Today, Serena felt truly fulfilled.
Her heart was brimming with sweetness.
Before boarding the tram to head back, Ash personally tied that ribbon he had won around her.
It was also her first time realizing—Ash's singing voice was actually so beautiful.
And once Ash returned, instead of resting, he went straight to picking a huge amount of Berries with his own hands for his Pokémon.
Serena joined in to help. The two of them kept gathering until night fell before finally returning to the Pokémon Center.
At this time, Clemont had three Pokémon on hand: Bunnelby, Chespin, and Luxio.
He made them a music box. When the box was opened, small models of these three Pokémon would appear inside.
Bonnie, on the other hand, drew a picture of everyone's Pokémon!
Later that evening, they all went to the Pledging Tree of Bonds, bringing their gifts with them. Under the guidance of old Master Ramos, the annual Coumarine City Gratitude Ceremony began!
From afar, Team Rocket had also been preparing. Originally, their plan for today was to snatch Pikachu.
But after hearing about this Gratitude Ceremony, they chose to suspend all activities today.
Instead, Jessie and James worked together to prepare a gift for Meowth.
Jessie also made gifts for her Pumpkaboo and Wobbuffet.
Meanwhile, James prepared a present for his Inkay.
Meowth, along with the other Pokémon, was moved to tears.
Beneath the Pledging Tree, Ash and his friends had also begun their own part in the Gratitude Ceremony.
Ash's Berries were especially well-received, and the Pokémon loved eating them.
Tonight would undoubtedly become a memory to cherish forever.
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The next morning, Serena woke up bright and early, preparing breakfast for Ash and the others.
At 10 a.m., Shauna arrived to meet the group.
Together, they set off for the Coumarine City Pokémon Showcase!
It was about to begin!
"Serena, good luck!"
"Shauna, you too—give it your all!"
Both girls were filled with confidence, though deep inside, they couldn't help but feel nervous.
"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the Pokémon Showcase Rookie Class Tournament, here in Coumarine City—the Coumarine Showcase! I am your familiar host, Pierre!"
With a shining entrance, Monsieur Pierre took the stage.
To be honest, he looked a lot like May's father, Norman… even the hairstyle and height were similar.
After Pierre's introduction, today's Rookie Showcase began!
The performance was divided into two segments.
The first segment was the Theme Performance.
The second was a Freestyle Performance, where the performer and their Pokémon would showcase moves and creativity freely.
At the same time, a woman named Ms. Palermo was watching from the VIP guest room at her manager's request.
She was known for scouting new performers with potential.
In fact, the Kalos Queen-in-the-making, Aria, was said to have been discovered by Ms. Palermo herself.
As performers began going on stage one after another, Shauna appeared with her Bulbasaur.
The first Theme Performance had been announced—the theme was Pokémon Style!
Performers needed to dress themselves and one of their Pokémon in stylish outfits to charm the audience.
Shauna dressed up her Bulbasaur beautifully and wore a matching outfit herself.
Each round featured three performers. After all three performed, the thousands of audience members acted as judges, casting their votes.
Voting was simple: upon entry, every person received a glowstick with three colors.
When Pierre announced "Voting begins," the audience turned their glowsticks to the color representing their favorite performer. Then, the stage's scanning system automatically tallied the votes.
The performer with the most votes—and their Pokémon—would be the winner.
Shauna successfully advanced, and soon, more performers took the stage.
Finally, it was Serena's turn.
Stepping onto the stage, Serena quickly found Ash, Clemont, and Bonnie in the audience.
Determined, she resolved to give it her very best.
She and the other two performers entered the backstage dressing rooms.
The stage was equipped with three dressing rooms, each filled with accessories and costumes for performers to dress up their Pokémon.
They had ten minutes to prepare.
When Pierre finished his countdown, the first performer stepped onto the stage with her Espurr.
The second performer came out with her Fletchling.
Serena and Fennekin were the last.
As the door opened, a dazzling light shone out…
Serena and Fennekin felt better than ever, as if they were glowing themselves.
Together, they walked gracefully toward the performance stage.
The emerald-green stage sparkled with brilliance.
Waving warmly to the audience, Serena turned to Fennekin and said with joy:
"Fennekin, I've never felt this happy before…"
But before she could finish her sentence—
Her smile froze.
She watched in horror as Fennekin accidentally stepped on the long ribbon tied around its neck, tripping over it—
—and tumbling to the ground.
The hat Serena wore fell off.
The pearl-like accessory around her neck snapped off as well.
Fennekin crashed to the floor.
The audience was stunned into silence.
Just moments ago, the elegant, beautiful performer and her Pokémon had suddenly fallen flat on stage…
Serena's first-ever Showcase performance had ended in disaster.
And the result… was no result.
A mistake on stage like this meant only one thing: Serena's debut ended in failure.
Her face filled with guilt.
Why hadn't she thought about this beforehand? That Fennekin might trip on the ribbon around its neck while walking?
It was all her oversight…
The performance ended.
In the end, Shauna won her first Princess Key.
Afterward, Serena left the contestant's waiting room and reunited with Ash and the others, trying to act as if nothing had happened.
Clemont and Bonnie wisely chose not to say anything.
But Serena walked faster and faster—until she suddenly broke into a run.
As she ran, tears finally began to stream down her face.
Ash followed silently behind.
Taking a deep breath, he thought:
I'm sorry, Serena. Because of you, I couldn't remind you. Success can't be copied. Failure is what pushes us forward.
Serena kept running and running until she reached the port by the sea.
By then, the sun was setting.
The fiery red afterglow lit up the horizon.
Fennekin and Pancham popped out of their Poké Balls.
The two little Pokémon stood by Serena's side, keeping her company.
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T/N:
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