Pokémon AU: Dimensional Travelers

Chapter 7: Nights to Remember

 Gladion went straight upstairs and into his room. He couldn't bear to look into the parlor where Mitsuki and Chloe were practicing and giving each other advice.

Mitsuki didn't suspect a thing.

On Friday, the girls made their way to the showcase stadium long before the rest of the group. Chloe had learned her lesson and skipped the spray-tan, as well as refrained from putting her dress on early. Gladion and Lillie skipped and went with their mother to go do something else before the showcase.

They wondered what they could be doing, but it wasn't until Mitsuki and Chloe joined the other performers backstage did they notice.

Mitsuki happened to glance off to the side and noticed the stage door to the audience was open. She told Chloe, "Wait a minute, Chloe. The stage door is open... I'm gonna go peek out and see if I can sense Gladion, Lillie, and Lusamine in the crowd.

"M'kay."

Mitsuki tip-toed toward the door and peeked out, scanning the crowd for familiar auras and faces. Didn't take long, as she soon spotted them somewhere in the middle of the mezzanine level, sitting with Ash, Goh, and a bunch of people she recognized as Serena's friends. She squeaked and turned around when someone tapped her shoulder.

"Hey, are you okay?"

She turned, and was met with Serena's smiling face. "Uhhhh.... Yeah! *Ahem* I'm fine..."

"Mitsuki, right?"

"Umm... Yeah! H-How did you know my name... Serena?"

Serena's lips parted in slight surprise. "I could ask you the same thing. Anyhow, Gladion's been posting a lot of pictures with you in them. I don't know Gladion personally, but I encountered him through Ash. I heard they're rivals in Alola and Gladion was runner up in the Alola League two years ago."

Man, it's been two years here-time since the first Alola league? Mitsuki thought, Wow. "Ye-yeah. *Ahem* They are. W-When did you get home from Hoenn?"

"Just six months ago. I've been traveling around practicing, competing, and teaching others. After doing this for a while, I want to follow Ash to Alola, maybe continue what I started..."

"I think he'd like that."

"Ehh? How do you know?" Serena asked, perplexed.

Mitsuki smiled. She chirped, "I met Ruby in Santalune City. She's one of Ash's cousins. She told me over the phone yesterday that he'd called her a couple hours before his overnight flight from Galar to Kalos and he couldn't... stop... gushing... about you. He's so excited to see you again! Don't tell him it was me who said that... Although, there isn't a lot I can hide from him since he's a fellow Aura Guardian."

"Hmmmm.... Yes, I do remember him using Aura once or twice..." Serena mused, thoughtfully. "Wait a second... he's here?!"

"Yes, he's here! He's out in the audience sitting with Gladion and the rest of my group! Where's your phone?"

"In here," Serena said, pulling out her phone.

Mitsuki opened up Serena's social media application and pulled up Ash's profile. Sure enough there was a picture of himself and Goh standing with Gladion and Lillie in front of a sign that said "Welcome to Kalos." The location tag said "L'Aéroport de Ville Lumiose" or "Lumiose City Airport." "Boom," Mitsuki said, pointing to the picture.

The blush creeped across Serena's pale cheeks faster than she had once cut her own hair into a short hairstyle. "O-Oh... Ruby didn't mention that over the phone..."