Fame and Fate

Chapter 2

It was 8 years ago when it happened.

"Hey are you hurt?"

I was just a 7 year old girl who had lost her way in the forest.

"My name is ash...ash ketchum. Don't worry I will wrap this handkerchief around your knee."

With a smile on your face under those warming red eyes, you offered me your help.

"Pain, pain, go away!"

Now that I think about it, it was so childish.

"C'mon, try to stand up now."

I didn't had the strength nor the courage. But you pulled me up. And then came those words that shaped me to what I am today,

"Never give up until it's over."

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"Del, delphox!" "I am sorry delphox that I went for landing, I don't know what to do now that I have hurt my ankle."

I had lost my way....again.

"Its just like our first performance, why does it have to be now."

I didn't had the strength and courage.....again.

"Del, del." "Thanks for the handkerchief delphox, I think should tell the management about it and drop out."

But then, that same handkerchief wiped my tears away.

"Never give up until it's over."

You gave me the strength and courage again. The pain went away like a magic was cast. I pulled myself up and said,

"Even if I don't win this, I am not backing down without a fight. Let's go guys!"

I smiled again.....with a blush. I knew what I felt, and I knew I will see you again, my precious knight.

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Serena POV:

The bell signalling the end of first class rang. Apparently, the first subject about pokemon evolution went for around two periods, so now we had a break and then after that the daily personal training time for your respective interest. Dawn told me that she is going to introduce me to her friend's, ash and gary, although she had a scowl while mentioning the latter's name. I did feel a bit insecure when dawn called ash her best friend, but oh well if something is there then can't blame her right. She took me to their benches and said "hey guys you should introduce yourselves to serena here, she is the new addition to our group afterall." "Just who even formed a group with you dawn, are you daydreaming now?" "oh sorry I just thought we should have an idiot in our group to balance out the smartness." "why you, anyway uhm.. hello serena the name's gary oak." "gosh I was having such a great dream. Oh well, hi serena, my name is ash ketchum." I almost control over my blush. Keep it cool serena, keep it cool. "hello gary and a..ash, it's a pleasure to meet you both. I hope we get along well." As I said that my eyes involuntarily drifted towards ash. He is even more handsome now and those eyes of his carry a blazing rage.

Ash POV:

I don't want to be close with a famous personality. Doing so will hinder the peace I want. But the problem was that dawn had put me in a critical situation. Not responding to her friendship invitation would bring me unnecessary amount of weird looks from my very own classmates, and the thing I don't want will happen. So I should try maintaining a normal distance with her. Not to close but not to far as well. Just then a classmate of ours shouted while standing at the door,

"Hey everyone did you know, we have one more new student in the different section. She is a girl too and not to mention, she is hella rich and pretty."

"Hmm, so the second new girl you both were talking about is in a different section." I said as I thought that she might be the same person I saw coming out from the car.

"Well looks like it, now can we go and eat something, we have the training class after this and I am pumped up for it." Gary called out as his stomach grumbled.

"yeah let's go." And with this, the four of us went to get our lunch. Hmm the training class, gotta tell pikachu to wake up then.

>After the break in the training lecture<

Normal POV :

"Ok students, you get this 2 hours to hone your skills in you respective fields by either practicing or challenging any of your classmate. Remember you are a student of of KTI so you have to improve yourself with utmost perfection. Battlers are only allowed to challenge a person either in their level or one level above. So get on with it." And with a whistle the class started.

"Level? What does that mean?" serena asked. Dawn heard the question and tried to clarify things for her "oh right you probably don't know about this method of ranking battlers in the academies. Well unlike coordinators and performers, battlers have a wide range of power difference between them which is not measured in proper scales outside. But in here, you are ranked according to your battling prowess in levels.

Level one refers to a rookie who just got their starter and is now ready to embark on their journey.

Level two is assigned to a trainer who has more than one pokemon in their arsenal now and hence is eligible to challenge a gym.

Level three is a trainer who can obtain the required eight gym badges of any certain region, i.e. they are capable of defeating gym leader's base pokemon lineup.

Level four is a trainer capable of fighting in the leagues. It's a huge power jump from three and very hard to make it through. There aren't many there in the second year. I guess hardly five. Gary among them is our strongest level four trainer.

Then comes the level five, a trainer possessing the strength of a league winner. There is none in the second years. You can only find them in third years. And trust me when I say this, but their power is terrifying. Officially, a trainer who has won a league is also called an Ace trainer."

As the explanation finished, serena made an understanding face replying with a simple "hmm". But then she asked an important question "so what rank is ash then?" as both of them looked to a corner where ash was training with his pikachu "iron tail pikachu. Now go with a quick attack...."

"Ash is.... A level 3 trainer. But it's ok right I mean not everyone has to be a strong trainer. Take his academic abilities he is always ranked first in the exams so he is great in his own right." Dawn thought that this might decrease the charm of her bestie in serena's eyes which she didn't want to let happen.

"it's ok dawn you don't need to clarify it that much. Anyway thanks for the information." Said serena with a smile. 

The training section went on normally until the day was over.