Pokémon XY: Trying Something New

Combative Contemplation

XY

On the way to Shalour, Serena and the gang found themselves passing through yet another rest-stop destination: Brackish Town. It was a charming little place, with a whole block dedicated to its bakeries and chocolate makers.

Today, however, it wasn't baked goods that would sidetrack the gang. Something else had caught their attention, something that made Serena especially stop dead in her tracks.

"No way!" she exclaimed, splitting from the party and jumping to a bulletin board. "Diantha! Diantha's going to be here!"

"Diantha? No way!" Clemont too came to a sudden halt, his shock and awe being a surprise to Ash as he looked back.

"Diantha? Who's that?"

There on the board was a large poster depicting the woman in question, posing stylishly with a Poké ball in hand. Alongside her was another, less recognizable figure.

"Ash, how can you not know Diantha! She's only the most famous actress in all of Kalos!" Serena gushed, clasping her hands together. Her heart soared at the sight of the figure, a fact she had no chance of hiding from the rest of the group. "The star of a dozen critically acclaimed films! She's elegant, charming, beautiful—! My absolute idol!"

Serena's excitement put a smile on Ash's face.

"Heh, that's really cool, Serena!" Ash replied, turning but not moving from his spot. He still had a foot firmly pointed down the path they were walking on.

"Oh! And you can't forget to mention this, Serena." Chiming in, Clemont looked over to Ash. "She's the champion of the Kalos Region!"

In an instant, Ash was at Serena's side, sending her reeling back in surprise.

"No way! She's the strongest trainer in Kalos?!" he exclaimed, his interest seemingly taking a quick turn. One moment he was mildly amused, the next, he was fully enraptured.

Serena couldn't help but smile, however. She saw a familiar fire burning in his eyes.

"Yep! Isn't she amazing?" Giving a wistful sigh, Serena looked onto the poster again, for what she knew were very different reasons than Ash's. Ah well, she was just glad the two could share this.

For now, at least.

"Alright, I've made a decision." Turning from the poster, Ash left Serena behind to face the rest of the group. "I'm going to challenge Diantha to a battle!"

Serena paused.

"Huh!?"

X

"Jeeze, how long can this line be!"

After Ash's initial hare-brained scheme of sneaking in had gone awry, the group decided to take the more straightforward path. They'd grab a ticket to the event Diantha was attending today, an exhibition match between her and a town native. Unfortunately, the straightforward path was also the one more traveled by, and a substantial line waited between them and even entering the arena.

"This isn't so bad, Ash," Clemont suggested, looking up from a pamphlet detailing all the town's local hotspots. "It's said great things come to those who wait!"

Huffing, Ash crossed his arms and looked off to the side.

"They also come to those at the front of the line," he muttered.

Before Ash could turn back, something off in the distance caught his eye, prompting a mischievous smile to cross his lips.

"You thinking what I'm thinking, buddy?" Ash grabbed Pikachu's attention with a nudge, earning a similarly devilish 'Pika!' once his partner saw what he saw.