The next several weeks passed in a blur for the gang, consisting of traveling, battling, and more traveling. Occasionally, Naomi or Serena would enter a showcase. The threat Giovanni brought to the world was hanging over their heads, and, no matter how much the gang tried to forget about it until the Champion's Cup, it was always there in the back of their minds.
As of right now, they were in Sunnyshore, awaiting the next showcase. It was later tonight. The air smelled like rain, the clouds angry and grey all day. It was Serena's turn, Naomi having gotten her third princess key last week. If Serena won this, it would be her third.
"Are you ready?" Ash asked over lunch. Serena smiled and nodded, fire burning in her eyes.
"We're going to win." Serena clenched a fist over her heart, Delphox beside her letting out a determined growl.
"Who are you going to use?" Naomi asked curiously. On all of her performances, Serena hadn't used more than three Pokémon, stating it was too hard to control six for Rookie Class performances. Once she got to the Master Class, she would think about using all six.
"Delphox, Milotic, and Sylveon. I've been working on their routine for a couple weeks now."
"That will be a cool combination." Clemont said absentmindedly. He was picking over his food, contemplating something.
"What are you thinking about Clemont?" Ash asked curiously. Gary spun to look at him, eyebrows raising.
"The Finals for the Champion Tournament. I'm wondering how Giovanni will proceed. There's going to be a lot of trainers with a lot of strong Pokémon. There's quite a few people who have done what Ash and Gary do, traveling to different regions and competing in their leagues. I want to know how he's going to move, what he's going to do."
"It's no use thinking about that Clemont," Ash said, leaning back and crossing his arms. "You'll drive yourself crazy trying to anticipate a madman's next moves, when more often than not they are not using any logic that we recognize."
"The difference between a madman and Giovanni is that Giovanni is not actually mad. He is perfectly sane. The scary part is that he's making conscious decisions to carry out his actions, with no moral predisposition to see how utterly wrong he is. He's doing these things based on the notion that he'll make the world a better place."
"Okay, so he's not crazy, he's just a self-righteous psychopath," Ash replied. "That still begs the question of why are you even trying to figure out his next move? Giovanni is wicked smart, a trait we do not share. Yes Clemont, you're brilliant, but I'll bet my life on the fact that you are not as smart as he is. None of us are. The best we can do is just react."
"Anticipating an opponent's next move is a major part of reacting. It's like chess, you have to predict your adversary's next move, and be thinking three moves ahead." Clemont argued. Serena was looking between the two of them nervously, as she knew Naomi and Gary were.
"This is not chess, Clemont!" Ash snapped. "These are real lives, my life, and the life of my fiancée, friends, and my family. These are the lives of my Pokémon, other people's Pokémon, wild Pokémon, and the fate of the world. If you capture the King in chess, the world won't end. If the King gets captured here, the world burns."
"And I suppose you're the King?" Clemont barked the question, eyebrows narrowing and blue eyes turning hard.
"It certainly fucking seems that way!" Ash exploded. Serena rested her hand on his knee and squeezed gently, helping him calm. "Lest you forget, Giovanni called me out personally. He fucked with my wedding, my family, and my friends." Ash's voice was a poisoned dagger now, thrusting for Clemont's chest.
"Ash," Serena started, whispering. He turned to look at her, eyes softening a fraction as he sighed.
"Trust me when I say I wish it wasn't fucking me. I don't want to do this again. I don't know if I can do this again. But we all know it will come down to us, me versus Giovanni." With that, Ash stood and stormed out. Serena stared after him, debating whether or not to follow. Naomi caught her eye and shook her head. Serena read the thought in her emerald eyes. Give him time to sort through it. He admitted a lot just now. Serena nodded and sighed, worry pulling her eyebrows together as she returned to her food.
Later that night, Ash was sitting on a low stone wall in the Pokémon Center garden. He felt bad for snapping at Clemont, but all that shit about this being chess grated on him. If it was Clemont who was facing this, he'd feel the same.
Serena hugged herself and sighed, staring out at Ash sitting in the garden. Her heart went out for him, but she couldn't quite bring herself to go comfort him, she didn't know how. He felt so alone in this, that fact clear when he called himself the "King," and she didn't know if any attempt to comfort him would be accepted.
"He's got a lot going on in that head of his," Naomi murmured beside her, startling Serena slightly. She glanced at her briefly and nodded. Naomi chuckled once, staring out at her brother, soft amusement lighting her face.
"What?" Serena asked.
"Sometimes I forget how smart he actually is. That whole debate was..."
"Intense," Serena muttered. Naomi nodded in agreement.
"You tend to forget that he's a very dangerous person. His mind is as wickedly sharp as Giovanni's, and that shows through his battling. He's so harmless around us most of the time, you just forget." Naomi shook her head again, a small smile still bringing the corner of her lips up. "It makes you thank Arceus he's on our side, and not Giovanni's."
"I know," Serena sighed. "And he thinks he has to do it all on his own."
"I hate to admit it, Serena, but he was right earlier. It's going to come down to him and Giovanni. None of us can compete with Giovanni, he's the only one who has a chance of beating him."
"How do you know?" Serena asked.
"I lived with Giovanni for most of my life. I know him. If you think Ash is strong, watch Giovanni battle. Ash got his natural talent for battling from Giovanni, for sure." Naomi's emerald eyes were hard. "Giovanni himself doesn't care much for anything but himself, and what he thinks he deserves. That makes him dangerous."
Serena sighed softly. "You truly think that?" Naomi nodded.
"It's going to come down to the two of them. Let us pray to Arceus that Ash emerges victorious." With that, Naomi left. Serena stared after her, then turned back to Ash. Sighing, she stepped outside.
The next morning, Serena awoke with a pounding heart. Ash was laying next to her, sleep softening his face and making it look young again. She had managed to get him to come inside last night, even coaxed a grin from him. Pikachu was curled around Ash's head on his pillow. His ears pricked up as his eyes opened to stare at Serena. She smiled and offered him a scratch under the chin, which caused Pikachu to squeak happily. The squeak woke Ash, who smiled softly.
"Good morning," he whispered. Serena smiled back.
"Good morning. Do you feel better?" Ash nodded, sighing.
"I just want to apologize to Clemont," he said, rolling out of bed. His chest was bare, exposing his muscled torso and tanned skin. Serena's cheeks darkened.
"You know," Serena murmured, standing up herself. She was in a grey tank top with nothing but her underwear on. Ash shot her and appreciative grin, dragging his eyes up and down her body. Serena's core warmed and slickened slightly. "You don't have to go through everything alone. That's why I'm here," Ash sighed and looked back up into her eyes.
"I know," he said finally. "But it's hard, I don't want any of you or your Pokémon hurt."
"But," Serena said, pulling a pair of soft leggings on. "If you don't let us, all of us," she shot him a pointed look. He raised an eyebrow in amusement. "Help," she started again. "You and your Pokémon could get hurt, and I couldn't live with myself if that happened."
Ash's answering smile made Serena's stomach burst into Beautiflys. "I'll keep that in mind," he murmured, grabbing her face and planting a kiss in her lips. "Thank you," Serena just kissed him back, her answer in the way their lips moved together.
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Finally got this chapter out. Thank you all for your patience! I hope you like it!!!
Thanksgiving!