was. The sun was already reaching its zenith when they first arrived at the Centre, and now it was already going down and dropping steadily since. The forest was thick and as Serena felt around her pockets, she realised that she left her portable device with the others. Back in the Centre.

The place she is looking for.

Serena shook her head and adopted a determined face. Someone will come for her, right? And in the meantime, she can try to ascertain their location. She must’ve learnt at least a little from summer camps, videos and books.

Some time of aimless wandering, attempted climbing up trees and calming down an easily spooked Scatterbug later, there was a slight roaring sound in the distance. Serena listened in as the tiny Pokémon shivered in its place, trying to figure out whether it was coming near or coming towards them. Wait, there were other sounds as well… footsteps, coming closer… some whispering… louder motor sounds…

Then a hand shot out from the closest tree right onto her shoulder.

Serena jumped but the hand holding her shoulder was steady, pulling her down before the loud sound of a motorbike drove by them. She turned around to see Ash close by, looking over his other shoulder to check around before sticking up a thumbs up at the trees on the other side of the path, where both Clemont and Bonnie came out.

Her heartbeat thudded in her ears so loudly she could barely hear her next words. “Guys…”

“It’s good to see you too, Serena!” Ash gave her a lopside smile, taking his hand away as he rose to his feet and dusted himself off. The others came around, looking similarly dirty (and in Clemont’s case, winded) as they warily looked around them.

The Kantonian was so bright in front of her as he offered a hand towards her and she took it, her fingers wrapping around his and their heartbeat matching beat for beat until— “And how is Scatterbug? Still with you?”

Serena let out an embarrassing squeak as said Pokémon crawled around the rim of her hat to take a look at the newcomers, chirping happily when it recognised their faces. Ash took his hand out of Serena’s as he went to pat Scatterbug on the head with a finger, beaming at it. “Aww, you’re doing great, aren’t you? You’re lucky to have Serena look after you like that.”

“Both of you should limit your contact with Scatterbug,” Clemont called as he freed his leg from a bush he stepped into. Shaking his shoe, he then approached them, adjusting his glasses as he peered at the Pokémon who curled up at the focus. “Hmm, looks like Scatterbug doesn’t like attention.”

“Or maybe it doesn’t like you!” Bonnie was grinning as she popped up beside her brother, waving towards the Bug Type. “Isn’t that right? Big, scary Clemont’s no fun to be around, isn’t it?”

Ash laughed and the air felt lighter for it, even though Clemont was sputtering and Bonnie was grinning and Serena felt full, too full at this moment. Finally maneuvering her tongue to a speaking position, she said, “I think we should help find Scatterbug’s home.”

The air fell to sudden silence.

Serena steeled herself as she took down her hat, watching the tiny Pokémon on it. It pasted on a determined face and squeaked loudly, seemingly agreeing with what she said. Looking over at the others she continued, “I found Scatterbug trying to leave, and it really seems to want to find its friends again. I know that it looks… not very ideal to backtrack, but I think if we look around the place where we first found Scatterbug we can find some clues to help it get home. It’s fine if none of you want to, but I thought that I might as wel— ”

“I’ll do it,” Ash declared, stepping forward and looping an arm around her neck. Serena meeped and hugged the hat closer to herself, causing Scatterbug to huff in annoyance.

“Me too!” Bonnie sing-songed, tugging her dress and flashing her with a big smile.

Even Clemont gave her a nod and added, “We’ll all help Scatterbug, no matter what. And anyways, we came this far.”

The teen girl thought about it, still feeling a smile bloom on her face as she asked, “How did you all find me?”

The three turned to each other, looking faintly embarrassed before Ash piped up with, “How about we talk about it later.”

“We’ve got a long walk ahead of us…”

“And it’s a long story.” And then he flashed her a smile and, well, you know what happened next.

(In her defense, she was very much willing to let go of the subject if anyone asked! And not just Ash!)

“W-What? Camp out? Really?”

Ash paused, looking back at her as he set up one of the tents. The sky was bordering on darkness, the sun already hugging the horizon. The weak light somehow still highlighted his face though, not that Serena would know. “Yeah? We obviously can’t go back to the Pokémon Centre, and we’re too far away from the next town.”

The others were milling about, setting up the table and the campfire and the pots and plates. Serena was standing in the middle, her hand still gripping the portable device (that she finally got back) as everyone else around her moved.

It was stupid, to be honest. Of course a journey was going to involve staying outdoors at night as well as in the day. She even used to dream about it when she first started her journey…

But it was one thing to have camped when being a young child, under adult supervision and with many others around in the same place, and another thing to camp out with a group of friends, no gear, and a new Pokémon.

She gulped.

Bonnie peeked at her as she skipped by with the cans of diced tomatoes, slowing her gait as she called out, “Are you okay, Serena? You look like you’ve been hit with Hypnosis or something.”

Said girl tried to regain control of her tongue, repeatedly swallowing as she forced herself to close the screen and not think about how far away civilization is. How the nearest Pokémon Centre is the one they escaped from. How they still don’t know where Scatterbug came from. “Um… just asking, how many times have you camped out before?”

“Oh, tons of times!” Bonnie flapped one hand out dismissively, holding the cans against her chest as she walked towards where her brother was. “I even got my own tent, see?”

“She can’t,” Clemont said dryly, which earnt a raspberry from the younger girl.

“You’ll get used to it,” Ash added, patting her back all of a sudden and causing her to stiffen up. The Kantonian chuckled as he then removed his hand, giving her a friendly wave before throwing his hands out. “There’s seeing the stars, and being all huddled up next to nature, and having fun without a curfew. Being alone with the ones you love, no distance between you…”

Serena couldn’t believe what she was hearing. Was Ash…? Could he really? “But I… don’t have a tent.”

“Is that all?” At her blank expression, Ash jabbed a thumb to his chest. “Serena, let me tell it to you straight—” I love you, I've always thought about you since the Summer Camp, how did I ever live my life without you, stay with me and we’ll unlock new heights together as a c— “I forgot my tent at home. In Kanto.”

Oh. Well. That was one way he could’ve ended it.

“It’s true, you can’t be doing worse than him,” Bonnie agreed as Serena’s ears turned a lovely shade of red that could rival the sunset.

“Bonnie!”

“Coming!” She walked over with the cans, leaving Ash and Serena standing together.

Alone.

Under the big navy night sky.

Serena twiddled her thumbs, trying and failing to look at Ash. The moon was framing him, his blue jacket almost blending in with the night. His eyes and hair almost shared the same hue under the darkness. She tried to open her mouth to ask the question. Her breath failed.

He was just so beautiful. So kind. So brave.

She…

“Well, since you don’t have a tent, you can sleep in my place!” Ash said cheerfully, giving her a thumbs up. “I’m fine with camping outside tonight.”

He’s fine with what? “No, no, it’s totally fine—“ she blabbered, feeling the rest of her face join the colour of her ears. 

“Oh! If you’re doing that, Ash, that means that you can use my tent! I’ll just sleep with my brother again.” And there was Bonnie, joining them again with such a big smile.

Two incredibly happy people in front of her, proud of their solution. Serena sighed. They were very generous after all… “Okay, thank you very much.” She looked around, realising that she hadn’t done much. “Is there anything you’d want me to do?”

“Well there is the setting of the tables—“

“We need to set up the other tent!”

“And get the Pokémon ready as well—“

It was a flurry of movement in the next twenty-so minutes, Serena finding her mind blanking as she went around the campsite: bringing out plates, trying to find the jars of Pokémon food in the mess known as Clemont’s bag, taste-testing the pasta sauce. By the time she sat on her seat she felt exhausted, wiping her head as the warm dish sat in front of her.

Looking up at the sky, her breath caught a little. It looked so wonderful— the vast sheet spreading above their heads, steam wafting towards the heavens, pinpricks of light already visible. Ash caught her awed look and grinned, and Serena found that blush coming back again as she went back to staring at her food.

(At the very least, eating indoors wasn’t half as magical.)

Once she ate her fill she quickly excused herself to check on Fennekin (who was fine, preferring to eat next to Serena) before walking over to Scatterbug itself. It seemed to have left its bowl full, staring at it forlornly as the other Pokémon chowed down around it. Serena bent down and tapped her knee to gain its attention. “What’s wrong, Scatterbug?” 

The tiny Pokémon shook its head at the pellets, looking upset at them. Chespin tried to steal one of them. Serena caught the paw. “Do you not like the food?”

“Sca…” Scatterbug crawled away, antennae wiggling about as it moved about. Serena stood up and went to follow it, freeing her hands as she made sure to not accidentally step on her friend.

After some searching around the area, the Pokémon perked up and jumped on a particular flower, greedily chewing on it. “Oh, so you eat plants! I’ll make sure to stock up on that kind.”

Scatterbug nodded its head, small cheeks all bunched up as it swallowed its mouthful of bright yellow petals. Serena sat by it and watched it clear out complete swaths of the plant, only stopping after its belly was bulging from the amount it ate. Finally content, it promptly went to sleep, curling up and snoring quietly to itself.

…It looked so peaceful, Serena realised. It’s strange to think about the dire circumstances that they met it in, but now, underneath the cool night, there was a blissful lack of panic and stress, of worry and shadowy threats. Now, even time seemed to hold still, holding its breath.

Scatterbug looked so happy at this moment. Could it be dreaming of its family? Of its home? Serena couldn’t tell. But as she gently cupped the Pokémon and placed it in the inside of her overturned hat, walking over to the campsite once more, she made a small promise to herself.

That no matter what, the last thing she will see of Scatterbug was its radiant smile, pure and brighter than the sun itself.

Packup was a lot less glamorous than mealtime was.

Serena groaned as she carried off the dirty plates, side-eying the merry skips of Bonnie and the lazy lounging of Ash. “They don’t waste time,” she muttered, and Clemont sighed in reply as he left the kettle to simmer on the tripod.

There were the plates, the cutlery, the table, the cups. Pots and empty cans and the apron that was still drying after a particular incident following an annoyed Froakie and a misplaced Vine Whip. Serena hadn’t anticipated a camping night and so didn’t have any macarons or PokéPuffs, something that she will remember for next time. 

As it was though, there were plenty of other activities to be occupied with, and she just dodged an empty can that was kicked up between Bonnie and Dedenne, so there was no time for regret. Just bustling work and busy hands and shared tired smiles and Ash rubbing his stomach next to an equally full Chespin, Pikachu having already found his way back to the sleeping bag outside the tents.

After calling back their Pokémon, Serena slumped downwards, her knees screaming for mercy as they embraced the blades of grass underneath it. “Are we finally done no—“

“Campfire stories!” Ash yelled as he launched himself at the ground next to said campfire, a massive smile on his face as he wiggled his fingers at the others. Clemont sighed as he walked over with his mug and tablet, already looking bored as he sat to the side of the Kantonian, while Bonnie skipped forward and patted a seat next to herself for Serena.

Serena was… confused. And still tired. “Campfire stories?” she asked as she took the seat, already dreading the answer.

“Don’t try to leave,” was all Clemont supplied, already watching the screen as he took a sip. Scatterbug’s snores radiated out from within her overturned hat as Ash clapped his hands twice, rubbing his hands afterwards as he took a deep breath.

“One day, there was a Pokémon.”

“He always starts his stories like this,” Bonnie whispered, rolling her eyes even as her posture was alert. Serena nodded, already watching in rapture.

He looked so natural here, so in his element, as he stood above the campfire and made flowing movements and narrated the tale. “This Pokémon wanted, more than anything, to see the world beyond its home. It was curious and hadn't went out for hundreds and thousands of years, so it was lonely. Of course it wanted to go outside! But there was a problem: it was tied to a spell to never leave its home.”

The girls gasped, and even Clemont made a thoughtful hum. Ash grinned, but there were notes of sadness in that smile. Before Serena could contemplate it further, he dramatically followed it up with, “Of course, it’s dream was going to come true, though. Some travellers found it and heard about how the Pokémon wanted to see the sea, its most favourite place, and they stayed with it. They played around with it, fed it some food, even saw its mysterious power! But the hardest thing was helping it to escape.”

“But it found some friends,” Serena found herself asking, before slapping a hand to cover her mouth. Bonnie raised her eyebrows as Ash laughed, and the teen girl felt her cheeks flush once more. Why did she say that? What did she even mean by that?

Ash was too kind, nonetheless. “Yeah, that’s true. But if you have a dream, you would want it to come true, right? Not much can replace that.”

Did Serena ever wanted like that? She couldn’t tell. Bowing her head she made a squeak in response to that, and the storyteller gave her a thumbs up before returning to his tale, holding his hands up as the fire crackled and his voice lowered. “But I forgot to mention one thing. There was a man who had heard the stories about the home of that Pokémon, because it used to be his ancestors' home as well, and he wanted it to be as perfect as it used to be. He went to capture the Pokémon to use its power to move their home back to where it once was.”

“That’s terrible!” Bonnie cried, hands tightly gripping her knees.

“Definitely terrible.” And there it was— that haunted look. The quickest shadow. Serena rubbed her eyes but that smile looked so perfect, so nice, and she didn’t want to interrupt again, even though his tone was still low. “That man was selfish, thinking that he knew everything, thinking that he had the right to move someone’s home like that. Even though he knew it would hurt the Pokémon. Even though it would hurt everyone else.” His countenance brightened suddenly and it felt like tonal whiplash. “But the travellers helped the Pokémon get free, its friends came to help, and the home was placed back to its usual resting place. And hey! Because of all that, the spell was lifted and the Pokémon was finally able to travel the world once more!”

“I’m not going to question even half of that,” Clemont muttered as he put the tablet down, looking vaguely cynical of the whole story. Ash laughed and patted the scientist’s back with his usual jolly enthusiasm, and Serena let out the breath she didn’t know she was holding.

“That sure was a story,” she said, sounding so quiet even to her own ears. Bonnie took Serena’s hands into her own and started to babble about the Pokémon, about the home and a cool epic sword fight that totally didn’t exist, and she felt her heart calm down a little.

A Pokémon. Its home. A selfish human being thinking that they had the right to it.

Serena was going to help Scatterbug find its home, but she’s not going to be like that. She’ll respect it. Care for it. And she’ll let it go when it’s time, because she’s not selfish at all.

She glanced over at Scatterbug, watching its tiny body rise up and down. Yeah, she can’t imagine being that selfish.

She woke up with the gasp, no recollection of anything but a twisted feeling and deep-seated emptiness.

Rubbing her eyes, Serena checked the screen of her portable device. 11:02. It was late, but not as late as it usually was. Maybe there was something about camping…

Groaning and stretching upwards, she pushed her hair back and crawled towards the tent door. A brief flash of guilt ran through her, that everyone made a space for her to sleep in and yet she was trying to sneak out, but she shook it off. Only a few minutes. Just some fresh air, and then she will try again.

Walking out of the tent was such a stark difference from her sleep. It looked so much more brighter than what was behind her eyelids, even as the trees painted sharp shadows against the sky, and Serena couldn’t help but breathe out in awe.

“Pretty, isn’t it?”

She screamed and jumped back and Ash clapped his hands by his ears in surprise. Oh. It’s Ash.

“Sorry,” Serena said as she glanced at him. The boy waved at her, still rubbing one of his ears as he patted a spot next to himself. His sleeping pack was underneath him, and somehow Pikachu was still asleep, or at least a quick sleeper after that commotion. “How long have you—“

“Some time, not too long.” He flashed her a grin, and she gave him a small one in return. “So, what’s got you walking around?”

She shrugged, still not knowing the words to her predicament. Ash took it in stride, watching as she sat next to him, a few handbreadths away from his own body.

They were so close. Underneath the same sky. Not even back in Kanto did they share this sort of intimacy.

Serena should be so happy. She is, in a way.

(She still can’t stop thinking about that story and about Scatterbug. About that tiny twinge in her heart whenever she thinks of the word ‘leave’.)

“Aren’t you a little… upset? That I took Scatterbug like that?”

Ash stretched his arms out and shook his head while she asked the question, seemingly already anticipating how this was going to go. “...Nah. if that’s what Scatterbug wants, then that’s that.”

He said it so confidently. Serena wished she could be that confident. Pulling her legs up, she stared back at the campfire. It was still up, she noticed, and that’s something that will take some getting used to. It’s been far too long since she last camped out beyond fantasies and daydreams. “I think Nurse Joy didn’t trust us with it. She was surprised when you left to get the others, and asked me to let her know when you came back.”

“Geez, do I really look that bad?” A singular laugh echoed in the campsite.

The fire crackled.

The boy adjusted his seating, smiling at her. Ash was smiling at her . She should be happy and so, so grateful (that Scatterbug gave her this chance, that the group gave her this chance, that Fennekin and the Professor and this journey gave her this chance). “Hey, don’t worry,” he said softly, putting a hand on her arm. It felt warm. “I’m sure it’s nothing, and even if it isn’t, well, we can clear it up when we visit the place again.”

“You’re right.” What was she thinking? She turned her gaze back to the fire, thinking about her journey once again. It started in Santalune, or at the Pokémon lab, or with Fennekin, or at that split second where she watched a tiny Ash on screen plummet off a national building.

Life was so precious, she realised then.

“Well, feel free to stay out here as long as you need.”

It’s 11:11. They don’t know it yet, but they both made a small wish in their hearts— Ash looking ahead, as always, and Serena looking up.

They are so tiny underneath the massive canvas that was the sky.

“You seem to be out a lot at night, Ash.”

“Really? Hmm. I guess I just like watching the stars sometimes. And thinking.”

“What do you think about?”

“Wouldn’t you like to know?”

Small, meaningless chatter. Fire, the night, and two teens trying to map the sky.

These moments were so precious. So fleeting. Almost impossible.

(But they were possible, because she was living in it right now. And maybe that’s better than having a dream.)

The next morning came, as sure as anything.

Serena rubbed her eyes as she made her way to the table, slumping her head on its surface once she sat down. A small chuckle echoed from out of her sight, and she groaned. “It’s my hair, isn’t it?”

“Not really.” There was a glimmer of a smile in Clemont’s voice as he mixed in the ingredients before setting the kettle to boil.

A few minutes of seconds.

She raised an eyebrow. “So?”

“So?”

“The reason why you were laughing.”

There was a coughing sound that followed. “Er, it’s nothing.”

“It’s something.” Serena straightened her neck, glaring at him light-heartedly. “C’mon, just tell me—“ She shrieked, jumping to her feet and knocking her chair down, staring right in front of herself.

Hanging on her hair in between her eyes was Scatterbug, who was cheerfully chirping at her.

“Whatsa noise…” Bonnie sleepily mumbled as she trudged out of the tent, stepping around Ash’s prone form to sit next to where Serena previously sat. The young girl pushed up the hood of her onesie to squint at the teen next to her, before proclaiming, “There's Scatterbug.”

“I know!” She tried to cup the Pokémon with one hand, untwining it from her hair and gingerly placing it on the table. Breathing out a sigh of relief, she then took her seat again and patted its head, somehow finding the strength to smile even after that startling moment. “You sure get around, little one.”

A popping sound announced the subsequential pitter-patter of small feet, before a green head appeared next to the two girls. Bonnie moved a little out of the way for Chespin before patting his head. “Che, che!”

“Looks like Chespin is ready for breakfast!” Bonnie giggled, following Clemont’s tired sigh.

Serena shook her head before looking back at Scatterbug. It was such a small thing and yet so energetic. The day just started and yet she couldn’t imagine going through any more disasters. “I’ll need to get dressed,” she said aloud to herself, before getting up once more. “Scatterbug, are you fine with staying outside?”

“Sca, scatta!” It nodded enthusiastically, spraying some black glitter and causing Chespin to fall off the bench in a desperate panic. Serena laughed before walking back to the tent that she borrowed from Bonnie, getting out her clothes, readying herself for the day ahead of them.

“No, Scatterbug, he is not food!”

Whatever that day may bring.

Returning back to the table, she pulled Scatterbug off Chespin’s spines, patting the Grass-Type in consolation as he shivered in place and pawed off the saliva that was left in place. Today’s breakfast seemed to be porridge again; Serena raised an eyebrow to Clemont, who shrugged at her, before sighing and taking a serving of her own, sitting on the table once more.

Just casually eating. Getting ready for the day ahead of them. Nothing special or world-breaking here.

“So, what are we going to do about Scatterbug once we do find its home?” 

Serena looked up at Clemont, who shrugged as he set his bowl on the table. “A Bug-Type like Scatterbug isn’t usually that rare, but with the way that it was that weak along with Nurse Joy being that protective makes me think there is more to it than what meets the eye.”

“So are you saying that it is rare?” Bonnie looked intrigued, wiggling her pointer finger in front of the Pokémon. 

Serena was feeling distinctly different, having caught the grave tone underneath Clemont’s passive countenance. “When you mean rare, you don’t mean…”

The inventor shrugged, but that wary feeling didn’t let up. “I don’t know much about Bug-Types, to be honest, so you probably shouldn’t really take me that seriously.”

“Take what seriously?” The table shook as Ash slammed his bowl next to Clemont, liquid just barely sloshing out with the force of the action.

The two of them quietened at that. Dedenne squeaked from the bag as Bonnie lifted it onto the table’s surface, seemingly awake or at least awakening. A game of chase was then initiated between mouse, caterpillar and hedgehog.

Ash raised an eyebrow expectantly, looking around the three of them, and Serena felt her cheeks lit up involuntarily. Clemont shook his head and turned to his bowl, and Bonnie filled up the silence with, “We were just talking about Scatterbug!”

The tiny Pokémon sneezed at its name, causing the other two to jump in surprise, Dedenne falling onto his keeper’s lap. Bonnie giggled and ducked underneath the table with the mouse in tow, bringing the game to the ground instead. The queasy feeling didn’t let up in Serena. 

Ash opened his mouth before shutting it, a sudden glint lighting up in his eyes. “Wait! I forgot, but…” He rummaged through his pocket, pulling out his Pokédex right when Pikachu walked up beside him. “Now that it’s daylight, I can finally check it out!”

Scatterbug meeped as the device was held in front of it, Ash sticking his nose in closer as he read the information off his screen. Serena also reached towards her Pokédex, remembering that it existed to make learning about Pokémon easier rather than just being a glorified square in her own pockets.

As it was, there didn’t seem to be many exciting details about it. A pure Bug-Type, its powder was poisonous, zero point three meters tall, alert to sounds, likes sour food. Serena closed her Pokédex and just patted Scatterbug once more, smiling as it started to relax even as Ash rattled out its strong and weak points. “Don’t worry,” she murmured, pulling out some of the flower petals from a punch in her bag in front of it. “I’m fine with just working with you as you are rather than just looking at a screen.”

“Still not sold on the Pokédex?” Clemont said, raising an eyebrow as he put his spoon back in his bowl. 

Serena shrugged. “No, it’s just that…” She gazed at the way the Pokémon tore into the flowers, chirping happily as it did so. “The Pokédex doesn’t say anything about how Scatterbug’s favourite flowers to eat are daffodils.”

“I can add it in if you want?” Ash said, but Serena shook her head. It wasn’t that, per say, but something else. She couldn’t really put her finger on it. 

“It’s nothing,” she concluded, going back to her food once more. The boys shrugged themselves before digging in, and the morning was bright, glowing, golden.

Bonnie stretched herself after crawling out from underneath the table as Clemont pressed a button on the side of it, promptly yelping as a green tail with a red tip pointed out from the collapsed form of said table. Ash pulled out his Pokéballs and greeted his Pokémon, giving them their food and once again failing to stop an argument that started up between Fletchling and Froakie.

Serena sat on her own next to Fennekin, face cupped in her hands as she watched her Starter enjoy the Pokémon food. The thought that Clemont had planted in her head wouldn’t leave, that something bad had happened to Scatterbug because of what it was. No matter what the Pokédex said, this was a Pokémon— a friend, a potential companion, it probably even had a family somewhere. She looked over to where she laid her hat on the wide rock next to her, Scatterbug dozing off on it. “I’ll help you find your home,” she whispered to it, feeling that resolve sink into her heart.

She will make this happen.

(Fennekin watched her, eyes the colour of liquid roses.)

Bringing out her portable device, Serena checked the area around them. They weren’t too far from the forests that surrounded where they first met Scatterbug— from there, they could hopefully find enough clues to get properly going. She stood up and stretched, waving her hand out to the others and preparing for today’s hike.

For once, a destination mapped out by her own choice.

For once, helping someone else complete their own goal.

The trek was as standard as they came, with long twisting roads and interspersed trees lining or interrupting it. As usual Ash was leading ahead, with Serena following and Bonnie between them, a quickly tiring Clemont behind everyone else. As usual Scatterbug chose to stay up in her hat and Fennekin took up the space between her arms, watching the view from the height of Serena’s chest. Not as usual (but still welcome), Team Rocket did not hijack their path, and soon enough they were close to the original site.

“Just a little more!” Ash cheered towards the back as the road became more rough, tightly-packed dirt with small rocks pebbled in between. Clemont let out a loud gasp in response, once again grasping his knees as he stumbled forward with Bonnie pushing him on his back. Serena was just about to think about the situation at hand, looking behind with a pursed lip, when a yelp sounded from ahead of her.

Her heart squeezed.

“What kind of lousy criminal returns to the scene of the crime?”

Scatterbug cried and ran to the back of her hat.

“What’d you call me?!”

A rope looped around Ash’s hand, and the Trainer yelped as he got pulled backwards and twisted his head to face the angry Officer Jenny to the side of him, her motorcycle still running as it leaned against one of the trees nearby.

“I can’t believe that Dazzle would go so low as to work with children, but—“ An experimental tug and a pained yelp as the officer leered at him— “Then again, you’re not really a child, are you?”

Chapter Text

There was a moment where everything froze, just for a few seconds.

Bonnie was still letting all of her weight fall onto the back of Clemont’s pack, mouth open in a neat little 'o' as her brother twisted his head to shout something back at her. Ash’s face was tight as he gritted his teeth, and even Fennekin stiffened up in her grip.

And that is to say—

What is there to say?

“Leave me alone!” Ash snapped as he yanked on his hand once more, angry red marks appearing from the rope burn as Pikachu growled, and the world rushed once more with colour and light and sound.

(What just happened?)

Jenny sneered as she maintained her grip, flipping her hair away from her eyes as she replied, “Not until I get you to custody, young man. You won’t be slipping out of my hands this time!”

“But Ash didn’t do it!” Serena watched as Bonnie ran over and stood in front of the Kantonian, giving the officer her most serious look. “We were all there! We just found Scatterbug and wanted to help it!”

“Even so, you left the Pokémon Centre even though you were explicitly told not to.” Her glare softening, Jenny glanced over to the other side of the path. “Manectric, can you check around for any evidence?” The Pokémon walked out from the trees, nodded before continuing forward. Jenny then returned her focus to the group, narrowing her eyes. 

Looking for something. Or someone.

Serena’s arms tightened, and Fennekin looked up. Biting the inside of her cheek she then walked forward, also grabbing the attention of the officer. “Scatterbug wanted to go home when we first found it, and we’re helping it, ma’am. I apologize if we did leave without warning, but Nurse Joy didn’t really tell me to stay back.”

“You…” Jenny‘s grip slackened and Ash threw the rope down, rubbing his wrist where the fibers irritated his skin. Peering closer at Serena’s hat, the older woman gasped.

Serena didn’t shy away. Didn’t run or hide. She’s doing this for Scatterbug, after all.

Bonnie sidled next to her and followed her gaze, both of them looking at the officer in front. “You see now? Scatterbug trusts us!”

“I can see that…” Officer Jenny tipped her cap a little lower down her face as she turned her head, seemingly thinking to herself. After a minute she straightened up and looked at the group, her gaze hardening. “Okay, will you all accompany me back to the Pokémon Centre? I just want to ask you a few questions before I make a decision.”

Ash scowled, but with a meaningful nudge from Clemont he nodded. Serena checked on Scatterbug, using one arm to hold Fennekin in the process. The fox yipped at the bug, and the latter stared at the officer before nodding resolutely.

And just like that, their destination changed once more.

“So you found Scatterbug in a cage on the side of a road?”

“It wasn’t just a side of any old road, but those big sharing ones, and it fell out of this truck-thing that went whoosh— And, and—“

Serena hummed in amusement as she rested her head on her arm, which was propped up on the small table that they were all gathered around. The office was cramped and in no way supposed to support five individuals and their Pokémon, but it was one of the closest rooms to Nurse Joy, who was wincing at the looks her colleague in arms was giving her from her place near the desk.

Somehow even after the whole ordeal Bonnie found herself to be full of energy, explaining their whole encounter with as many specifics she could remember and even some that she made up on the spot. Serena occasionally interrupted with her own recollection of events, and Clemont was frowning at the tablet he materialised as Ash stared outside the window with Pikachu on his shoulder, expression tight.

(It wasn’t fun, seeing his face darken as he had to explain over and over again that he was a legitimate Trainer, that he was in no way affiliated with Team Rocket no matter their shared origins, that he was no thief, period.)

Right now though, Serena was sitting without any Pokémon— Fennekin having returned to the Pokéball for the moment and Scatterbug finally finishing its stay in the healing rooms. It took some convincing, but it was worth it. After all, they couldn’t help Scatterbug get home if it was hurt, now, could they? “Is Scatterbug really that special?” she finally asked, having waited until Bonnie’s current ramble had died down to raise the question she has always been wondering.

Officer Jenny’s gaze lowered for a second, before she nodded. Her Manectric has already been recalled, but there was still that electric power that her presence commanded as she spoke. “You see, the Scatterbug you found is actually my only lead I have to finding a wanted criminal that has been plaguing the region these last few years. He usually doesn’t make mistakes like this, so when I heard about some travellers having a rare Bug Type, well…”

“It’s actually my fault for not being clearer with you all.” Nurse Joy had appeared, bringing a tray full of hot chocolate drinks for the group. She winced even as everyone gave her their gratitude and took their cup, even Ash and Clemont, her cheeks still having that light dusting of pink. “I apologise for my uncouth behaviour. It’s been frustrating hearing about that Pokémon Smuggler and being unable to do anything about it, so when the chance came I went on the offense without any care for your safety or peace of mind.”

Ash perked up at that, setting his mug down with unusual softness. “Pokémon Smuggler?” he said, voice low.

Jenny’s fingers on her right hand tapped the table in an agitated manner. “A person who hoards Pokémon, taking them from their home in order to sell them for exorbitant prices on the internet. Dazzle— which is his online name— specialises in the Scatterbug line, and he usually sells Vivillon.”

Serena’s eyes widened at the description, imagining the pain and suffering her little friend could’ve been subjected to. Could Scatterbug’s friends and family be suffering the same fate? While she contemplated the distressing train of though, she could’ve sworn she heard Ash mutter something about ‘Pokémon Hunters’.

Before she could ask him about his familiarity someone else posed another question. “Could it be because of their unique patterning?” Clemont asked, setting his tablet down as he focused on the conversation. Bonnie shot him a confused look even as she continued drinking, and the inventor elaborated with, “Each Vivillon is unique as they can have different wing patterns depending on where they came from. Some designs are more rare to see than others, but there have been twenty patterns sighted in the wild so far.”

“You’re correct on all counts,” Nurse Joy said, sounding impressed. “You really know your Pokémon, don’t you?”

Clemont flushed, ducking his head down. “Just… heard about it before,” he murmured, before yelping as Ash patted his back with pride. Nurse Joy opened her mouth to say more, but the Centre Chime went off and she had to excuse herself. In her absence the officer never seemed so less serious than before. Serena supposed that the Nurse did much to alleviate the tension in the room, even if she produced lots of it herself.

“That’s exactly why,” Jenny said, sternness seeping into her voice and giving it that hard edge once more once Joy had left. Everyone's attention on her once more, she went on, folding her arms on the table. “I’ve managed to narrow his location down to somewhere around here, but without any more evidence I can’t find him. He’s notoriously good at keeping himself unknown, using his technology and Pokémon to steal the unevolved forms of Vivillon before auctioning them off.”

“That’s horrible!” Bonnie called out, voice sharp as broken glass. Her teeth were gritted even as her eyes looked glassy, her hands wrapped around her bag as if the ghost of such a man would take Dedenne from her. “We have to stop that man! He can’t just do that to Scatterbug!”

Jenny shook her head. “That’s nice, little one, but I can’t let you all take on more responsibility than you already had. You’re on a journey, right? Then feel free to continue it. This situation is best left for the adults.”

Her brother put a hand on her shoulder, but Bonnie still shook it off, almost lunging over the table. “But Miss, Scatterbug is our friend! We can’t leave it alone after all it’s gone through.”

“She’s right,” Ash muttered, hand patting over the sleepy back of Pikachu. Looking over the group, his gaze rested on Serena and locked onto her face. “Scatterbug’s closest to you, isn’t it? Didn’t you say that you were going to help find its home?”

She did, didn’t she? Serena bit her lip, gaze moving from the determined glare of Ash to the serious look of Officer Jenny. Her hands, neatly folded on her lap, clenched. “I’m—“

“Wiggly!” Wigglytuff burst into the room, ears very much wiggling about in alarm as she slammed her paws on the table before gesturing towards the door she just came from. Jenny immediately stood up and started to walk, but the Pokémon ran over to Serena in particular and tugged her arm. “Tuff-tuff, wiggly!”

“M-me?!” Letting herself get pulled through the door and across a corridor to the healing wing, she felt her heart drop. Hopefully nothing bad happened to Scatterbug—

“Serena, where’re you going?” Bonnie quickly ran to catch up to the teen girl, looking around in awe as Ash and Clemont trailed behind them. “Wow, is this what the inside of a Pokémon Centre looks like?”

Look, Serena wasn’t even in the mind space to deny the first question or correct the wording of the second statement. After Wigglytuff finally opened one of the doors, Serena’s eyes quickly adjusted to the blinding colour of the room. Eyes catching into the bed she then ran forward, locking her gaze with the panicking Scatterbug as it ran around in circles and squeaking up a storm.

Nurse Joy looked up from her clipboard, looking relieved. “Oh, thank goodness you’re here. In all my years of training I have never seen such a small Bug Type get so destructively restless in my life.” Bonnie gasped as she viewed the String Shots that wrapped around the room, the most heavily hit areas being the electronics at the corner. 

Serena’s heart felt like it was gripped by a giant’s hand as she extended her own hands towards Scatterbug. The Pokémon raised its head at her, a sort of frenzy glowing in its eyes.

It was scared, wasn’t it? “Hey there, it’s okay. There’s no bad guys here. Nurse Joy just wants to heal you fully so there are no complications. Don’t you want to be strong so you can go home?”

“Sca?” Scatterbug narrowed its eyes, inching towards her. Serena didn’t flinch, even as Nurse Joy sucked in a breath from behind her and the boys let out a sharp exhale.

“We’re all here to help you.” Serena had to be strong. If not her, then who? “I’ll even give you your favourite flowers once you are done. How’s that for a deal?”

“I wouldn’t say no to that!” Bonnie added, waving a finger at Scatterbug. The Pokémon perked up and gave a small nod, lying back down again on its belly as it finally calmed down, and the girls smiled at each other and clapped their hands together in a small celebration as the nurse and her assistant went back to work once more.

After Nurse Joy finally finished the check-up, Officer Jenny walked into the room with her hands on her hips. Serena looked up as she finally set Scatterbug back into the rim of her hat, Bonnie humming in confusion as she turned her head from where she was, having amused herself by wandering around the room and pulling down the stray strings. With Ash and Clemont having left to heal their own Pokémon in the meantime, there was almost no one else around when Jenny said, “It seems that… Scatterbug had gone through a lot before it met you.”

Serena didn’t know what to say to that. She didn’t know what Scatterbug’s life was like. Whether it was caught early, or was being carted from one location to another. If it was young. If it has seen much of the world yet. “We just met yesterday, but it’s definitely a sweet one. I’m happy to help it in whatever way that I can.”

Jenny nodded. “You’re good with Pokémon, Serena. If anything, I’m glad that you and your group found Scatterbug when you did.” She paused, relaxing her arms as she cast her gaze around the room before resting it on the Pokémon in question. Lowering her voice, she said, “I think it’s best if you and the others leave with Scatterbug. If you can find its home, then great, but more than anything it needs a stable pillar. And from the looks of it, it’s probably going to be you.”

The room felt so cold. “Just leave?” Serena squeaked, Scatterbug chirping indignantly from its perch. Bonnie’s back was still facing them, her duster swiping the same spot again and again.

“You have to think about what’s best for Scatterbug. Looking for Dazzle isn’t it.” Shaking her head, the officer started to walk towards the door. “I’m going to be around the Pokémon Centre to check for more clues and go through the results of Scatterbug’s check up. I’ll wait around for a few days, and by the time I’m done I don’t want to see or hear any of you around.” Reading the question on her face, she added, “It’s all for your own good.”

Then she left without another glance.

Serena bit her bottom lip, hands shaking by her side. She couldn’t— it felt wrong to do that. Somehow her instincts were now telling her to chase after the Smuggler instead of just running away with Scatterbug, just go against what she’s been told, this time explicitly, and it felt…

Strange. Foreign. 

“Serena?”

She turned over to look at Bonnie, who was watching her with the duster still in her hands. “Are you really…”

No. Yes. What is wrong with her? “Hey, Bonnie,” she managed to say, voice surprisingly clear. The younger girl gave her a flat look. Serena swallowed.

Bonnie took a few steps forward, setting down the duster with a small hand while using the other to reach towards Scatterbug. The Pokémon wiggled its antennae towards her, and the sides of her mouth twitched.

Serena bent herself down at the knees, allowing the two to meet. Scatterbug took the opportunity to nuzzle against Bonnie’s fingers, and even with the hat in the way of a clear view Serena could’ve sworn she saw a glint enter Bonnie’s eyes at the action.

(The same glint that her brother usually gets.)

“Serena,” Bonnie says once again, but there was a different lilt to that one word this time, “Scatterbug’s worried about its friends, right?”

“Bonnie…” Someone has to take the reins here, like how the younger girl does towards Clemont when he gets like this. Someone had to be the warning, the gate, the normal one here.

Bonnie shook her head and pumped her free hand next to her side as a fist before making a sweeping motion. “Jenny thinks that it’s not going to be safe, but the thing is that all of Scatterbug’s friends aren’t safe if we just do nothing. So, if we just train ourselves up…”

“Bonnie.”

“C’mon! I know you feel the same way!” She blew her cheeks up, and Scatterbug repositioned itself so that it was facing Serena before doing the same, albeit with a more serious face. It was kind of cute… in an unnerving way.

(And the worst part is that it wasn't even a half-bad plan. If Officer Jenny really did see how capable they were, then maybe they can help out on this one thing as well. And training up will only help them in the end.)

She can’t believe she was going to be going along with this. Sighing, she stood up, not even reacting as Scatterbug shot a small piece of thread onto the top of her hat and climbed upwards to its usual perch. Bonnie was grinning as she skipped beside her, both of them exiting the room right when Nurse Joy was coming around the bend with both Ash and Clemont.

Without stopping, Serena said, “Meet us outside.”

“And with your Pokémon!” Bonnie added.

Both boys exchanged confused looks as Joy covered her mouth with a spare hand, a muffled laugh ringing through.

“Training? Well, why didn’t you say so?”

She didn’t even have energy to shoot Ash a look. “We’re not battling or anything! Scatterbug is small. We need something that works for it.”

“It’s actually called ‘playing a game’, Ash.” Bonnie rolled her eyes as she crossed her arms, raising an eyebrow at the trainer. He, for the most part, took the criticism gracefully, squatting down to watch what Scatterbug was doing as Pikachu nosed around the area. “Anyways, where’s Clemont?”

“He’s going online to find any clues on that Dazzle guy,” Ash said offhandedly, and there was a shadow that passed by the younger girl’s face before she nodded.

Shrugging, she walked over to where Dedenne was, the small mouse finishing up another hole that he dug and popping out of it with a squeak. “Eh, I’ll get him later. For now—” Jumping up with a big smile on her face, she called out— “We’re going to play the game!”

Ash cocked his head at the display in front of him, Scatterbug inching away from him to see it more closely. Serena stood up, briefly remembering how her ‘training’ with Fennekin didn’t look anything remotely like this. “Okay, I give up. What is this supposed to be?”

“One thing I’ve noticed when playing with the Pokémon is that popping in and out of holes takes a lot of work!” Bonnie walked back and forth as she said it, hands folded behind her back as she explained. “You gotta be strong to push yourself up, and quick to dodge when someone is outside your hole. And obviously have a good sense to know when someone is outside your hole in the first place.”

“Sounds like a lot to know about playing tag near holes,” Ash said, before getting a tail-slap from Pikachu. “Hey! You can’t possibly be an expert yourself.”

“Actually, Pikachu is one of the best at this game!” Said Pokémon preened at the attention, giving a wink to the impressed Scatterbug. “But nobody beats Dedenne at it!” Pikachu drooped as Dedenne chortled from his place.

Serena tapped her chin with her finger. “So you think that a game of tag will help train Scatterbug?”

“Not just think, I know it!” Giving them a wink, Bonnie then made a come hither movement with her fingers. “C’mon Scatterbug, and join the fun!”

Scatterbug managed to hold a doubtful look for up to five seconds before the cajoling sounds of Pikachu and Dedenne got it scurrying towards the nearest hole it could reach. Serena couldn’t help but move a little closer to the action as she watched the Pokémon burrow their way in and peeked out in random intervals, finding herself chuckling as they did so. “It looks fun,” she admitted, and Bonnie flashed her a smile before she started to pat on the dirt next to one of the holes.

Dedenne came out of that one with his whiskers twitching, looking at his keeper as he angled an ear towards her. Bonnie whispered some words and the tiny mouse started to grin, jumping out of the hole before squeaking loudly. Pikachu, who was just in the process of coming out considering the appearance of his ears, quickly ducked down, and the two Trainers’ interests were peeked.

“Now we’re really getting started,” Bonnie said in lieu of an answer, holding her head with her hands as she watched what she had rigged up.

Before Ash could even open his mouth, Pikachu leaped out from one of the holes, sleek body flashing in the afternoon sun as he then dove down to an adjacent burrow. Dedenne just missed tagging him with his tail, letting out a disgruntled huff before monitoring the grounds once more. Scatterbug peeked out, waving about its antennae, but then a looming shadow hovering above it. “Sca.”

Oh! Serena’s mind flashed with the answer as the Bug Type blew a convincing raspberry towards Dedenne, and she bit back her own smile. “You can do it, Scatterbug!” she cheered, pumping a hand up. “You just need to be a bit faster!”

Scatterbug gazed at her and nodded, spraying sparkles around it with its newfound enthusiasm. Dedenne patted his chest as the Bug-Type retreated back into its hole, tail flicking around as he readied himself for the next round.

Pikachu flipped out before diving back into another burrow, Scatterbug just managed to poke its head out again.

Pikachu ran across a few holes before digging down, Scatterbug just got to the next burrow when it got tagged.

Pikachu hopped between a few holes with Scatterbug on his head, chuckling at the incredulous look Dedenne gave him before ducking down once more.

Ash slammed a fist on his flat hand, nodding to himself as if he just understood the assignment. Serena shook her head before thinking about the game, about the speed and the positioning and getting from one place to another without getting caught.

…She might have a plan. “They can use moves, right?”

Bonnie nodded. “The whole point is for Scatterbug to get stronger around here.”

Serena grinned, before shouting out, “Scatterbug, I’ve got a plan!” The small Pokémon chirped as it shook off the paw of its tagger, listening intently as she continued with, “You can use String Shot to slow down Dedenne, okay?”

“You can do what?!” Ash said as Bonnie shushed him. Serena nodded at the Bug Type as it went back underground once more, trying to see what’ll change this time.

Scatterbug missing Dedenne with String Shot and hitting the ground (awkward silence).

Scatterbug managing to snag Dedenne’s paw with some strands (alerting him; she’s never seen the mouse move so fast!).

Scatterbug wrapping Pikachu instead (instant Thunderbolt).

“I dunno, Serena…” Bonnie hummed indecisively as she watched the next String Shot tangle Scatterbug itself, pursing her lips. “I thought that it was going to help—”

“It is,” the older girl said, cheering on the tiny Pokémon as it unwinded the thread from itself with a quick slurp. “Your plan is brilliant, seriously. We’re just working it with Scatterbug in mind, and that’s going to take some time.”

The younger girl nodded, blushing faintly as she turned back and called for another round.

Dedenne tagging Pikachu’s tail, laughing at the shock of electricity that flowed through them.

Dedenne gnawing at the string that wrapped around his face, stumbling around as he clawed at the remainders.

Dedenne getting stuck in one of the holes after an overenthusiastic dive, tiny legs kicking up in the air.

Serena watched on as Scatterbug became faster, became smoother— even as its String Shots were still haphazard, it was gaining more control over time. Once, the silk stuck into the branch of an overhead tree and Scatterbug managed to pull itself up, swinging away from Dedenne’s grubby paws before dropping itself in the adjacent hole.

Everyone, of course, was floored. “That was amazing!” Bonnie squealed as she jumped up into a standing position and danced around. Ash scratched his head in bewilderment as both mice chittered in surprise, looking for the Bug-Type once more.

And once Scatterbug learnt that trick? Well, its growth was even more clear to see.

Sometimes it would block some of the holes, occasionally even bouncing on the covers when above ground. It would swing up the trees and drop on unsuspecting Pokémon (and people), and the game soon devolved into just trying to figure out where Scatterbug was at the current time.

Ash clutched at his side after a particular scare involving his undershirt, breathing heavily but still grinning as Serena placed Scatterbug down on the ground. “Well, that was some pretty fun training.”

“I told you!” Bonnie crowed as she took up Dedenne and spun around with him. She pointed at Serena, before saying, “I got the idea from watching her and my big bro training back like, three days ago!”

“That makes sense,” Serena admitted as she brushed off any specks of dirt from the tiny Pokémon. Even if now was less of a training regiment than what Clemont had put her through, it still was… freeing. Open. Fun. Full of possibilities. 

“Hmm,” Ash said, sounding contemplative. “You know, I didn’t think that—“

“Che-che!” A Chespin wandered over to them, rubbing his nose confidently as he stopped in the middle of the human trio. “Che-pin, che?”

“Chespin!” Bonnie cried as she grabbed the Pokémon and squeezed him. Said Pokémon was suffocating, trying to squirm free as Dedenne climbed onto his keeper’s shoulder. Pulling his body away after a few seconds of tight squeezing, she asked, “Where’s Clemont?”

The Grass Type waved his paw around dismissively. “Pin-pin, chespin, pin.” Bonnie raised an eyebrow but set him down, the Pokémon brushing himself off before waving towards Pikachu.

“Heh, looks like someone wanted to come around!” Ash remarked as he rubbed the head of Chespin, grinning as the Pokémon tapped his right foot on the ground happily, alternating between feet as the patting continued.

Serena nodded before taking out her own Pokéball, releasing Fennekin. “I know, I know, it’s dirty,” she said, catching her Pokémon before she touched the much-undesirable ground, “But I didn’t think it would be fair for you to not be a part of this. So, what do you say?”

Fennekin’s snout twitched as she looked around at all the Pokémon present, before making a sound that was very similar to a sigh. Serena smiled as she brought out a swath of cloth she had in her pocket for times like these, using one hand to set it down on the ground. “So you can enjoy yourself no matter what,” she said at the questioning look, setting the Pokémon down next.

Fennekin kneaded the cloth with her paws, careful to not unleash her claws before barking happily. Scatterbug inched closer, tapping at the edge of the mat before chirping a question at Serena.

“I wonder what it’s asking,” Bonnie murmured as Scatterbug went around the circumference of the cloth. Fennekin’s ears twitched but she restrained herself, looking faintly curious about the ordeal. Once Scatterbug finished its round, it then looked up at the sky and closed its eyes, right before a bright flash of light glowed from within it.

Everyone winced as the light overtook the pasture, a myriad of colours bursting from that one spot in space and time. Scatterbug’s shape flowed within the flash like water, moldable like clay, and in a few seconds the light broke apart into prism pieces, clearing up like sunshine after rain.

And just like that, the change was done.

“Did Scatterbug just…” Serena didn’t really have much words for it. She’s heard of the phenomenon in the same way as a child hears about growing up. Utterly foreign, irrelevant for the time being, not even applicable. Her mother talked about buying an Everstone for Rhyhorn, the brochure for getting a Starter Pokémon talked about having effortless transitions, but Serena has never seen it before.

Never felt it, heard it, experienced it.

“It evolved it evolved it evolved!” Bonnie never sounded so excited in her life, zooming towards where Fennekin sat. The fox lightly growled as everyone moved towards her place, protectively grabbing the scruff of the new Pokémon and spitting at the taste, pawing at her tongue after gently depositing the little one on the mini-blanket. 

Ash quickly brought out his Pokédex, putting on the speaker so that they could all hear.

“Spewpa.” Serena tried out the sound of that name, rolling the syllables with her tongue. Nodding, she petted the head of Spewpa. “I’m so happy for you! You’ve really grown—”

Up? Her heart lurched at that, but she kept smiling. Spewpa cooed as it headbutted the hand, before chirping at everyone, spreading out its fur so that it looked like wings, just as the Pokédex said.

Chespin wandered over to the edge of the mat, minding the glare that Fennekin gave him, before chirring happily at the newly evolved Pokémon. Spewpa chomped on his head spines.

Bonnie shook her head as the Grass Type ran around with the Bug-Type still on his head, stretching her as she called out towards the pair, “Now that’s some exercise! We’ll need that for the next game, though, so don’t get too tired, okay?”

“Next game?” Ash asked as he stood up, Pikachu on his shoulder as he returned the Pokédex back into his pocket. Bonnie shot him a big smile, and Serena felt a small bit of genuineness seep into her grin at that.

Bonnie merely shook her finger at them teasingly with a grin of her own. “Of course, silly! We’ve only just started!”

The room was dark, which wasn’t strange in and of itself, except that of course it was. “Clemont,” she whined, opening the door after he gave her the okay.

He didn’t look up. “Hmm?”

She closed the door behind them. Even if she felt dissatisfied with him, it didn’t mean that everyone else needed to hear about it. At least, not yet (not that they could, considering she left them outside while she came in for a small break). “What’cha doing?”

“Looking up Dazzle.” His answers were short, clipped. 

She brushed it off. “So… what did you find?”

“Not as much as I was expecting,” he admitted, glasses gleaming with the low light. “All he talks about is…”

Yeah. They didn’t need to go into that. “Is he really that good?”

“Not exactly. I’ll get to him soon. For now, you should probably go with Serena and Ash.”

She resisted the urge to pout. “Until when, exactly?”

“Until I’ve exhausted all my other options?” It ended like a question. She wished it was a question she could answer, just so she can reject him and all that he’s doing. Get him back. The real him.

“You keep doing this, you know.” She was trying. She knew he was too. But more often than not he was…

He finally looked up at her, one lens finally showing his eyes. They looked sorry and surprised at the same time. “I’ve only just started to search up on him yesterday and today.”

He kept doing that. Dodging. Like a wild Pokémon or something. “So are you saying that you’ll be with us after you find something?”

“I will,” he said, moving the tablet aside and rubbing her head. She leaned into it; after all, it wasn’t every day that he was physical, and she would take anything, everything. Something. Right now: a side hug. “Just give me some time. There’s something scrambling the signals around here and I need to get to the bottom of it.”

“I’m holding you to that,” she said, because that’s all she can do. She’ll keep doing it if she must. He chuckled with a tinge of embarrassment and she started to talk about all the things that she’ll do once he’ll come out, of course, and she delighted in how the red crept down his neck and spread to his ear, a splash of colour in the dark room.

And he did come out! He does walk outside after an hour and talks to them, revelling in Spewpa’s evolution and chatting up a storm about what, exactly, evolution entails. Laughing at Ash’s explosive hand movements and Serena’s furrowed brow and the latest invention, ready to blow up.

Bonnie knew that her brother needed some time, some space, something more. Something other. She knew.

But sometimes…

(She glanced at him, watching the way his gestures were tight, eyes always narrowed, posture restrained.)

Sometimes… yeah.

Dealing with Spewpa was a lot different to dealing with Scatterbug.

Its neck fluff now extended to the rest of its body sans its head, so it got dirty a lot more than it used to. Initially it kept tripping over the extra fur, tumbling about and rolling into small tight balls, but now it embraced it and frequently exposed its body to all sorts of elements to see what would happen, like getting the wind underneath itself so it can enjoy a small moment of levitation (and getting leaves stuck to it as a result). The dirty part really frustrated Fennekin, as evident by the way that she kept trying to groom Spewpa by digging out the brush from Serena’s bag and chasing down the Bug Type with it, which then always devolved into a whole chasing spree complete with Double Team going up against String Shot. Serena once managed to wrestle Spewpa in place long enough to pour some water from her bottle over the Pokémon, brushing out its fur and laughing at how the glitter blinked and sparkled (sometimes it irritated her skin, but it was a small price to pay) (nowadays, it doesn’t even hurt her at all).

There was also the problem of it being so much more hungrier than it used to be. The little one couldn’t help but scarf down all of the plants she gave it and then some, even trying out some of the kibble, grass, leaves and roots that it could move around to. And it can really move . Chespin was a frequent target of Spewpa’s surprise attacks, which was a sight to see: the usual glutton getting outeaten and even eaten himself.

(…Yes, Serena stopped it whenever she caught sight of the scene. She does care for Chespin, even if it did eat all of her PokéPuffs last night. While they were on the cooling rack. Without her even noticing.

She can at least take comfort in the fact that her cooking is that good, at the very least.)

Anyways. Spewpa. Changes.

That wasn’t to say that Spewpa was all bad. Its speed lent itself well to their training— er, the games they were playing, and it was a lot more sturdier too. And its control over its String Shot was becoming even more perfect over time, with it creating complicated patterns and drawing pictures of the others during their downtime. It was safe to say that Spewpa was quickly adjusting to its new body and that was a great thing, a beautiful thing, and Serena couldn’t have been more proud even if she tried. As it was, Bonnie was already proud as punch over the whole evolution as it was, pulling over Clemont as soon as he came out in order to bombard him with her story of events.

As it was, Serena was currently walking around looking for some more flowers for Spewpa, carrying around the little pouch that she had quickly made yesterday for times like these. Her gaze was focused on the ground— after all, with how hungry the Pokémon was, most of the plants were already cleared around the area, and more further out seemed to be bare of any other substitutes. Whether it was wild Pokémon or not, she didn’t want to risk it, which was why she had Fennekin on hand just in case.

She wasn’t planning to go too far. She knew how dangerous forests can be, ever since she was a young girl in Kanto. Even if it gave her the chance to meet someone new, the terror she felt beforehand wasn’t something she ever wanted to experience again. 

Even if she had her own Pokémon now.

Even though she has grown up now.

Even though she had friends that would care for her, help her, ready to be there when she needed it.

(A tinkling sound, sharp and clear.)

Serena paused, little pouch still swinging by her side as if caught by an invisible wind.

[You’ve heard this before.]

There was a feeling here: like foreboding, but not as… negative. It’s neutral. It’s mixed. It’s everything and nothing at once.

For a second, in front of her, she saw a flash of light. She shouldn’t follow it. She knows that she shouldn’t follow it.

But right when she turned her head around, there was a spark of pain-hurt-help, and well, you know what happened next.

There may not be a lot to Serena, it’s true, but she’ll always help. Even if she doesn’t know it yet. And as she walked deeper into the forest, small sprouts growing into tall grass, a definitive warning sign, she still didn’t back down.

Even when she saw the trap biting into the Pokémon’s leg.

Even when she saw the Pokémon themselves, glowing, bright, resplendent, limping in the middle of the empty field, too small and tight for them.

“You’re hurt,” she said, and the Pokémon stared at her with their eyes, a deep blue with a core of blackness in them. They were massive, big, looming and sharp, and yet Serena only felt the pain coming out of it. The place where it hurts. The cry for help. 

Her fingers brushed over the metal wiring that caught onto the Pokémon’s leg, and she pulled at it. It was hard, and her hands hurt, but her intention wasn’t to break it— just to give it enough of a push that the Pokémon can just slide out of it instead. “I’m sorry, but it’s going to take some time. Don’t worry though, I’ll set you free.”

Some time and patience. Sore fingers and twisting metal. After some time it was finally loose, and Serena took a step back as she wiped her head. “There! You should be able to get it off now.”

The Pokémon reared themselves upwards, their head tilted towards the sky as their antlers caught the light. The air vibrated with a chiming sound, twinkling lights rising from the ground in every hue possible.

(Red, orange)

Serena’s eyes reflected the glow as she looked up, the behemoth in front of her so much more massive (than before). She didn’t know whether she could touch it or not. Whether it was an illusion, or a choice that she could make.

(Yellow, green)

She could vaguely taste something sweet in her mouth. In that moment she felt stronger, smarter, braver than she’s ever been before. It felt like she could scale a mountain with her bare hands. Like she could fight off a hurricane all by herself. Like she could calculate every single possibility under the sky within a day.

(Blue, indigo)

The Pokémon shifted their weight, looking down at her once more. There was gratitude. There was interest. There was worry for the future.

(Violet.)

There was no one around. The clearing rustled with the stray wind, warm air caressing her cheek as the light died down. Serena felt her cheek with one hand, staring at the last place where she saw the Pokémon. Her voice was still gone for now, but… she came here for a reason, right? For Spewpa.

Her boots crunched against something underneath her as her hand slipped to her sides once more. 

Looking down, all Serena could see was yellow flowers.

Being in the Pokémon Centre meant that dinners were already made beforehand, which was a relief to Serena, even though her hands were still itching for some action. Sitting in the room that she was assigned with, she found herself knitting a small blanket for Spewpa, remembering how much it loved the one she made for Fennekin. Spewpa was going to evolve into a Vivillon next so it would be good to keep that in mind when creating the blanket, which meant incorporating as many colours as she could, switching up between different threads as she hummed time away.

Red. Orange. Yellow…

“Hey, psst, Serena!”

She looked over at Bonnie, who smiled before pressing a finger to her mouth, already in her nightwear. Beckoning her over, Serena dropped the project and walked outside with the other girl, finding a tent erected over the battlefield on the other side of the Centre as the night sky stretched above them. The tent that Bonnie loaned her last night (how long ago has it been since then?). “I know it’s not properly outside, but I wanted to camp with you! And we can both see the stars with our Pokémon, I know that Sca— I mean, Spewpa would love to see the sky at night, y’know, before it evolves again.”

“Hmm, and why do you want me, huh?” Serena bopped her nose, and Bonnie shook it off with a laugh. “Come on, what’s your real reason, mademoiselle?”

“Can’t I just be with a friend?” She laughed even more as Serena went to tickling her instead, batting her hands away with her own. “Okay, okay, I never get to camp out on my own! And if I had to camp with anyone, I would rather be with you. I just wanted someone to talk to without, erm, whatever Ash and my big bro go through.”

“Yeah, they can be a lot.” She paused, looking over at her with wide eyes as she finally processed the whole talk. “Wait, you really think that?”

Bonnie gave her a look. “Serena.”

“Even though I’m just, well… You know that I don’t have a goal or anything—”

“Serena.”

“Okay!” Serena put her hands up in defeat, still smiling at the thought of… well, everything. It felt nice to be appreciated. To be wanted. “Let me just get some of my stuff and we’ll do it!”

There wasn’t much to get, which was a relief. Bringing over her project, her portable device and wearing her pajamas, Serena settled next to Bonnie inside the tent. “This is kind of fun,” she admitted as they laid down together, a small lantern between them.

Bonnie grinned. “I know right! I knew it would be awesome if I camped out with you!”

“Even though we didn’t do anything yet?” The light danced on the inside of the covers, dynamic and flowing.

“You’re just being modest! Look! We can… do finger puppets! Check this out!” A shadow popped up on the cover, wiggling ears and whiskers on a round face. “You’ll never guess what kind of Pokémon that is!”

Serena squinted. “A Pikachu?”

“Yeah! And how about this one?” A long, inching body.

“Scatterbug?”

“You’re good! Wanna do some of your own?”

She felt her mouth tick upwards, the night seeming so much more brighter even without the lantern itself. Spewpa sleeping in her overturned hat with the half-finished blanket, Serena started to mime out her own Pokémon shapes.

A Fletchling. A Jigglypuff. A Plusle/Minun.

Time ticking by, joy blossoming in a shared space. 

Maybe it wasn’t as magical as it was in her past youth. Maybe she will still find it in her heart to dislike it, to shy away from it.

But these moments playing around with Bonnie, laughing and chatting and making their own stories together, their own memories, their own fun… she can get used to a camping experience like this.

…Just as long as there was a Pokémon Centre nearby.

Serena’s sleep were rarely eventful.

She usually suffered bone-deep weariness once she hit the bed, whether it was back at home with its endless Rhyhorn race training or on the road after whatever hijinks that the day had brought. The nights underneath her eyelids are usually as dark as they came, even when she woke up refreshed afterwards. That is to say she didn’t really dream, and from what she’s heard her whole life, it was probably for the better.

(Even if it was lonely. Even if it was just another way she was an outcast, through all these little differences that she had to hide— no dream to keep her company, either viewing in the night or living in the day. It would’ve been funny if it wasn’t so… ironic, in its own twisted way.)

But dream or not, she would’ve never expected the night to look so…

Bright. Colourful. She couldn’t describe it, the dreamlike quality making her mouth feel like it was full of fuzz and her brain much the same, but she felt so strangely content in this moment. She wandered around, feeling bursts of warmth and sparks run across her skin as she made her way around, hair flowing behind her as she traversed the dreamscape, towering trees and flowers up to her knees and sunlight-spotlights dappling the grass around her.

It was so beautiful. It felt so beautiful. A small part of her heart couldn’t help but hold onto it, even as she felt time slipping, slipping, slipping away.

Slipping? Towards what?

(Her mouth was too fuzzy, too full of threadbare sweetness.)

There— In the distance. A familiar blink of-of…

Home.

She swallowed, putting a hand on her chest. A small sound slipped out of her throat then, so noticeable.

The world was so empty (home…).

There was a choice here. A decision to be made.

She turned away, and came face to face with herself.

A reflection, she self-consciously knew. Not-her cocked her head, waiting for something.

An answer. She couldn’t even look back even if she wanted to. “I can’t. I need to… Spewpa needs me.”

The question was waiting, still. She shook her head, trying to gain some semblance of control. Her feet stepped back, heels clicking against the ground. “There’s something for me out there, I know it. I just need more time. More space. More…”

Not-her turned her head back, looking into what was behind (what’s in front of Serena). A swirling burst of colour, green, blue, indigo, whispering with indistinguishable voices. Most of them unfamiliar ones. But some…

(Her friends…)

Serena found herself stepping forward, eyes on what was in front of her. What was always in front of her, that she managed to see thanks to the help of her friends, human and Pokémon alike, people she met on the road and people she met face to face and people she will see again, will always see again.

She stopped at the edge. The colours were there, violet, violet, violet, just out of reach. She turned back and saw not-her, who was watching her (make a choice).

Serena always wanted this, didn’t she?

The freedom to choose. But there’s also the ability to choose, and how much the choices resonated, and most of all what choices actually worked for her.

Something to call her own. Her own colour. Her own dream.

Could she take it back? Did she ever want to take it back?

She turned back, facing the unknown. There were so many things that could turn wrong here. That could go wrong. If it happened… she didn’t know what she could do.

But she still had her friends by her side. And if there’s one thing she’s learnt, it was that there was always a risk worth taking—

And her hand slammed across the surface as she reached out as quickly as she could, before she could regret it, colours and sounds and light rippling and exploding outwards, embracing her, surrounding her, her choice, her choice, something that is hers, always, even if she didn’t know it yet.

(And so maybe there was some warmth resting by her still, a thank-you in the air, not the first and not the last.)

(And so maybe, she was never truly alone, no matter what she chose.)

She woke up, still feeling like she was floating/falling.

Serena turned over to Bonnie, watching the girl snore to herself. She must’ve been really tuckered out after staring at the night sky and talking about the constellations she learnt about, leaning over Serena’s shoulders back then as she boasted about how she could name twenty before heading back (she made it up to eighteen before truly nodding off).

It was… so nice, being like this. Even though it wasn’t her goal, wasn’t really her true journey, having the others help her with raising and caring for Scatterbug-now-Spewpa was so kind and caring and beautiful. It felt warm, like eating fresh bread from a familiar bakery. It felt cozy. It felt like the perfect moment stretching out for eternity.

The dream she just had doesn't matter. Her home didn’t matter either. Under this big, vast sky, all there was is now, fleeting and ephemeral, and Serena will grasp it with whatever she has. Her fingers wriggle next to her, wanting to do just that. 

It would be so easy to just get up, shake off the sleep, busy herself with something. The knitting project was so close. If she wandered far enough, she could even encounter Ash and have another talk. 

It was so easy, but looking over at Bonnie’s sleeping face, the way her hair slipped through the gaps of her onesie and the fabric jaws nestled around her face, that peaceful expression… it lulled Serena to a similar level of serenity.

Just a little nap.

A small one.

She has countless nights that she can waste away, but tonight, just for once, she would want to live a whole night with her friend by her side, back to back, facing the stars.

And then maybe… they will face tomorrow together, just like always, powered by the hours they spent sleeping under the same sky.

Just maybe.

Chapter Text

Clemont was a lot of things, but being persistent was a finicky trait that only asserted itself in the strangest of circumstances.

Take, for example, the strange signal.

He’s observed a lot of different emitters and signalers in his (admittedly short) lifetime, all with their own uses and formats. Some Pokémon have their own biological signals, although they are usually called pheromones. The point is— Well, the point is, this one was strange. Obviously. That’s how it was brought to his attention. It definitely wasn’t standard for any old signaler, especially one around here. And the fact that there was a Pokémon Smuggler did not help ease his concerns.

So, of course, he rigged up an invention to find it.

That’s the main reason why he ended up being outside, although he really was going to stay with the others once his search proved useless, blew up in his face (in which it did), or he actually found something. Clemont wasn’t stupid: he wasn’t going to corner the smuggler alone, but he wanted to make his time worthwhile. Make his skills worth it. Despite the explosions.

And that’s how he ended up being lost in the forest.

He was wandering around with the tracker in his hands, wincing at the way the wavelengths bounced, glitched and wiggled without reason. A weak nullifier perhaps, or a signal scrambler? Why? How? And now? His mind whirred with the possibilities, wondering about what could be near, or far, or just around the corner.

The bushes rustled next to him and Clemont froze, his hands tightly gripping the machine as his face whitened (he shouldn’t have, couldn’t have, wouldn’t have—).

A portly man came out, shaking his head and patting down his leather aviator cap, goggles sitting atop it. His bushy moustache twitched before his gaze locked onto Clemont, and he sucked in a breath at the way the man’s eyes narrowed. “Whaddaya you lookin’ at, kid?”

“N-nothing.” Get a hold of yourself, seriously. It wasn’t like he was doing anything wrong. Straightening himself up, the inventor then said, “I’m just looking for my friends and got a little turned around. Are you okay, sir?”

The man waved a dismissive hand at him, returning his attention to the device he was holding. “Eh, just mind your own business. Doubt you can be any help with the way that you are.” Clemont flushed at that, feeling like he was brushed off so easily. “Now go! I can’t find what I need with you stepping around the place.”

His fist clenched by his side before he shrugged it off, walking away. The signal wasn’t getting any clearer, and daylight was burning fast. Might as well see what the others are doing now.

(A strange signal, a strange man, a pair of trackers leading to the same place.

It’s nothing, really. A coincidence, surely.)

It was later that night where it all fell apart.

“You again?” The man sighed, his goggles over his eyes. Clemont was tired of staring at the same screen with the same non-answers and those numbers that made him feel sick inside, Pokémon details and prices so easily written down and glowing in the dark, as plain to see as the day itself. He just walked out of his room. He just found this man again, too close for comfort. The man’s goggles gleamed like the surface of dark water, betraying a calculating depth. “Geez, don’t you ever catch a break, kid?”

Clemont shook his head, trying to breathe. It’s all okay. It’s totally normal. Just a man, a totally man-to-man talk, and a door that they shouldn’t be in front of. “Still looking?”

“No, not exactly.” The man rapped his knuckles against the door, and Clemont’s skin shivered. It was one thing to be in the open space. It’s entirely different to be in an enclosed area, too (way too) close for comfort. “‘M thinkin’ that my small wad of merchandise could be behind one of these doors. Nothing that’ll concern you, so you can just go— shoo, shoo!”

But... Before the inventor could open his mouth, a flash of light popped out from one of his pockets. It was such a strange and disconcerting feeling that even though he experienced it a few times by now, he still felt a little discombobulated by it all. Even if he knew the culprit. “Chespin, I—“

Dark fur and a long pair of ears tightly curled at the tips. Clemont blinked a few times, and the man, who was readying his Pokéball, laughed. “Aww, you’ve got a real cutie with that Bunnelby, don’t you? Really had me going there for a second. Now be a nice lad and leave me be, maybe even train up that Pokémon into actually being a proper pet if you’re feeling generous.”

Bunnelby growled, a sound that Clemont didn’t expect to hear from him. The inventor faced the man once more, trying to gather as much courage as he could. “Sir, that’s my friend's room. I can’t have you enter there until we have finished our stay.”

“What do you mean, kid?” His tone was defensive, but his physical stance was anything but. There was a cruel twist of his lips as he said, “I’m just going to get one small thing then leave, alright? This used to be my room too, you know, and I’m sure I dropped something there. I won’t even bother a hair on your friend's head, I promise.”

Clemont shook off those pandering words. It was wrong. Even if he did have that room, which was in doubt considering they have been here for days now, that didn’t mean he could just walk in. “I’m sorry, but I can’t—“

“Just get out of the way, will ya!” A fist sailed by him, almost connecting his forehead if it weren’t for Bunnelby quickly redirecting the punch with both of his ears. Clemont blinked, breath coming in and out fast, as the moment hit him.

This man tried to hit him.

“Bun!” The Pokémon kicked off the man’s chest to then slam him with a Double Slap, quick and efficient, before landing on Clemont’s shoulder. Bunnelby’s body was tense, rippling with muscle all of a sudden, and the ability flashed into his mind even though the man was starting to shake off its effects. Huge Power.

The man spat on the ground, wiping his mouth as the moonlight caught the bottom half of his face. “You’re such a nuisance, you know that? Causing such a nuisance and a racket… I don’t appreciate people who make things harder for me.” Clemont could feel the burn of his glare, but he held his ground.

He had to hold his ground. Bunnelby was next to him, bristling with power, and Clemont wasn’t going to let that go to waste either. “You're not going to get to that room, okay? You think you can just bully your way into getting what you want, but that’s not how life works. That’s not how this is going to work, either.” Staring at those goggles, so full of rage, he made himself say, “I’m giving you until the count of three to evacuate the premises or I’ll call Officer Jenny right now. She’s still around right now, in this very building in fact. And I doubt you’ll appreciate bars more than you appreciate me.”

“Do you really think that I’d care about—”

“Three.”

The man curled his fists again.

“Two.”

Bunnelby flexed his ears.

“One.”

Footsteps barreled, loud and thunderous—

“Zero.”

The hallways were empty except for a boy and his Pokémon.

(A shaking moment of courage, foreign and new and tasting like spit.)

Officer Jenny blinked as she looked over at the group sitting on the table. “Spewpa?” she asked as she stood next to them, raising an eyebrow.

“Yep, it evolved yesterday!” Ash bit into the crepe, mumbling at the taste. “Man, that’s good… We did it through tr—”

“Playing games!” Bonnie piped up, elbowing the Trainer. Ash choked on the food before shooting her a glare. She ignored it, waving her hands around it. “C’mon, you have to admit that it looks, oh, I dunno, stronger…”

Jenny sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. “Really?”

The others clambered on top of each other to explain, exactly, how much more stronger Spewpa has become, but Serena’s eyes drifted onto Clemont, who was picking at his food. “Everything okay?” she whispered, and he quickly straightened himself up before giving her a wane smile.

“I think I need to check your room,” he said, voice low, and Serena’s smile froze. Clemont then started to wave his hands around, looking panicked as he belatedly added, “Not like— I just mean, well, there was this stranger with a device and I think the source of the strange signal is in your room.”

“My room?” She pondered over the implications, before shaking her head. “Okay, let’s go then. I trust you, anyways.”

“Anyways?” Clemont asked with a wry smile, but he seemed more relaxed as they slipped away from the table, moving away from the discussions everyone was having. Their rooms weren’t too far, considering the relationship they had with the Nurse Joy who was running the Centre, but the inventor still had his hands in his pocket as Serena found her door and opened it.

Though she didn’t use the room last night, it was still okay and as clean as ever. Looking around, she then asked him, “So, what was it you—”

Clemont whipped out a compass from his right pocket and stared at its interface, moving it around the room. He was muttering some words underneath his breath— on further analysis, she could tell that he barely slept last night, hair ruffled and movements shaky. Serena felt worried for him.

She could…

What could she do?

“Aha!” The sudden exclamation made Serena jump, but Clemont wasn’t mindful of his volume as he lifted up the rag that was Fennekin’s blanket yesterday that was left on the top of the nearby drawer. “It’s coming from here.”

“What’s coming from where?” She leaned in closer, finding a glint of something metallic sliding on the fabric as he shook it about. “Wait. Is that…”

Clemont picked up the small metal speck, turning it around with his pinched fingers. “Hmm. A tracker. Small enough to be almost unnoticeable. It’s probably monitoring more than just location though… I’ll go and check it out.” He tucked away his device and held onto the mini tracker, walking out of the door as if he didn’t find something so terrifyingly invasive in her room.

“But…” Clemont turned around, facing Serena as she tried to find the right words. “Where was the tracker before?”

The inventor’s glasses shone as he nudged them up his nose. “I think the real question is what was the tracker on.”

Her breath stilled.

(Wait, what?)

Even as they returned back to the table, just five minutes afterwards, her heart couldn’t stop skipping every beat, playing those two words over and over. Jenny caught their appearance and raised an eyebrow, eyes widening as she then noticed the tracker that was sandwiched between Clemont’s fingers. “Where did you find—“

“Serena’s room. I had reason to believe that there was… someone tracking us. Or rather, a Pokémon that we had.” Clemont’s eyes were on Spewpa, watching as the Bug-Type chittered to Pikachu enthusiastically. “I think that’s how Dazzle keeps track of the Pokémon around here. The road is anything but smooth, and he’s bound to lose some of his catches around the area.”

Ash did a spittake. “What, that Pokémon Smuggler's around here?!”

“Possibly,” Jenny mused, tapping on the table. She stood up from the seat she temporarily took, adopting a more serious face. “This is a lot more serious than I imagined. None of you are safe if you continue to harbour Spewpa, especially around here.”

“Then let us help?” Bonnie retorted, keeping a steady gaze. 

The woman shook her head. “Not a chance, not with the new evidence that came—“

“He’s just going to keep going after Spewpa,” Serena said, simple and clear.

Everyone looked at her, even Clemont.

She took a deep breath in, resting her hand on Spewpa as it squeaked at her, happy for her to have come back. “Dazzle knows his technology. He’s not going to just give up because you’re around, Officer Jenny, and he’s not going to care that we’re in a Pokémon Centre either. From what I’ve heard, it sounds like he’s a greedy man that won’t stop at anything to get what he thinks is his.”

“He is,” Jenny whispered, looking downwards.

Serena continued, watching as Spewpa curled up underneath her hand. “He won’t stop if he’s lost a single Scatterbug or Spewpa, right? So maybe we can use that to our advantage. Lure him close and follow his tracker’s signal. Find his hideout. Then free all of Spewpa’s friends and end his operations for good.” She looked up at the officer then, adding, “I promised Spewpa that I would help no matter what. I’m not leaving until I’m sure that it’s safe.”

Officer Jenny looked thoughtful, even if she maintained a pensive face. “And it’s my responsibility to make sure that all of you are safe first and foremost.”

“Then how about this: we’ll come with you, and you can keep your eye on us.” Ash stood up, wiping his mouth before tipping his cap. “That way, we’ll all be together. Safety in numbers, right?”

“He’s got you there,” Nurse Joy called out as she walked by them, pushing a cart of boxes before entering through the next set of automatic doors. Jenny sighed and rubbed underneath her own cap. 

Somehow, at some point in time, Serena found herself leaning forward. Glancing around her, she could feel the same energy thrumming in her friends as well. Spewpa followed her gaze and chirped, before stiffening its fur once more and twirling in place.

“Fine,” Officer Jenny sighed, sounding defeated.

(Dazzle wants Spewpa?)

Then she raised a finger, expression tough and unrelenting. “But, on one condition.”

(Then he’ll get one.)

“This is unfair!” Ash groaned as he wandered around the front of the Pokémon Center, dragging his feet around as he paced. “We’re really going to wait for the right time?”

“He’s not just going to show himself because he’s lost one Scatterbug in a Pokémon Centre.” Serena tried to balance with Spewpa on her shoulder, smiling softly as Bonnie gave her a thumbs up. “We need to make it look as appealing as possible so he’ll take the bait without thinking about it too hard.”

“And that’s where my brother comes in!” Bonnie was feeding some pellets towards Dedenne’s pouch, laughing as the tiny nose nudged up her fingers. “He’ll be fast, don’t worry.”

“He better be.” Jenny said, fitting her motorbike with an extra cart. Manectric trotted out of the Pokémon Centre, grumbling as he shook out his mane, and she gave him a pat on the head once he was close enough, following him inside the building and giving a questionable look to what was in front of her.

There were some clicking and clanking sounds before Clemont burst out of the very same entrance, lugging a massive machine that had long tubes running from either side of it. “Behold, the future is now, thanks to… science!”

Ash visibly perked up, eyes sparkling as he turned towards Clemont like a Sunflora to sunlight. “Wow, science is so amazing!”

“…You haven’t even heard what it’s about?” Chuckling to himself, the inventor set the machine down with a resounding thud, making Serena question his arm strength before he leaned on it with one hand. “This machine will help us make an effortless replica of Spewpa, complete with fur and a warm body!”

“That sounds so creepy when you say it like that,” Bonnie muttered as Clemont went to laugh maniacally, pressing one of the buttons on the machine as his glasses flashed.

“Now! Switch on!” The machine started to shake in place, steam spewing from the top as loud screeching sounds emitted from its clattering arms and flaps. Serena took a few steps back, looking concerned as the sounds became louder, putting a hand onto Spewpa’s head to calm it before a huge burst of smoke came out. 

Some coughing, reassurances that no, it did not blow up thank you very much, and more excited exclamations afterwards, and it was done.

A miniature model of Spewpa correct to scale, fluff coming out of its anatomically correct neck, rovering around with the tip of its body as its eyes blinked Hoothoot-ishly.

The real Spewpa hopped off Serena’s shoulders and spread out its fluff, chirping at its copy and cocking its head when it ignored him. Clemont rubbed his neck as he ducked down and took the mechanical fake, patting down its fluff as he said, “It’s not going to be totally responsive, but we don’t need it to be. The most Dazzle’s going to do is check if it’s still living, and with the secret ingredient, there should be enough of a heat signature for him to track. Now,” and he drew out the tracker left in his pocket, gluing it on, “Go forth, my Completely-Real-Spewpa-In-A-Cage!”

“That might be the lamest name you’ve ever given it.”

“It’s still so amazing though!”

Serena shook her head as she walked over to Clemont, giving him a nod. “Pretty convincing, I’ll give you that.”

The inventor puffed out his chest. “Of course it is, I made it. I even tweaked and incorporated some parts of the Furfrou-Trimming-Like-A-Pro for the fur, so it’ll be extra soft.” His voice faltered a little as he looked away, adding, “...You sort of gave me that idea, you know.”

“Me?” Serena, with no dreams and no aspirations? No direction? Nothing on this journey but friends and Pokémon and hope and love?

He patted the machine next to him. “Of course you did. You told me it’s the ending that needs to change, once, and that got me thinking… Maybe I can make my old ones go on. Just a little. When it’s easy to work it into the new design, as you’ve seen.”

Serena’s heart warmed, and she felt her mouth give way to a genuine smile. “You’re the genius around here. I never would’ve expected you to do something like that.”

“But I did, and it’s thanks to you. So, please, take it.” He handed her the fake, so small and delicate, and she felt their hands touch as she took it. Spewpa chirped at it once more, this time marvelling at its likeness.

It was so… warm, too. Disconcertingly so. She gave him a look, and Clemont let out an awkward laugh. “To be fair, I wasunder a time limit. A small heat pack was the best I could do,” he admitted, and that was the moment where Officer Jenny rolled by them inside her motorcycle.

To say the least, it was a very awkward conversation as they made their way towards the forest outside of the Pokémon Centre. Of course, Jenny didn’t care about the machine being powered by a heat pack and AA batteries, but the safety of them (wisely, no one told her of the side effects that were usually suffered by Clemont’s machines). After some scoping around they found the right place, and Serena set down the fake.

…Even it was fake, she didn’t wish it to come to (much) harm. Patting its head, she then placed it in its customised cage and vacated the area, watching as Clemont went to spray it with some formula that allegedly made it smell so that no human hands had touched it. He looked pensive about the action, and Serena was about to ask him about it before Jenny directed them away from the area and into a safe hiding place. “Now, it’s about the wait,” she whispered, signalling to them to silence themselves before retreating into her cycle once more.

The wait was a long one.

Ash fidgeted. Bonnie played tic-tac-toe with Pikachu and Dedenne. Clemont rubbed beneath his glasses every few minutes, looking slightly dazed as he continued to keep watch. 

After a few hours a jeep rolled by, identical to what started them on this sidequest in the first place, and Jenny waved at them to get down and observe. 

Work boots thudded into view, and a rusty voice called out, “Well, if it isn’t the precious commodity itself. Gone up and evolved without me, ey? Maybe that’s why the signal was on the fritz...” Big beefy hands then scooped up the Spewpa machine, tilting it from side to side. A distorted squeak came out of it, and the man grunted. “A bit weird-lookin’, lemme tell you that. But any of youse is a good deal to me.” The boots turned around and walked away, and a minute later the jeep drove off into the distance.

They still had to wait until he was just a speck of light before the officer revved her engine, looking grim yet delighted at the same time. “I can’t believe that worked!” she said, and Manectric let out a bark of approval. She then turned to Clemont, asking him, “You’ve still got the visuals on him?”

“It’s steady,” he replied as he stepped on forward, a determined glint in his eyes. “He’s going northeast from our current location, which right now is heading towards the cliffs around here.”

“Sounds about right.” Edging her motorcycle closer, she told the others, “Stay close, stay alert, and at the first sign of danger, leave. You got that?” Accepting their nods, she then went forward, going at a pace where she could still hear and see them through her rear view mirror while leading ahead.

The road became more unkempt and rockier as they followed the trail, Clemont pointing the way with furrowed brows as Ash carried his pack and Bonnie calling out encouragement (and occasionally some other phrases). Serena made sure that Spewpa was okay as they quickly made their way across, moving deeper and closer until…

“It’s no use,” Clemont said as they stopped at an outcropping of trees surrounded by fallen logs. Officer Jenny parked her motorcycle as she peered at the compass, which was glitching and making questionable sounds. “The signal is too dense here. He’s probably made a net around his area to stop any trackers that aren’t his, and I still haven’t got a hold on isolating it yet.”

“It can’t be helped,” the officer said, straightening herself up with a sigh. She nodded at the inventor, adding, “Thanks to you, though, we’ve gotten even closer to Dazzle than we’ve ever been before, so I’d say that’s some good assistance.”

“Are you still going to find him?” Ash inquired as the woman walked over to her vehicle, starting it up again.

Jenny nodded. “As much as I loathe to say it, he’s not entirely dense. This is the only time a decoy has been successfully deployed, and that means he’s going to be mad and make some mistakes soon. That’ll be my opening to get him, so I’ll have to track him now while I’ve got the chance.” Tilting the motorcycle away from the logs, she said, “This is where we part, then.”

“But—” Bonnie became quiet as Ash put a hand on her shoulder. Waving at the police officer, they watched her leave into the thicket of trees ahead before Ash pulled his hand away. Bonnie rubbed her shoulder before looking up at him, asking, “What’s that for?”

Ash gave her a smile before he turned to Clemont and patted his shoulder. “How big do you suppose ‘the net’ to be?”

The inventor blinked, tucking his tracker in his pocket as he mused to himself. “About several kilometres, I’d say. Thirty? Roughly?”

The Kantonian Trainer nodded, before unclipping a Pokéball and throwing it out. Fletchling came out of the sparkle of light, and Spewpa shivered as it ducked into Serena’s curtain of hair from its perch in her shoulder. Ash waved over his Pokémon, commanding him to, “Search around the area and let me know if you find a car and a building!”

“Oh!” Bonnie belatedly cried as Serena came to a similar conclusion. Clemont raised an eyebrow as Ash shrugged, the latter citing how, “Jenny didn’t say when we had to leave. I just thought that we might as well check out the area.”

“And then ‘might’ as well confront the bad guy and ‘might’ as well free all of the captured Pokémon?” Shaking his head at Ash’s nervous laugh, Clemont looked over at Serena. She blinked, and he kindly said, “It’s totally up to you and Spewpa. Ash may be living off on adrenaline, but Officer Jenny is right. Safety is paramount, after all.”

“But…” All the words floated away from Serena’s grasp, ghosts of what she thought she could say. She’s not like her friends. She cannot pull out a dramatic and noteworthy speech in times of crisis like Ash, or make something completely outside the realm of possibility like Clemont. She can’t connect with every Pokémon that she sees like Bonnie does, either.

But Spewpa chose her. And brushing her hair away, watching its dark eyes as it chirped in encouragement, well, the answer was clear anyways.

“We’ll do it,” she said, feeling it ring true and clear. Finding the reactions on their faces, the patience and willingness and care they all had, she even found herself believing in it too.

Sure, she might not have a true goal to journey right now, or a quest. She may be stuck on the sidelines, waiting for something to happen instead of the other way around.

But right now, in this moment, she had everything she really needed. And maybe that counted for something.

“Let’s find Dazzle’s hideout.”

Turns out, his place wasn’t very far after all.

If Clemont wasn’t dead by the time they reached the base of the mountain, he definitely was once they reached the edge where Dolan’s jeep was parked. Ash called back Fletchling as the bird twittered at the scene, hurriedly reprimanding it as the inventor gave a shaky thumbs down at the question Bonnie asked him. Serena peered around the barbed wire that surrounded the property: in all other cases, she would’ve assumed it was a broken-down factory or warehouse. It briefly reminded her of where they found Team Rocket, or rather, where Team Rocket took some of them a few weeks ago. She grimaced at the memory.

“And look, we’ve even beat Officer Jenny!” Bonnie was saying, trying to push her brother into a sitting position. “C’mon, where was all the… strength you were talking about?”

“It doesn't exist,” he replied drily as he rag-dolled around her. Catching Serena’s bemused look, Clemont straightened up, fixing up his glasses as Bonnie almost overshoot past him. “Oh. Yeah. Pokémon Smuggler’s place.”

“It doesn’t look like anyone’s around,” Ash piped up as he walked towards them, the four people making a tight circle with each other. “If we wait, we might not get another opportunity again.”

Clemont stood up and dusted off his pants, looking conflicted. “But what if he’s inside? His car is around, after all. He wouldn’t just leave it if he’s going somewhere.”

“I don’t think we should risk it,” Serena said, biting her lip. She looked behind them, but there still was no sign of the police officer. “Couldn’t we just keep watch until she comes around?”

“But what if Spewpa’s friends are waiting for us?!” Bonnie pushed in, looking worried and resolute at the same time.

The three Trainers looked at each other, then Clemont sighed. “I didn’t want to tell you all this, but I think… Well, I might have met Dazzle before. Last night. Actually. In the flesh.”

“You did wh—?!”

“Look,” he quickly hushed them, shaking his head, “It wasn’t much for me to really tell, but he’s. Um. He’s bad. And I know it’s obvious, but I need you to understand that he’s not a good man. We only have one chance. Do you really want to take it now, with no other support?”

“I’ve got my Pokémon, though,” Ash said, trying to walk forward so he could stand on the boulder at the edge of the property. “And together we’re definitely outnumbering him even if he is strong. Just trust us, please?”

Serena listened to the back and forth motions between the boys, feeling torn. It was infinitely easier to just wait it out. Observe the area. Be safe, above all else. It’s an instinct hard-baked into her core, and no matter what she doesn’t think it will dissolve away any moment soon.

But… She turned her head to Spewpa, whose eyes were focused on the compound in front of them, never blinking. Spewpa could’ve been in there. Spewpa’s friends are still in there. Isn’t it still a risk they’re taking if they don’t take any action at all?

“If we have the chance now, then maybe we should… just take it.” Everyone looked at her, and Serena cast her gaze to what was in front of them (what they would inevitably face, if they were ever going to save Spewpa’s friends). Feeling Spewpa sitting on her shoulder, she looked around before glancing back at her friends. “Whatever happens, we’ll face it together, just like always. But if we don’t do anything at all then we’re just wasting our time here, right? We did come all this way…”

“…I suppose,” Clemont said, rubbing the back of his neck. “Just— We’re all going to stick together, no wander off, and no entering the building until we are sure it’s free from any traps. We must exercise caution at all times. Over here, Dazzle has the home advantage.”

“We will,” Ash said as he placed a hand on Clemont’s shoulder. His voice was notably devoid of the roguish charm, instead adopting a more earnest tone as they went forward as one towards the building in front of them.

They walked past the gate, spilling in like ink as they spread out, still close enough to each other as they made their way through the deserted yard. Serena swallowed the ball of fear in her throat, wondering wondering wondering if they made the right choice.

If she made the right choice.

As Fletchling had previously noted, there was no other sign of the man being around here. The area outside the building was mostly clear with a carpet of leaves littering the place. It truly felt abandoned, like there was no soul around here except them, and the silence beyond their footsteps were deafening. 

A small creaking sound.

Spewpa jumped as the ground beneath Serena gave way— No, beneath everyone gave way, netting bundling them up and snapping against the tree they just passed by, pulling them high above the ground itself. Serena felt her fingers instinctively grip the rope in front of her, trying to break free, to take a breath, to give herself some space.

Her eyes caught onto something below (because they’re above now, they’ve so high above), and her stomach flipped.

Spewpa.

Spewpa’s down there.

A low laugh came out from the furthest side of the building, a man with a pudgy face coming by them as he leered from below. “Well, lookie at what we have here. Some pipsqueaks who were too big for their britches, huh? Thinking that ol’ Daz can be fooled that easy?” He brought out the decoy, shaking it harshly and making the gears clank inside it. Serena could feel the body on her right side stiffen, and the man smirked before crushing the fake machine with his bare hands. “Oh, of course you’d be a part of the patrol. Gonna bring out your little helper to jump me now? No?” He released his fist, and pieces of crumpled metal fell to the ground with a stirring of dust.

‘Might’ have met Dazzle. Right. Clemont barked out, “So it was you! You really were Dazzle all along!”

“Aye, don’t wear it out. Since you’re all pipsqueaks you might as well get down to size and just call me Daz, eh? And I thank you for your thoughtful delivery, it almost makes up for your rude and uncouth behaviour from before. Almost.” Walking over to Spewpa, who was shivering, the man’s smile became bigger as he started to reach out towards the Pokémon. “Just the treasure I was looking for…”

“Froakie, I choose you!” The net swung with the force of the Pokéball releasing its energy, a speck of blue materialised in front of Spewpa, growling at the man advancing. Daz paused and raised an eyebrow, and Froakie tore off some part of his Frubbles to hurl the man, who sputtered as it hit his face and forced him a few steps back. Ash shuffled inside the net and said, “You’ve got to battle us to get to Spewpa.”

Reckless. Insane. A horrible choice, and yet…

“You’re all so naive, it’s making me puke.” But the man’s smile didn’t falter as he wiped his face and shrugged. “But I can’t say I can deny the mouthwatering price of a pristine Starter. This might even need a real Pokémon to capture it, methinks.” He whistled, and a thumping sound arose from the warehouse as a hunking shadow covered Daz’s face.

Of course. Their luck couldn’t be much worse than that. Clemont choked on his breath as Ash started to laugh, tucking away his Pokédex, and even if Serena couldn’t see it she could feel his smile, his overwhelming confidence. He definitely had a plan, and considering Ash, it was either going to be perfect or… 

She chanced a glance at Spewpa, who was still shivering behind Froakie. Well, the plan has to be perfect. For Spewpa and all of its friends’ sake.

“You’ll have to catch us first.” As if having already coordinated the movements, the Trainer called out, “Froakie, use Water Pulse.”

“Tsk, tsk, going by the books, kid? You look greener than grass itself.” Diggersby dodged the Water Pulse easily, roaring before throwing himself forward. “Now, use Thunder Punch!”

Diggersby grinned before swinging his massive ears forward, both of the tips crackling with yellow energy. Froakie barely dodged, falling onto the ground and scuffing his leg. Ash winced, before calling out, “We won’t back down. Use Bubble to stop him!”

Froakie ran around Diggersby as the latter lumbered towards him, blowing out some bubbles that were easily blocked by the ears. While the Pokémon were battling, Bonnie managed to nudge Serena as she whispered some commands. Looking to her left she could see Dedenne out of his bag, chewing on the ropes as ferociously as he could, and the older girl’s heart warmed.

She turned her attention to Spewpa and gasped: the little Pokémon was now climbing towards their tree, determination in every scuttling step as if made its way across as discreetly as possible. Daz was still occupied with the battle, the promise of an extra Pokémon to sell too great for his greed, and Spewpa was always a fast one.

It slipped a little on its coat, almost falling down, before shaking it off and continuing its pace. She found herself smiling at it despite it all, watching it go. Sometimes too fast for its own good.

There was a tiny pop and Serena turned her head to Clemont, who was bending down and covering himself as much as he could. In any other person it would seem to be a sign of defeat, but…

Well. The hole near the base of the tree suggested something different.

“Even if it seems like it, we’re not out of options yet,” he whispered as he pushed back against her gently, and she reciprocated the sentiment, watching the progress of the battle and keeping an eye on Spewpa all the same.

(Everyone was… doing something. Making a difference. Doing what they can. Choices upon choices, even if they aren’t perfect. The best out of what they had.)

“Use Payback!” The Diggersby charged up with dark, ominous light before blasting the energy forward, hitting Froakie and putting him off balance. The Digging Pokémon then charged forward with electrified ears once more, punching the frog while he’s down. 

Ash shouted towards his partner as Daz laughed, the man stepping forward with a cruel smirk. “What’s wrong, couldn’t handle it? I thought you said we were goin’ to have a battle, kid. Do ya give up already?”

“Never!” 

“Then I’ll just have ta put your Pokémon out of its misery. Use Earthquake!”

The ground started to shake, and Bonnie whimpered as her brother held onto her, as Ash grimaced and Froakie resisted the vibrations with a weak jump and the shockwaves headed towards the tree (towards…)

“No!” Serena found herself crying as she reached towards Spewpa, so close to her hand now, so, so—

There was a tiny squeak, so quiet it was almost like it never existed at all.

(But she heard it. She always did.)

There was a flash of light, and an aura of calmness that rippled from that one point of space and time.

Fur melted with the sequins, spreading out into the wings that they’ve always modelled. Long antenna delicately branched off the head, bubbly arms holding tight and legs pointed back in a ready position. Daz’s eyes were glittering, sparkling, as he beheld the scene, eyes no longer on the battle as he laughed and laughed.

Out of the light that splintered into a thousand reflections, a streamlined body zoomed forward towards those greedy eyes, the eyes of a kleptomaniac, and landed a point-blank Tackle on Diggesby before it could even raise its head up.

Daz shook himself out of the daze then, screeching, “No! Not my merchandise! Ya ain’t even supposed to be good at fightin’ anyways!” Diggersby shakily got up, toughening himself before roaring once more. Vivillon sprinkled some thick black powder on it as it flew back to where the others were, flaring out its massive wings as she made tight circles nearby— pretty shades of red and yellow and blue splashed over it, nothing like the ones she had seen before.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Ash yelled out.

The man shook himself out, trying to regain his aloof and proud self once more. “Nothin’ that you’ll understand. Maybe when you’re older you’ll appreciate the difference between strength and beauty. Some Pokémon are strong, and others are good for making a quick buck. Nothing more or less makes the world go around than that.” He clapped his hands, glaring at Vivillon (because it’s a Vivillon now, it evolved) as he shouted afterwards, “But get in my way again and I’ll pin ya to my board as an example, okay, vermin? Diggersby, use—”

“Fennekin, Ember!”

A bright ball of fire, just as splendidly red as Vivillon’s wings, slammed into Daz’s Pokémon, catching it off guard. Unlike usual, it made the whole Pokémon explode, blinding everyone for a few seconds before revealing the knocked-out Pokémon afterwards. Clemont leaned forward, exclaiming, “It must’ve been Vivillon’s Powder that set it off!”

“Powder?” Bonnie asked as Serena took in shaky breath after shaky breath, watching as Fennekin trotted towards Froakie and yipped out something too low to hear. There was a conversation, she knew— about how it is ignited by Fire Type moves, and can last a while, and how it must’ve learnt it through evolution itself.

Daz locked eyes on them. There was churning rage there; there was a man scorned, a bounty so close, and an easy target nearby, his face all blotchy and red. The smuggler didn’t even try to call back his partner— instead, he pulled out a net from his pocket and swung it down towards the two Starters. “I’ll just catch you all, then!” he yelled, spittle flying as he slammed his foot down and started to swing wildly. “You think you can escape? My whole lair is full of traps, the mountain too. You’ll never leave without my say-so, and I say that the next place you’re seein’ is the inside of a cage on the international flight to the highest bidder!”

“Froakie!” Ash called out as he white-knuckled the net, trying to tear it apart. “I’m coming, just wait—”

“Just shut up, boy! I’m sick of hearing you prattle about.” Kicking his Pokémon as he narrowly missed Fennekin’s tail, he bit out, “Wake up, you big lug! That tiny sprinkling shouldn’t even be that much of a big deal for you!”

“Hurry up, Dedenne,” Bonnie whispered, watching every stand snap off. “Almost there…”

Clemont stayed silent, but Serena could tell how much he was saying too by his body language. She flashed a glance at Vivillon, who looked torn, before readying her voice. “Vivillon! Are there any moves that you know that can stop him?”

The newly minted Flying-Type whined as it wavered in the air. Vivillon was still scared, was still getting used to its new powers, was still facing the monster of its dreams when it came down to it. Serena continued, not giving up as she said, “I know you’re scared. We’re up against your capturer and he looks strong. He is strong. But you’re stronger, I know it. Together, working as a team…” She took a breath, holding a hand to her chest as she looked out onto the scene playing out in front of her. Fennekin shielding Froakie. Froakie playing a distraction on Daz. She can feel the ropes around her stretch and weaken with every second, and every second brings some particular help closer to them.

They were all doing something, right?

(“Because we all care about Scatterbug.”)

Serena gritted her teeth and whispered, letting it carry on the breeze. Her hopes and dreams and love, a love she is discovering with every step.

What answered her was a massive gust of wind.

“That is so cool!” Bonnie giggled as the net swayed with the force, bindings snapping even further as Vivillon focused the attack on the smuggler. Daz yelped as he was flung back, net ripped out of his hands and freeing a tired Froakie as Fennekin sheltered beside the Water-Type. 

“No, no, no!” the man screamed as he tried to claw his way through the harsh winds, baring his teeth as he cried, “My merchandise! My living! My reputation! No one makes a better business out of selling the only native Bug Types of Kalos like I do! This can’t be it!”

“You’re the worst!” Serena said, holding her hat back as she glared at the man. “Vivillon and all of its friends deserve a better life than anything you’ll ever give it.”

Even though Daz couldn’t hear anything, his expression still twisted. “I’ll keep comin’ for you! All of your kind are mine, no matter what! And either you’ll meet your new owner under my eye or meet Yveltal itself, ya hear me! You—“ His head slammed against something hard and he winced, turning back and rubbing the sore spot. “Damn it, you really did it this time—“

Handcuffs clicked around the hand he shook upwards, a serious face glaring down at him. “Anything you say will be used against you, Dolan Deschamps. I suggest you keep silent until we reach the station.”

He struggled against the bindings, kicking back and away from the motorcycle that Officer Jenny was on as he yelled, “I’m not going anywhere and you can’t make me! I’ll— I’ll—“

“Vivi!” A trail of sparkles followed the path that Vivillon made, but instead of the suffocating black plumes it was thin multicoloured sprinkles. At first there was no visible effects: Daz was still rambling, foaming at the mouth as he ranted about everything under the sun. But soon his eyes started to droop, and his breathing became erratic for a few seconds before settling into a deep rhythm.

In no time at all, the Pokémon Smuggler was asleep. Just like that.

Officer Jenny tilted her head at the scene as Manetric nudged it with its snout, barking to confirm the fact. Her gaze then locked onto the kids in the net, and her expression soured. “What happened to ‘at the first sign of danger, leave’?”

Ash chuckled. “To be fair, we didn’t see the net until we were caught in it.”

Jenny shook her head as she went down to heft up the unconscious man, her Pokémon helping in lifting the heavy weight into the sidecar. She then eyed the Diggersby lying in the middle of the field, looking wary. “That’s the Pokémon that’s always been giving us trouble. And you all managed to…”

Two small ears poked out from the main seat, a similarly small body hopping out a second later. Clemont gripped the net as he watched Bunnelby move towards his evolved form, the young Pokémon tapping the body with one ear.

The big body stirred, and an eye opened.

The Diggersby shot to his feet, swinging his ears up as he growled loudly and stomped his foot. After surveying the area and the situation he then glared at Vivillon, who squeaked at the full force of the unwanted eye contact.

Bunnelby tapped the thick fur around Diggersby, chirping out some words too low for them to hear. The Diggersby made a sound eerily close to the laugh Daz always made, and yet, somehow, Bunnelby didn’t back down, continuing to talk even as Froakie and Fennekin rose up, even as Manectric came closer and Vivillon stayed away.

The Diggersby ear twitched halfway through the conversation. A voice, Clemont’s voice, yelled out, “Watch out—”

—And Bunnelby caught the attack with both of his own ears, still staring up at the bigger Pokémon as he finished his talk, not even blinking at the large shadow cast above him. Vivillon inched closer, looking more braver as she took one side of the smaller Normal-Type, and Diggersby ripped his ear away from that iron-clad grip with a dismissive sound, facing where his Trainer was.

Daz sleeping in the sidecar, blissfully unaware of the fact that he utterly lost everything. Diggersby pawed at the ground, a look of rage passing his face before defeat sunk into his body.

The Diggersby made his way to where his master was, closing his eyes and tapping at the Pokéball at his belt. Just like that he was sucked in, the field quietened once more, and that was the end of that.

“Everyone, hold onto something!” Bonnie suddenly called out, one hand holding up Dedenne. Before anyone could question it the net below them gave way, Ash grabbing Serena’s hand as she grabbed Clemont’s, all three of them dangling beside the tree itself.

Bonnie crawled down them with a giggle, swinging off her brother and touching down on the ground as Dedenne quickly followed alongside Pikachu down the same path.

“Wow, thanks for the warning,” Ash said drily. Clemont sighed before deploying the Aipom Arm with one hand, lowering himself down to ground before helping the others as well.

What happened next was nothing less of a whirlwind of events. Clemont rushed over to Bunnelby and patted him all over, checking for any complications before hugging him, realising that everyone was watching and then quickly pretending that the last three minutes never happened. Ash checked on Froakie and thanked him before watching as his Pokémon hopped into the building beside them. Picking up Fennekin herself Serena followed, holding her breath as they all entered the dark rooms, even Vivillon. After the initial entrance there was a basement full of cages, shaking Scatterbug and Spewpa cramped in tight spaces and tiny feeders, barely any light around, so little, so bad, so miserable.

It was… a lot to deal with. Clemont held Bonnie’s hand as the younger girl bit her lip, all joy slipping off her face as she saw. Officer Jenny recorded evidence, Ash got Pikachu to break the cages using Iron Tail, and Vivillon shaded its comrades with its wings, warbling with a hopeful note.

Serena felt her fists by her side tighten, and Fennekin gave her a questioning yip. She looked down at her Starter and then at the Pokémon that they all raised together, away from this horrible place and that horrible man. 

There might not be a lot she can do for them, it’s true, but there’s one thing that can help. “You’re taking them to the Pokémon Centre, right?” she asked Jenny, and the woman gave her a look. It was strange being on the receiving end of that kind of glance: measuring her up, seeing her intentions, as if she was someone worth investigating. 

Officer Jenny nodded with a sigh. “We’ll have to check up on their health before we can do anything else. Do you have something in mind?”

Serena exhaled softly, something that wouldn’t have been heard at all if no one was listening. She cuddled Fennekin closer to her chest as she felt the choice in her words ring clear, a choice that she’s made and has been making this whole time. “Yeah. Yeah, I do.”

The Pokémon Centre was warm and snug as they waited out the healing of around fifty Scatterbug and Spewpa, along with Froakie and Fennekin as well. Serena was adding the last patch on the mini-blanket, laughing lightly as Vivillon’s antennae wiggled against her cheek. “Aren’t you impatient?” she teased, and the butterfly cooed and flapped its wings once.

“...And that’s forty-three!” Bonnie yelled as the next Spewpa waddled out, waving at it as it went over to where its friends were. 

Clemont walked back from the front of the Pokémon Centre, Bunnelby hopping beside him as the inventor sat next to her and rubbed his face. Serena gave him a cursory glance before asking, “Is everything okay?”

“Machine. Gone.” He sighed, before lolling his head back. “I don’t even understand it these days!”

She shrugged. There wasn’t much she could do about that. “At least it didn’t blow up on us.” Vivillon chirped at him, and Serena added, “I think Vivillon is sorry about it as well.”

Even though he was covering his face, he still cracked a small smile. “Stop it. I know what you’re doing.”

“Might want to let me know about it, because I have no idea what you’re talking about.” She finished the last stitch, then closed it off. “And that’s finished.”

“...Forty-five! You’re a cutie, Scatterbug! Keep rocking on!”

Ash bursted into the sitting room from the front of the Centre, looking winded as he said with both words and questionable gestures, “There seems to be a bunch of y’know, um, yeah outside here? And they’re here for the whole Scatterbug thing?”

Serena made a sound of confusion. “The what now?” Bonnie bounded over from the gathering of Spewpa and Scatterbug, who chittered to themselves as Vivillon straightened herself up.

The Kantonian waved his hands about in a frenzy. “I dunno, it’s— Well, it’ll make sense if you all come out and see it! All of you! C’mon, c’mon, c’mon!”

“We’re coming…” Clemont groaned as he slowly picked his head up from the seat’s backrest, looking like he aged thirty years in a day as he got up and stretched. “It wasn’t an easy walk down the mountain, you know.” His eyes then caught onto the rescued Pokémon that were moving towards the door, causing them to open up and letting them outside.

Everyone shared a glance at each other before following them, walking towards the night.

There were some people that looked at them as they walked past, murmuring as they watched the Vivillon that led the Spewpa and Scatterbug forward. On the horizon there was a flurry of colour, and the group squinted at it before Ash asked, hesitantly, “You see what I mean?”

“Not really, but I do understand your point,” Clemont said, and Ash nudged him. Bonnie walked a little more forward and then glanced at Vivillon, swivelling her head as she tried to grasp the similarities between the two.

Serena thought that she might have a little bit more of a clue on this. “Vivillon, are those your… friends?”

“Vi!” The Pokémon fluttered over to the congregation as they finally came close enough, chirping happily and spinning once before floating down towards the Scatterbug and Spewpa. “Vivi, viyon!”

The Scatterbug and Spewpa looked at each other before moving towards the other Vivillon, some settling on their backs and others getting picked up instead. Wings started to flap once a Vivillon got their passenger, lifting each other up into the air and stirring the dust around them.

It was ingenious, really. She should’ve known. The Vivllon she knew, the only one with that unique marking, called out to some pairs, causing them to use String Shot to secure their friends. Soon enough everyone was airborne, and the sky was sparkling with every colour that ever existed, and there was a lull in the air.

A question in the air. An answer floating by. A statement, as clear as glass.

“You’re… going now, aren’t you?” Serena hated the way her voice broke. It wasn’t her journey. It wasn’t her sacrifice. She didn’t change, didn’t face unbeatable odds, didn’t get to finally meet all of her friends after so much fear and sadness. She should’ve known. She did know. It wasn’t like Vivillon was hers. That wasn’t what her choice was.

(It was a Pokémon, a friend, but it didn’t mean that it would ever be hers. It had its own journey to live through. She… didn’t even have a reason for it to stay.)

Vivillon squeaked in agreement. Its wings flapped in front of her, dazzling blues and reds and yellows. A sunset over an ocean.

It was so beautiful. She reached a hand out to cradle its face, keeping her voice steady. “I’m so happy for you. You’re amazing, strong and smart. I know that no matter where you’ll go, you’ll be great, so don’t worry, okay? Just keep being you, and the rest will follow.”

“Vi-yon.” Vivillon nuzzled her hand before looking up, sparkling eyes full of depth and wonder and growth as its feelers swiped against her face one last time. Serena loved it so much. She couldn’t believe there was this much love in her.

The Pokémon started to flap away, looking back even as it reached the height that its friends were flying. A small hand gripped at Serena but she didn’t break eye contact, didn’t blink as she watched her friend hover in front of them, some distance ahead but still so much closer than they’ll ever be.

“I’m going to miss you, Vivillon!” Bonnie yelled, waving at the Pokémon as she clung to the left side of Serena. Dedenne climbed on top of his keeper’s head and echoed the same sentiment, the pair sending their love towards the Pokémon they helped to train.

“Take care and safe travels!” Clemont called out from the other side of her, Bunnelby on his shoulder as they also waved towards the Pokémon they helped and covered for, with every strategy under the sun.

“Don’t forget us and don’t be a stranger, alright?” Ash bellowed as he ran forward, throwing his fist up before splaying his fingers out, stopping a few steps ahead of Serena as he and Pikachu hollered out towards the Pokémon that he encouraged her to help, all the way at the start.

Vivillon flapped its wings at that, shimmering dust floating on the breeze. Serena found a small laugh coming out at that, even as she finally raised her own hand out. “We’ll keep loving each other, no matter where we are. So don’t hold yourself back, okay?” Mustering one last piece of courage, she let herself cry out, “Now go!”

And the sky burst into technicolour, into scales of blue and pink and yellow and green, wings flapping and glitter fluttering and fluff whispering on the wind—

(If there was a moment she would ever regret, she would like to think that it was not being able to memorise this, carve this image, stitch every single shade into her head until—)

(And Serena knows her promise, she knows what she was doing when she was taking in Scatterbug, when she was training Spewpa, when she was calling out to Vivillon even if her voice wasn’t as loud or assertive or—)

(There wasn’t another choice that she would’ve taken because all she wanted to see was that smile, even if it wasn’t on her own face.)

It took a few minutes in reality, but it felt like the world’s longest second.

A heartbeat, and they were gone.

The sky was clear, people stared at the remains of the black-gold glitter over their person and dusted it off, and maybe it would reappear days later, tiny inconsequential reminders reassuring them that this was very real. That there was a mass migration of Vivillon carrying off Scatterbug and Spewpa to parts unknown, and a strange man was carted away without a sound, and one trail has been closed off for further investigation. That there was a girl brushing off her tears as the last speck on the horizon disappeared, and her friends hugged her, and there was a love that could traverse oceans and skies even if you couldn’t see the recipient anymore.

That this moment was real.

That this love was real, even if it only was for a second.

The morning’s rays of light illuminated empty beds, already neatly packed into presentable rooms for the Pokémon Centre’s next occupants.

Serena wandered down the corridor, shoulders and hat noticeably lighter. There was no chirping presence, no sparkly fluff nestled against her, no burning purpose for today. Once again, she was left with herself.

Waiting for something to happen to her.

She shook her head, trying to steel her thoughts. She’s helped a Scatterbug find its friends and save them, with the help of all of her friends as well. People and Pokémon , working together. That was beautiful. That was so, so beautiful.

It was the perfect end to a beautiful tale. What else could she ask for?

She walked over to the front desk of the Pokémon Centre, swiping out of her room. A woman walked over to her from the other side, looking happy, and Serena tried to reflect that. “Good morning, Nurse Joy. I’m assuming…?”

“Yes, everyone else is waiting for you outside.” She pointed to the door, to where Ash was waving a magnifying glass around while Clemont tried to take it off him. The matron of the Centre then asked, gently, “You’ve really grown to care a lot about Vivillon, haven’t you?”

Serena’s hand paused over the screen, slightly shaking. She dimly realised that there was no need to hold the Pokédex over the screen anymore, with the message blinking in front of her face wavering with her unshed tears. “I’m sure Vivillon is enjoying their life wherever they are. I’m happy for them and I can only wish them the best.”

“Well, in any case, I thought that I might tell you that Vivillon don’t forget a place easily, or a face.” Nurse Joy smiled at her, and it was a genuine one. “I’m sure she’ll be back soon, maybe alongside a gentleman friend of her own. So don’t worry, okay? I’m sure you mean just as much to Vivillon as she means to you, and that means a lot from what I’ve seen, more than you’ll ever know.”

Serena felt her cheeks flush, even as her voice was low. She made up her mind, now. “Then that means…” She pulled out the small quilt she carefully folded into her pockets over to the nurse. Controlling her tone, she asked, “Can you keep this for me, then? So when she does come back… she’ll always have somewhere to rest.”

“Aww, Serena…” Wigglytuff wandered around the desk to give her a hug, and the teen girl shook her head even as she leaned into the contact. She took it. Serena always did.

After a while she disentangled herself from the contact, wiping her eyes before looking over to where the others were (investigating the place that Clemont swore he last put his machine). Fixing up her pack and tucking away her Pokédex, Serena then said her farewells to the Centre duo before walking out of the door, getting embraced by the warm day ahead of them.

A sunrise on the horizon, four kids making their way through the world.

(A Vivillon leading her friends through the world, a sunset on the horizon.)

“I’ve got an announcement to make!” Bonnie said, putting her hand forward to stop everyone. Glancing at Serena, she puffed out her chest and said, “Me and Serena are going to camp out in the same tent from now on! We’ve made a deal about it and everything!”

“Without me?” Ash looked at them, and even after everything that had just happened, Serena still felt her cheeks warm and her brain try to make a million reasons as to how, maybe, the deal can leave a little wiggle room for a little together time with a certain Trainer, under romantic circumstances, of course (she really wasfalling for him, wasn’t she…). He then shot a look at Clemont, who yelped before looking down, and Ash looped an arm around him instead. “Well, I guess I’ll just be staying with you instead, then. Is that alright?”

The sound that came out of Clemont’s mouth was barely coherent, but was still taken as a sound of agreement all the same to Ash. The Kantonian nodded, before a smile started to grow on his face. The kind of smile that would make people smile as well, and others groan, and most people check their schedules for the next month. A smile that faced down smugglers and thieves and gravity itself. A smile that brought her to this journey and whatever it will bring. 

He then coyly went with, “So that means we’re definitely camping out again, right? Tonight, even?” Not waiting for an answer he then pumped up his hand, almost throwing Pikachu off his shoulder, and followed it up by shouted, “Campfire stories!” into the space all around them, with Clemont sighing and Bonnie claiming that tonight was her night, no, stop it you already had your turn, and Serena basking in the moment.

This moment.

So maybe she doesn't have everything worked out yet.

But if life had taught her anything, it's that situations will always happen— and from that moment forward, well, it's all her choice in the end.

(And no matter what, she'll never be alone. And that's something beautiful as well.)