"Huh? And you are…?"
Serena blinked in surprise at the girl who had suddenly greeted her.
She had long red hair, wore glasses, and carried herself with an unusual air.
"Ah—I'm Ariana. I was shopping over there just now when I noticed all the commotion here. I ended up watching for quite a while. You're interesting… your performances don't feel like those of a beginner, but the way your Pokémon coordinate with each other still seems kind of novice-like."
The girl was, of course, Aria.
But Aria introduced herself as Ariana since she was in a light disguise.
Serena felt like this girl seemed oddly familiar at first, but when she heard the name "Ariana," she realized she didn't know anyone by that name, so she didn't dwell on it.
"Hello, I'm Serena. Honestly, I'm still a beginner. Just a couple days ago, in Coumarine City's Rookie Showcase, my Fennekin and I went on stage for the first time… and failed right away."
Serena admitted shyly.
Aria remembered instantly—she had actually seen that performance herself.
She made it a point to follow the rookie showcases closely.
"Mhm, I did see that. And I actually study performances a lot myself. How about this—why don't we do a double battle performance today?"
Aria already felt a fondness for Serena and decided she wanted to help her.
Seeing Serena, especially her starter Pokémon being a Fennekin, reminded Aria of her own beginnings.
And so, she proposed a tag battle performance, and Serena agreed eagerly.
What Serena didn't realize was that Ash had already wrapped up his own errands and was quietly watching from a distance near the park.
As expected, the battle unfolded like the original story—Serena's Fennekin and Pancham were utterly overwhelmed at first by Aria's Delphox and Aromatisse.
But then, Serena's faith in her Pokémon shone through. Fennekin responded to her trust and began to evolve—
Transforming into Braixen!
With Pancham at her side, Braixen began fighting back with confidence, turning the battle into a back-and-forth clash against Aria's team.
But the battle never reached a conclusion.
Halfway through, Aria received a phone call and had to leave abruptly.
Before departing, she left Serena with a gentle reminder: Always keep a happy heart. Smiling is the most important thing.
Her words and presence helped Serena sort through her emotions, giving her fresh strength.
"Hey, Serena! I've got everything packed and ready. How about you, are you good to go yet?"
Ash's voice rang out—though in truth, he had been watching from nearby the entire time.
"Mhm! I'm all set, Ash. Let's go—back to Lumiose City!"
By the time Ash and Serena finally returned to Lumiose, a full week had passed.
In that week, they had begun living together in their new residence inside Ash's system space. It wasn't just a home—it had a yard, a huge lake, and a wide grassy field where they could walk and relax.
Meanwhile, Clemont had returned to the Lumiose Gym, resuming his duties as a Gym Leader.
Every day, challengers came knocking. Some were strong, others less so. Clemont won most of his battles, but he did face losses here and there.
The trainers who failed would often choose different paths: some gave up on the Lumiose Gym altogether, seeking other badges, while others redoubled their efforts, determined to come back stronger and win.
"Treecko, use Quick Attack!"
"Heliolisk, counter with Discharge!"
The two moves collided. Treecko's speed wasn't enough to break through the power of Heliolisk's Discharge, but thanks to type resistance, it managed to withstand the blow.
"Not bad at all. But this is where it ends—Heliolisk, Dragon Tail!"
"Treecko, Bullet Seed!"
Thwack!
Treecko was just a little too slow. Dragon Tail struck before it could fire off its attack.
"Your Treecko is really good. But you need to train it more, especially on its execution speed when using moves. That will make a huge difference."
Clemont advised earnestly.
"Yes, I'll make sure to work on that. Thank you so much! Next time, I'll come back stronger and win against you!"
The challenger wrote down Clemont's words in his battle notebook before heading off toward the Pokémon Center with his partner.
Not long after, Ash and Serena finally arrived.
Thanks to the cameras outside the Gym, Bonnie already knew they were here. She rushed inside, eager to reunite with them.
"Clemont, Bonnie—it's been so long. How have you two been?"
Serena greeted warmly.
Seeing her smile, Clemont and Bonnie instantly understood—she had recovered her spirit.
"Ash, you finally made it. Our battle… it's time! Don't think I'll hand over my badge so easily!"
Clemont's fighting spirit flared.
"Big brother, Ash—good luck, both of you! And no matter who wins or loses, no hard feelings!"
"Dedenne!"
Bonnie and her little partner cheered for both sides.
Of course, neither Ash nor Clemont would back down now.
Their eyes locked.
Ash's fifth Gym Badge challenge was about to begin!
Ding! [Congratulations, Host. Successfully arrived at Lumiose Gym. Beginning sign-in…]
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