After Ash's battle with Diantha, where Infernape made his return to the battlefield to take the win for Ash. Him and the rest take some time to celebrate for a short while, before their attention turns towards Serena's showcase the next day.
On the back of this, everyone turns in for the night. In Ash and Serena's hotel suite, Ash sits on the bed while holding his new Rotom phone up to his ear. Ash is currently on the phone to his mother while she badgers him with her usual set of warnings.
Ash takes a sigh of frustration as he replies in a short tone "Yes mom I know, I'll be supporting her tomorrow so don't worry. The battle today wasn't my priority at all, my priority at the moment is supporting Serena tomorrow."
Delia smiles at her son's words and exclaims "Good, and make sure you don't make it all about you. It's Serena's big day tomorrow not yours Ash. Also, please try to call me more often. Serena finds time to call me more often than you do and she's a busy girl with all her showcase practice. Plus she's not even my daughter. Well, she's not my daughter yet."
Ash shakes his head a little at Delia's constant reminders to support Serena. He knows she's just nervous he'll ruin a healthy relationship, but at the same time he's a little frustrated at his mom's lack of faith in him. Granted she did start this conversation with congratulating him on his victory today which is a bonus.
He is soon snapped out of his thoughts as the door to the room is knocked. Ash raises his eyebrow at the sudden knock on the door, as he explains "I'll try mom. Someone's at the door so I'll call you back later."
Delia let's off a motherly smile as she replies "Okay Ash, take care of yourself."
Ash smiles a little as he remarks "I will mom."
Ash puts the phone down and puts it back in his pocket, before walking up to the door to answer it. He grabs the handle and opens the door up.
Once the door fully opens up, he sees Gary on the other side with a rather serious expression plastered on his face.
Ash raises an eyebrow in suspicion and questions "Hey Gary, what's up? You look like something's happened. Or maybe about to happen."
Gary doesn't change his expression as he exclaims in a serious tone "Is Serena here?"
Ash scratches is head nervously, a little concerned by the sudden question, as he replies "Yeah she's taking a shower, why's that matter though?"
Gary nods and ignores Ash's question as he exclaims cryptically "Good, I'll make this quick then."
Ash finds himself becoming more concerned by the second as he frowns and fires back "Make what quick Gary? What's going on here? Why can't Serena hear about this?"
Gary takes a breath before he explains "Ashy boy, earlier I caught a meeting from the showcase board. They seem like they have some sort of plans to rig the showcase tomorrow. I have a recording of everything I could gather."
Ash tilts his head in confusion of the sudden statement. He shakes that off for now as he questions "Rig it? Why would they do that? Surely it would be in their best interest to have the best performer win on the day. What would they stand to gain from that?"
Gary shakes his head and responds in a harsh tone "You'd think so, but from what I gathered it sounds like they want Serena to win so they can exploit her popularity to grow showcases and make them all a lot of money."
Ash's face is one of confusion as he further questions "Why would they need to rig it? Serena is going to win anyway because she's the best. They're just wasting their time."
Gary sighs at Ash's clouded mind and exclaims in a harsh tone "Ash, take your feelings for her out of the situation for a second. We know she's fine but her medical records don't look great after the Mewtwo incident."
Ash takes a second to mull over Gary's point before he responds with a more serious look on his face "I see, but why Serena? Why does she need to win?"
Gary matches Ash's look as he explains to his best friend "It sounds like they want to use her popularity for their gain, and it sounds a little like they're suggesting they're going to have full control over her life. Controlling what she does and how much free time she has."
Ash's eyes widen in shock as he shouts "Wait what!?"
Gary folds his arms and continues "The CEO said they wanted to make a lot of money from her. When this women questioned by what he means, he gave a blunt response. They could be trying to take advantage of her Ash, with some sort of contract clause. If she wins they may be trying to exploit her fame, popularity and her trust for all it's worth. After the women questioned them, the CEO threatened to fire her if Serena lost."
Ash places a serious look on his face upon hearing Gary's words. He looks at his best friend and exclaims "Let me see that video."
Gary nods and pulls out his phone to show Ash the recording. Ash listens it and sure enough, Gary wasn't lying. The showcase board definitely have plans for his girlfriend that aren't of her best interest.
As the video ends, he feels an anger rise up in his body as he clenches his fists and grits his teeth. His body shakes slightly with anger as he exclaims with venom in his tone "If they even lay a finger on her, I'll hurt each and every one of them. I swear to Arceus, I won't anyone take advantage of her."
Gary nods in agreement with Ash and questions "So, we go and kick their ass and bring down this showcase before anyone can do anything?"
Ash thinks about Gary's words for a second. While he wants to act on instinct and go in swinging. If he ruins the competition for Serena over a simple rumour, he could never forgive himself.
In the end, he decides not to act recklessly and replies through gritted teeth "No."
Gary frowns slightly at Ash's statement as he questions "Why not Ashy boy? I'm not afraid of some cooperate suits. We can easily take them."
Ash takes a long sigh before he explains in a much more measured tone "Gary, it's Serena's big day. We can't just ruin everything off of one conversation. We need to stay vigilant though. If she's in trouble, I'll hear it through our connection. I'll make sure I keep watch of her through aura as much as possible. If something does happen and we need to act, I hope you'll be there to give me a hand. I'll need all the help I can get."
Gary let's off a reassuring smile, slightly surprised by Ash's maturity in this situation as he replies "Of course Ashy boy, I'll keep an eye out."
The two friends nod to each other in understanding of the situation. They both are on the same page when it comes to any potential threat.
Suddenly, they are snapped out of their thoughts as they hear the shower turn off, meaning Serena will be out in a few moments.
Ash puts a serious look on his face and states "You better go, and not a word to the others. It's best not to worry them."
Gary nods in agreement with the Alola champion and replies "Okay Ashy boy. I'll see you tomorrow."
Gary takes his leave and exits the room, leaving Ash alone to contemplate what just happened. Ash wants to act on instinct, but he can't do anything without solid evidence or without being absolutely sure he's not ruining Serena's chances in the competition. All he can do for now is be there, and do what is necessary when the time comes.
He looks up at the ceiling as his auburn eyes flash a shade of purple. He puts a serious look on his face and whispers "If anyone tries anything. I'm going to hurt them all. I won't let anyone ruin this for Serena. No one tries to hurt her! No one!"
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Intro
The next day, Ash and Serena awake early and do their morning routines before they both head to the stadium for today's events.
They make their way to the front entrance of Lumiose city stadium where the two of them say goodbye. Ash wishes his girlfriend goodluck with a peck on the lips, as Serena reassures him that she's going to give it everything she's got.
After they say goodbye, Serena heads to her dressing room to prepare for the day where as Ash heads off to do some mandatory media duties.
Serena heads towards her dressing room with a confident smile on her face. She strides down the long corridors with purpose, fully ready for the events ahead. While she knows the competition will be stiff, she feels completely confident in her pokemon and herself that they can finally become Kalos queen today.
Serena practically skips towards her dressing room and takes the handle of the door. She nonchalantly swings the door open to the room before she steps inside to get her and her pokemon ready.
However as she steps inside, she is met by a familiar face already waiting for her inside. Serena gasps in shock and takes a step back as she questions "Palermo? What are you doing here?"
Palermo turns towards the young performer with a frown on her face as she cryptically exclaims "I'm here to stop you making a grave mistake."
Serena raises her eyebrow in confusion at the sudden answer as she further questions "What do you mean by that? Why is trying to become Kalos queen a mistake?"
Palermo shakes her head slightly at Serena as she explains in a cold tone "That is not a mistake Serena. Performing with your current injuries is the problem. I am not in good conscious going to allow you to compete."
Serena gasps in shock at Palermo giving her such a strong statement, but soon shakes it off. She bows respectfully in front of her elder and replies in a polite tone "Palermo, I respectfully disagree. I know I'm not 100%, but I'm fit to compete. Plus I've had all the necessary check ups, my boyfriend wouldn't let me compete without them. I've been medically cleared by professionals, even if they did say it was touch and go."
Palermo sighs at Serena's naivety and remarks with a hint of sadness in her tone "Serena dear, I've got more experience than you. I've seen it all before, one mistake today and it could end your career early. With your current injuries, the pain you'll experience today win or lose is just not worth it."
Serena takes a deep sigh, understanding exactly what Palermo is saying. In fact that was her same opinion for a while. She knows performing today is a gamble but her heart is set on it, and it is a risk she is willing to take.
Serena looks up at the former Kalos queen and replies in a passionate tone "Palermo, it's my dream to be Kalos queen. To achieve that dream, I need to go through the pain today to make it all worth it. It's just like my boyfriend and his bond phenomenon. To achieve something worthwhile, it may take a few bumps along the way."
Palermo shakes her head, becoming increasingly frustrated by Serena's stubbornness. She takes a sigh before she exclaims in a harsh tone "Your being naive Serena, that boy has you brainwashed. Just because he likes to throw himself in harms way, doesn't mean you should too. He's quickly becoming a bad influence on your decision making."
Serena feels an anger rise up in her after hearing Palmermo's words as she snaps "Don't question my relationship!"
Palermo takes a step back in shock at Serena's attitude, while Serena's eyes widen in shock that she just spoke to a former Kalos queen like that.
Serena snaps herself back to her usual politeness. She takes a small sigh before she bows her head and continues in a much more measured tone "Look Palermo, I appreciate your concern. But I'm competing today no matter what you say. You can't change my mind on this one."
Palermo groans in frustration of Serena's attitude. She frowns at the honey blonde girl and snaps "Fine, I've done all I can. I won't disturb you any longer."
Palmero leaves the dressing room and heads down the corridor, leaving Serena to get ready in peace.
As the former Kalos queen walks down the corridor, she thinks to herself "She's stubborn like my younger self. The only one who can convince her now, is that boy. I've seen that contract now, I know what's at stake. He needs to stop her competing. Otherwise if she wins, her life will be ruined and her relationship will be dead."
________________________________
Ash walks away after doing a few press interviews as he makes his way towards his VIP box. As he walks down the long corridors, he's stopped in his tracks as he hears a harsh voice bellow "You, wait there!"
Ash turns towards the source of the voice and sees a professional looking older woman with short grey hair, heading in his direction.
He tilts his head in confusion as he questions "Huh, what do you want with me?"
The older woman stands in front of the Alola champion with a frown on her face. She folds her arms and exclaims in harsh tone "You need to tell Serena not to perform, she's not safe."
Ash raises an eyebrow in confusion at the sudden statement about his girlfriend as he further questions "Not safe, what do you mean? Who even are you?"
Palermo sighs at Ash's questions and introduces "I'm the head of talent and scouting for the Kalos showcase board of directors. I was also the former Kalos queen Palermo."
Ash recognises the name and snaps his fingers as he exclaims in an overly enthusiastic tone "So your Palermo, Serena told me about you. She really looks up to you know. She says you were one of the best performers to ever grace a stage. She also says your a little cold sometimes, but I'm used to those sort of personalities by now."
Palmero looks at Ash dead in the eye, clearly not impressed by his comments as she remarks in a mater of fact tone "Tell her to stop performing now! She's in no shape to compete today! She is going to get hurt if she goes out there."
Ash raises an eyebrow in suspicion as he thinks himself "Does she know something about what Gary was taking about? Better play it cool for now if I want answers."
He shakes his head and replies in a respectful tone "Ms Palermo, Serena is medically cleared to compete. Sure she's a little worse for wear, but her injuries are mostly healed. Sure it might pain her a little to perform. But I know better than anyone, to win you may need to take some bumps along the road. That's exactly what she's willing to do to achieve her dream. While I don't love her competing like this, I certainly respect it."
Palmero slightly pouts in frustration as she mindlessly shouts "Neither of you get it do you? This isn't about just her injuries!"
Ash hears her words and instantly knows his suspicions were correct. Palermo was the woman in that audio recording Gary showed him, and she knows something more about what's going on here. While Ash thinks she's on his side, he's still going to press her for answers.
He puts a serious look on his face as he replies in a knowing tone "I do get it, you know something don't you. Tell me about the showcase board's plans."
Palmero breaks her cold persona as she takes a step back and gasps in shock "What?"
Ash's suspicions are all but confirmed by that answer as he exclaims "So it's true, there's something going on behind the scenes here. What are they planning?"
Palmero takes a conflicted sigh. While she wants to spill the plan here and now. She can only hint without risking her own safety.
She matches Ash's look as she cryptically exclaims "It's none of your concern, but it will be if Serena makes it to the final round."
Ash raises his eyebrow and further questions "Final round, you mean the final with Aria"
Palmero shrugs and nonchalantly replies "Well maybe?"
Ash feels his anger growing at Palermo's inability to cooperate. He takes a pokeball off his belt, containing his Infernape, as he warns in a harsh tone "Give me the answers I'm looking for now, or I'll go out there and cancel this whole show! I'm not afraid to burn down the whole directors box to secure Serena's safety if I have to."
Palermo gaps in shock and questions "You couldn't possibly be serious?"
Ash doesn't break his intense glare as he nonchalantly replies "It's me, I'm kind of known for doing reckless and stupid things. Serena will tell you all about it if you ask her."
Palermo sighs in defeat, not wanting to take a chance on Ash's temperament as she exclaims "I can't tell you the plan for my own safety. All I can say is, if she gets to the last round. Then you've got 30 minutes to save your relationship and her freedom. Otherwise is trapped for as long as she is young and beautiful. As long as she makes them money, her freedom will be none existent. She'll be a slave to the board."
Ash's eyes widen in shock as he questions "Wait trapped! You don't mean she'll be constantly worked do you?"
Palermo shakes her head and replies "I can't say, but think the worst possible scenario. You two being a thing for instance, that'll take a backseat."
Ash feels his anger only building as he clenches his fists and mutters "Those bastards are trying to hurt Serena. They're going to pay. I promised her I'd always keep her safe, that's what I'm going to do!"
Palermo turns around and begins to walk down the corridor. She stops and turns her head back towards Ash as she advices "A word of advice, don't go in swinging. You'll need evidence before you make a move. Otherwise they'll just use their money and influence. You may be popular and pretty rich, but you're not outdoing a whole company."
Ash nods in agreement with Palermo's measured approach and exclaims with a serious look on his face "Trust me, everything is going to be fine. I won't let this showcase go down like that. Serena is going to be okay."
Palmero let's off a small smile at Ash's clear love for Serena, before waking away down the corridor.
Meanwhile, Ash grits his teeth as he whispers to himself "I've got to do something to stop these guys. I can't let them make Serena sign something bad for her. No matter what it takes, I'm going to stop them before they trick her."
With that promise made to himself, Ash takes off and heads down the corridor towards his box.
Ash enters his VIP box and instantly scans around the stadium to make sure he can't spot anything suspicious just yet. He looks a little tense after hearing Palermo's words, and is on edge to say the least.
Grace notices her daughter's boyfriend's intense look and questions in a concerned tone "What's up Ash? You look very stressed."
Ash shakes off his intense look and places a fake smile on his face, as he replies in a reassuring tone "Sorry Grace, I'm just making sure everything is okay around here. I promised you guys the best experience possible so I was making sure everything is in order."
Grace places a motherly smile on her face as she exclaims in a thankful time "Well, that's very kind of you Ash. But you don't need to worry. The seats up here are stellar and the hospitality is perfect."
Bonnie folds her arms and shouts with her cheeks puffed out "Ash, hurry up and sit down! It's starting soon! You can't miss Serena's first performance! If you do she'll be so mad at you!"
Ash chuckles slightly at Bonnie's statement as he puts his hands up in a defensive manner. He makes his way towards his seat and sits down next to Gary at the end of the row of seats.
Gary spots his friend sitting down and subtly leans his head nearer to Ash's as he whispers in his ear "You find anything out?"
Ash nods and whispers back with a serious look on his face "Something is definitely up around here. I met the woman you were speaking about and she spilt some stuff. After the preliminary rounds, we need to move fast. We'll have 30 minutes to stop them. You were right about that contract clause. We'll need to get to Serena fast and make sure she doesn't get in any sort of trouble."
Gary smirks a little, feeling pumped up for some action as he whispers back "We got this Ashy boy. No way these guys can stop the Oak."
Ash shakes his head and replies in a harsher tone "Would you stay concentrated? Serena's life is on the line here. We can't lose any sort of focus."
Gary frowns a little at Ash's serious nature as be nonchalantly states "Ashy boy it'll be fine. Like I said, we've got this."
Ash goes to reply and put Gary in his place when suddenly, the lights dim around the stadium as the crowd roars with anticipation.
The spotlight shines down on the stage below, revealing Monsiuer Pierre with his usual Klefki by his side.
The pokemon showcase host raises the microphone to his mouth and shouts in an enthusiastic tone "Bonjour Pokémon lovers, and welcome to the Pokémon showcase masterclass final! I am your host as always, Monsiuer Pierre!"
The crowd lets off a loud cheer of excitement that Pierre let's die down before he continues "Today, one of these talented and beautiful performers will be given the chance to take the title of Kalos queen! But to do so, they will have to dethrone the beautiful and talented Kalos queen Aria!"
The crowd erupts with applause again upon hearing the name of the current Kalos queen. Pierre smiles at the reaction before he announces "Now, before we begin. I'd like to introduce some of our very special guests in attendance. First off all in champions box, please give a round of applause to the Kalos champion Alain and the former champion Ms Diantha!"
A spotlight shines down on the champions box as the crowd roars even louder for the two names mentioned. Alain just scoffs at the reaction, and looks very disinterested in the whole thing.
As Ash looks at one of his greatest rivals, he thinks to himself "This must have been part of his champion duties. There's no way Alain would be at an event like this otherwise. He hates this sort of thing."
Meanwhile, Diantha smiles and waves to the crowd in a calm manner. In contrast, Marin and Chespie jump up and down all around the box, looking very excited to watch the upcoming showcase.
Pierre let's the cheers die down a little before he points to his left and continues "Next in our visitors box. Please welcome our next guest, the Alola champion. Ash Ketchum!"
The crowd roars in approval as the spotlight shines down on Ash and his box. Ash instantly rises to his feet and holds his hands out in a defensive manner as he protests "Please don't focus on me. The real stars are on the stage."
Gary meanwhile, sees the spotlight and turns into his usual extroverted self. He stands on the railing of the VIP box and begins to hype up the crowd, causing cheers to rain down on the grandson of Professor Oak.
Pierre shakes his head slightly at Gary's antics and gestures for the spotlight to be turned off him. His request is obliged as the showcase host points to his left and announces "And finally, in our showcase box. Please welcome the showcase board, and the former Kalos queen Ms Palermo. As well as all our sponsor's for today's event."
The crowd is tamer for this as mild cheers fill in the stadium. The spotlight shines down as Palermo sits with a cold look on her face.
Ash gazes into the box with a serious look as he tries to get a good look of the people who are up to no good in his eyes. He straight away focuses his eyes on the head of the board, the CEO. Staring at the tall lemon blonde man makes Ash's blood boil. As far as he's concerned, his right hand has a date with this guys face. That rage only increases when he sees the CEO look in his direction and smirk.
Ash shakes off the CEO from his mind for a second as he continues to stare around the box. Sitting in the board room seats shows him nothing new, just a few guys in suits very similar to the CEO.
However, two people in the sponsorship section catch his eye to say the least. A tall stocky man with honey blonde hair and blue eyes, sits there with a frown on his face. Sitting next to him is a black haired blue jacket wearing 12 year old boy, with a bored expression on his as he slightly side eyes the man next to him.
Ash can't help but raise an eyebrow in suspicion. The man looks familiar in a way, while he swears he saw that child somewhere recently.
He is shaken out of his thoughts as the spotlight on the box fades and shines back down on the stage below.
Pierre takes his microphone and announces in an enthusiastic tone "Now, let's explain the structure of today's event. Just like last year's event. Each performer will be put in a group of 3 and one performer will progress from each group. This will continue to happen until we are left with our final 4. The final 4 will then compete for a place in the final, and the chance to face the Kalos queen Aria! Along the way, the number of Pokémon permitted to be used per performance will shift between rounds."
The crowd all murmur amongst each other as they try to get a grip on the format. Once the murmuring dies down, Pierre smiles and shouts "Now without further ado, let's begin with our first group of 3 performers!"
Suddenly, 3 pods rise up to the stage from the ground. The 3 pods open in unison as the first 3 performer's step out. The one in the middle is occupied by Serena, who is accompanied by her Braxien.
The two two step out the pod with confidence etched on their faces, as they prepare for the first performance of the day.
Bonnie puts an excited look on her face as she points towards the stage and shouts "Look! Serena's in the first group!"
Grace puts a motherly smile on her face as she shouts in encouragement "Give it your all dear."
Ash pumps his fist and enthusiastically exclaims "Go Serena! Show them how strong you really are!"
On stage, Serena only hears one voice as she closes her eyes and focuses on on her boyfriend's shout of encouragement. She takes a deep breath and takes in the atmosphere as the crowd waits in anticipation
Monsieur Pierre takes his microphone and announces with excitement clear in his tone "The first performer to start us off, will be our runner up last year. Performer Serena!"
The crowd roars in anticipation for Serena's return to performing in Kalos. Serena takes one final breath for composure as she takes a step forward towards centre stage.
Music starts to play as Serena brings her head up. She opens her eyes as her cerulean blue shines bright amongst the lights. A confident smile etches on her face as she looks up into the VIP box with a look that screams "I won't let you down!"
Serena looks dead ahead into the crowd as she prepares to take the first step towards her dream of becoming Kalos queen.
Her smile doesn't leave her face as she whispers to herself "Let's do this!"
She takes a step forward and extends her arm out elegantly as she shouts "Braxien use fire blast!"
________________________________
The early rounds of the showcase fly by as the performers begin to progress through the competition, quickly leading up to the final four.
Serena uses all her Pokémon, except Absol, to get her through the opening rounds. She uses a variety of performance techniques and styles which she has learnt across her travels. She looks a cut above the rest of the field, and is outscoring her opponents easily. As the rounds go on, the crowd grows ever more in her favour thanks to her large variety of skills on display.
Miette is the first to make it through to
The final round. She seems to have a mean streak about her, like she's got something to prove to everyone. She out performs her opponents with very little issues before taking no time to show sportsmanship, constantly keeping a determined look on her face as she storms on and off the stage.
Shauna is the 2nd to make it through as she looks better than ever, and is easily able to keep her routines fresh with a few new additions to her team, as well as some new performance techniques. She shows a lot of improvement from her last showcase outing as she crowd slowly warms to the home town girl.
Nini is the third one to make it through, although she struggles a bit more. She is still able to get through and win people over thanks to her hard work and persistence.
The final semi final match before the final 4 is already well and truly under way. The last performance is now in progress as Serena looks to wrap up her routine.
It's been a rather successful one so far with her using Pikachu and Pancahm's agility to mask some of her own lack of movement.
She throws her hands in the air as she orders with a beaming smile on her face "Pikachu use heart stamp, and Pancham use arm thrust!"
Baby Pikachu dances into position as she cups a heart shape around her heart, causing the crowd to awww at the cuteness of the baby Pokémon. She winks and throws her hands up in the air, causing a giant red heart to form just above her.
Pancham sees his cue and flips forward with his arms glowing with a bright shade of white aura. He slams his arms through the heart, causing it to split into many mini hearts that fly off into the crowd. Pikachu and Pancham flip back into position as they perch themselves on either side of Serena's shoulders. Serena makes a heart shape with her hands as she winks before she exclaims "Ta Da! And that's it!"
The crowd erupts into applause for Serena's performance as Serena curtsies with Pancham and Pikachu still stood on either shoulder.
In the VIP box, Everyone stands and applauds as Pikachu lets off a proud "Pika!" Proud of just how well his adopted daughter did in that performance
Back on stage, Serena takes one final bow before she takes a step back to join her fellow performers.
Monsieur Pierre takes a step forward and announces in an enthusiastic tone "Another wonderful performance by Serena! Now please ladies, gentlemen and pokemon alike. Get ready to vote for your favourite performer by using your glow casters, or by voting on the showcase app. Now let the voting begin!"
Serena stands under a pink heart as the voting process begins. Ash and the rest in the VIP box get their glow casters and turn them pink as they shout"Go Serena!"
Thousands of pink orbs fly towards Serena as her heart begins to fill up. Orange and green orbs soon follow as the other performers receive their votes at a much slower scale.
After all the votes are collected. Pierre takes his microphone and exclaims "The winner, and the final performer into our showcase final."
A spotlight suddenly shines down on one of the three performers as Pierre finishes "Performer Serena!!!!"
In the VIP box, Ash pumps his fist in celebration and shouts "Way to go Serena!"
Bonnie squeals a little as she announces "Yay Serena did it Dedenne!" Dedenne stands on the edge of the railing with Pikachu and shouts in excitement "Nene!"
Back on stage, Serena gasps in excitement before she looks at her two Pokémon and exclaims "We did it! We're back in the final! Just one more win and we can face Aria again!"
Pancham and Pikachu let off excited cries and soon nuzzle up to their trainer. Serena lets off a small laugh as she hugs her two small Pokémon.
After they all break apart, she shows sportsmanship to the two losers. The two crowd applaud in approval of Serena's sportsmanship before she gives them one last wave before walking back towards her pod.
She steps into her pod as it lowers back towards the ground, taking her to the backstage area. Serena steps back out of her pod and heads into the corridors as she makes her way to her locker room with her two previous Pokémon walking next to her.
Serena looks down at her two Pokémon with an excited smile as she exclaims "Just one more round to win now and then we're in the final. Are you two excited?"
Pancham puffs out his chest and pumps his fist as he exclaims "Pan Pan Cham!"
Baby Pikachu let's off an excited squeal before she shouts "Pi Pika Pi!"
Serena giggles a little at her two Pokémon's reaction's before she exclaims "Yeah I know, it's been so long since we've performed in front of a crowd like this. Let's make sure we all do our best. Win or lose, it's not everyday we get the chance to have this much fun!"
Her two Pokémon nod their heads in agreement with their trainer's statement as they continue to walk towards the locker room.
Serena continues to walk with her mind drifting towards her current competition. She's really looking forward to sharing the stage with 3 girls she considers friends. Unfortunately so far this competition they haven't had much of a chance to talk, a disadvantage of having private locker rooms instead of the usual one big performer's room they used to share. After the round is over, she'd love to catch up with them all and see how they have all been.
Serena continues to walk in her thoughts, when suddenly she hears a pattering of feet stamping towards her.
Before she can even react, she is practically tackled into a nearby wall, where she slams her back against hard.
Serena winces in pain as her midsection stings with sharp stabs. She slumps to the ground as the seemingly random attacker, sticks her knee straight into Serena's previously broken ribs. She pushes all her weight down on Serena's midsection as she presses her harder against the wall.
Serena howls in pain as she feels her breath slowly draining from her body. This is all happening so fast that Serena is struggling to get a grasp on what is even happening to her. She closes her eyes and winces in pain as her midsection starts to throb.
The person stops her attack and takes a step back to gloat. As she steps back, Serena gets a good look at her face and she sees it's someone she'd once considered a friend.
Miette.
Miette stands in front of Serena and looks down at her on the floor with a smug smile. She laughs a little at the state of her rival and taunts "Sorry princess, I didn't mean to hurt you. Oh wait, yes I did."
Serena can't believe what just happened. She never ever thought a performer would try and physically hurt her. She struggles through the pain as she mutters in a breathless tone "Miette, why did you do that?"
Miette rolls her eyes and replies "Isn't it obvious?"
Serena pants as she desperately tries to catch her breath. She manages to gain some sort of control of her breathing as she questions in a pained voice "What is?"
Miette sighs at Serena's naivety as she explains "I'll just spell it out for you. You beat me in last year's showcase. That hurt me, but I let it go because we were friends. But now I hear rumours that your using Ash's popularity to boost your votes. You may have cheated me last year, but I won't let you get away with it this year."
Serena tears up a little at this betrayal, she'd always considered her rivalry with Miette competitive but friendly. Last year when she lost, she'd even supported Serena in the final round so why be so mean now? Maybe her feelings for Ash were stronger than she realised, and seeing Serena with him has caused her to become cold towards her? But that doesn't explain those rumours. Yes there are some skeptics who have questioned Serena's relationship with Ash as nothing more than personal gain for her career. While those people are just internet gossip, and are just simply jealous. It seems as though Miette sees their point of view as gospel. But that still doesn't explain why she thinks that it's true. Miette surly isn't that stupid, to go off internet hearsay without any proof?
Serena struggles a little on the ground as she replies with a tear brewing in her eye "Why Miette? We were friends. Why throw that away over something so petty as that? I'm not using Ash's popularity to boost votes. If anything I'm actively trying to avoid it. I want to win because I'm the best performer, not the most popular."
Miette rolls her eyes and fires back in a venomous tone "It's not petty! I have all the evidence I need and I've had it on good authority that you are cheating! All the evidence is right there! Look at the attention you get because your dating Ash! You play up to him like a little lapdog. You don't love him, your using him! He's the reason the public calls you the Kalos princess, the heir to the throne! That should be me, that should be the best performer! Not the one who sleeps with the most popular boy!"
Serena looks at Miette with pure anger on her face. She frowns at the girl and snaps "If you think I'm with Ash for fame you must be stupid! I'm with Ash because I love him so so much! I've loved him ever since I was a kid! I don't have any reason to win by cheating Miette! I want to win this competition because I'm the best performer in the world! I don't know who's told you that, but they are wrong!"
Miette scoffs at Serena's little rant about her love for Ash. She's seen the evidence from the board. She's cheating to beat her and she's not going to let it slide. Or at least that's what she thinks.
She smirks a little and replies in a sassy tone "Whatever, you keep telling yourself that hun. We'll settle this on the stage."
Miette lunges forward once more and slams her knee back into Serena's ribs one more time. Serena let's off a cry of pain as Miette pushes her knee in deeper. She slams Serena against the wall as hard as she can and adds in a mocking tone "If you can make it that is."
Miette stops her assault and takes a step away. She gives her rival one last grin before she struts away down the corridor.
As Miette leaves, Serena sits in the corridor leaning back against a wall. She pants heavily and winces in pain as a constant stabbing pain throbs in her midsection.
Pikachu and Pancham both rush over and try and comfort their trainer as Serena hunches back against the wall. She tries to follow her doctor's orders to blow away the sudden pain, by taking a deep breath before slowly exhaling.
Serena struggles a little as she gets some form of breath back. She still feels her ribs stabbing her but tries to fight her way through this. She's not going to let Miette take her out the competition like this.
She grits her teeth and tries to reassure her two Pokémon and she mutters "Thanks you two, I'll be okay. Don't worry about me."
Pikachu and Pancham look on in concern as Serena struggles back up to her feet. She reaches a vertical basis and slumps back against the wall. She let's out a deep breath once again, trying to blow away the pain.
While she is weak, she can just about manage through the pain. There's no denying it though, if she wasn't at 100% before, then she's definitely not now. Miette has definitely done some further damage to her rib injuries that will only further hinder her.
Suddenly, she's snapped out of her thoughts as she hears two people running towards her. The two people near as Serena hears a familiar voice shout "Serena, are you okay!"
She turns her head to one side as she spots Nini and Shauna running towards her. Serena quickly shuffles a little and forces herself to stand a little straighter as she attempts to not let herself look weak in front of her friends.
Shauna reaches Serena first as she questions with a concerned look on her face "Serena, we saw the whole thing! Are you okay? You look really hurt."
Nini puts a massive frown on her face as she exclaims in an angry tone "I can't believe Miette would do that!"
Serena clutches her midsection tightly and replies in a pained voice "She found out about my injuries I guess."
Shauna looks at Serena holding her midsection and gasps a little in shock. She never knew that Serena was performing today with an injury this severe.
She shakes off her thoughts as she looks at her friend with concern and exclaims "Serena let us help you. We need to get you some medical help."
Serena looks a skeptical as she questions "How can I trust you? What if you just do what Miette did to me? You could be here to finish the job."
Nini frowns at Serena's statement and states in an authoritative tone "Serena we aren't like her."
Shauna matches Nini's frown as she adds in a similar authoritative tone "Serena your one of my best friends, I'm not like her. I would never do that to you."
Serena nods in appreciation of the two girls, not wanting to waste any breath. The two girls help Serena as they make her sit for a second while they get her a bottle of water and some painkillers. Serena willingly takes them before the two girls help her back up to her feet.
Serena winces in pain a little as she get used to standing on her own again. Nini can't help but frown at her friend's state as she exclaims "I can't believe Miette, we need to tell someone about this. She should be disqualified!"
Serena shakes her head and protests in a pained voice "No please don't."
Nini raises her eyebrow in confusion as she questions "Huh why not?"
Serena takes a deep breath of air before she explains "Because if I do that, people are going to say one of us only won because we got her disqualified. I've already got enough questions about that stuff with Ash's fame being an excuse. I can't let myself win of a technicality."
Shauna gives Serena an understanding look as she states "So you want to beat her on stage then right?"
Serena nods and exclaims with a small smile creeping onto her face "That's right, winning this because of politics is not my style. If I can't win this because I'm the best performer on stage, then I don't want the tittle."
Shauna smiles, feeling proud of her friends mentality. She puts a hand on the honey blonde girl's shoulder and replies "Well I'm with you Serena, I don't want to win this by some disqualification. You better give it your all up there even with your injuries."
Serena smiles at Shauna's words as the pain in her ribs starts to slowly dissipate, replaced by the excitement of her upcoming performance.
Shauna smirks knowingly and holds out a hand towards Serena as she exclaims "May the best performer win."
Serena matches Shauna's smirk as she takes her hand and replies "Good luck out there."
Nini pouts little as she folds her arms and complains "Hey don't forget about me."
Shauna and Serena both giggle at her pout as Serena exclaims "That goes without saying Nini, let's all give it our best out there."
The 3 of them wish each other good luck before they separate, as Serena heads towards her dressing room to quickly get her pokemon changed.
Meanwhile lurking just around the corner, the CEO stands with a smirk on his face as he whispers "Well played Miette, I can't believe you believed that bunch of lies I fed you. Now she'll be too desperate to win not to accept my help. When I give her the offer to have a free win against Aria, she'll accept without a second thought. Her desperation to match his achievements will be her downfall. Soon she'll be our little cash cow to mil dry."
He lets off a loud cackle as he walks through the corridor while dreaming of all the cash he's about to make at the expense of Serena's life.
However, unbeknownst to the CEO, someone else is listening and recording his every word.
Stood in a dark corner with a small device in his hand, Alain smirks and whispers "So my suspicions were right, the board are corrupt. Looks I've got you now with this evidence. All I need to do now is wait for you to slip up."
_______________________________
Back in the VIP box, Ash sits in his box with his clenched fists as he grits his teeth in anger. His whole body shakes with his anger brewing as he thinks to himself "Miette, how could you? No, how dare you hurt her! If only I could go down there and put everyone in their place, I would tell you straight up how wrong you are to say that about her. She doesn't cheat at all to get votes. She gets them because she's so much better at performing than you are Miette. But as much as I want to do that, Palermo said I need to wait. It's the only way to save her. I just need to wait a little longer before it's time to take everyone down."
Gary notices Ash's mood change and the anger creeping up onto his face. Being one of the only people who knows Ash and Serena can sense each other's aura. That means they know when the other is in danger most of the time too. He instantly knows something must he wrong with Serena.
Gary leans his head closer to his friend and whispers subtly "Who hurt Serena his time then."
Ash grits his teeth replies with venom in his tone "Miette,"
Gary raises an eyebrow and whispers in a confident tone "The ugly blue haired b****? You let me handle her."
Gary stands up to go and handle this. However as he does, Ash places a hand on shoulder to stop him. He sighs a little before he exclaims in an authoritative tone "Not yet Gary, we can't cause a scene and ruin this for Serena. We need to be patient for now. She'll be strong enough to handle this."
Gary reluctantly sits back down and mutters with his arms folded "Fine Ashy boy! Arceus I hate those corrupt suits and there games. I can't wait to drop kick one of them."
The two boys are soon snapped out of their conversation as a light appears on stage. Monsiuer Pierre steps back out into the spotlight as the crowd roar in anticipation, ready to start the final round before the one on one against the Kalos queen.
Pierre steps forward with his microphone in hand as he announces "Bonjour Pokémon lovers, and welcome to the final round of the showcase preliminaries!"
The crowd applauds as Pierre takes a second to let the applause die down before he continues "So far we have seen many talented performers show us some magnifique performances, alongside their amazing pokemon. But unfortunately, only one can be given the chance to face the Kalos queen Aria in the final round."
The whole crowd erupts with cheers as the crowd waits with a hitched breath for the final round to begin.
Pierre points his hand in the direction of 4 rising pods as he shouts "Now without further delay, please welcome back our final 4 performers. Nini, Shauna, Miette and Serena!"
The crowd cheers in approval of the 4 performers as the 4 pods rise up. They complete their ascent as the door to the pods slide open. A few seconds later, the cheers only get louder as the 4 girls step out on stage with equally determined looks plastered on their faces.
The 4 of them take their spot as the crowd silences as Pierre turns his attention back to the watching crowd. He points towards one of the 4 girls and exclaims "Now let's start out with our first performance of the final! Please welcome back to the stage, performer Nini!"
Nini steps forward and takes centre stage with her two Pokémon alongside her. Music starts to play as he begins her performance. Overall she puts on a very respectable performance, using her Smoochum's ranged attacks and her Farfetch'd's scrappy nature to come up with some interesting combinations.
Next up is Shauna who takes centre stage with her Ivysaur and Floette. She does a very skilled performance with her theme being nature, taking advantage of grassy terrain where ever possible to only make her theme more apparent. The crowd gives her a large cheer at the end of her performance as the performer from Lumiose city sets the benchmark for the rest to follow on from.
Up next is Miette who takes centre stage while looking very smug. She puts on a performance with three Pokémon: a male Meowstic, a Slurpuff, and a newly caught Malamar.
She puts on a performance with the theme of light vs dark as she constantly uses Malamar's dark type moves to clash with Slurpuff's fairy type attacks. Meowstic uses his psychic type powers to bring it all together as Miette puts on an A plus performance.
The crowd roars in approval of her work, easily earning her the biggest cheer of the day so far. As Miette finishes her performance, she plays up the crowd before she turns around and walks back towards her fellow performers.
As she does so, she gives Serena a cheeky wink which makes Serena's blood boil. The honey blonde girl think to herself "I'll admit that was a great performance. But if she winks at me like that again then I'll scratch her face off!"
Serena quickly calms herself down and decides it's better to channel her anger into her performance. She takes a deep breath to compose her emotions before she thinks to herself "I'm not just going to win this showcase, I'm going to embarrass you Miette. I'm making this performance so good that no one will even remember your performance."
Serena is soon snapped out of her thoughts as she feels the crowd quieten down. Suddenly, Pierre takes his microphone and exclaims "A fantastic performance from performer Miette, don't you agree pokemon showcase lovers!"
The crowd roars in approval while Ash sits with a small smirk on his face up in the VIP box. He chuckles knowingly as he thinks to himself "If they think that was good, wait until they see what Serena has planned."
Back on stage, Pierre lets the crowd die down before he announces in an enthusiastic tone "Now for our final performer! The Kalos princess, performer Serena!"
Serena receives a warm welcome as the crowd crowd roars in approval for their clear fan favourite. She steps forward with Sylveon and Brionne either side of her, and with Altaria right behind her.
She's chosen these 3 Pokémon with a specific performance in mind, she knows it's a little risking to pull off but she has faith in all 3 that they can do it.
Serena takes centre stage as the crowd wait in anticipation for the pre performance favourite to make it all the way back to the final. Serena stands with a confident smile on her face as she prepares herself for what's about to come.
In the VIP box, Ash stands up and cups his hands over his mouth as he encouragingly shouts "Give it your all Serena!"
Pikachu pumps a fist in agreement with his trainer as he shouts down "Pi, Pika, Chu!"
Serena hears her boyfriend's encouragement and only feels her confidence growing. She knows he's rooting for her to become Kalos queen, and she's not about to let him down.
Sylveon feels a similar way about Pikachu's cheer as she prepares to put on her best performance possible.
The music starts to play as Serena beams a bright smile and exclaims "Let's do this!"
All 3 of her pokemon nod in agreement with equally big smiles on their faces as they all prepare to do what they love most.
The four of them practically dance into
Position as they prepare to begin their performance.
Serena extends her arms out, forgetting about her injuries as the adrenaline of performing takes over. A beaming smile plasters her face as she commands "Sylveon use swift, and Altaria use moonblast!"
Sylveon nods as she extends her ribbon feelers before firing off a few dozen golden stars into the air. Altaria let's off a cry of song as she forms a pink ball of mist in front of her. She flaps her wings and throws the ball forward towards the incoming stars. The two meet in the middle and collide against each over, meeting in such a way that the two attacks bursts against one another. Suddenly, golden stars and small crescent moons burst out from the collision and sparkle in and amongst the sky.
The crowd roar in approval of the display of beauty as Serena makes a strong start to her performance.
Serena dances around a little with small moons and stars falling around her. She makes her next move as she spins and points her hand out as she exclaims "Brionne, blow us a bubble."
Brionne nods as she concentrates hard and takes a deep breath. She soon exhales as she blows a massive bubble around her trainer. Serena doesn't move as she allows herself to become encased by a bubble, much to the confusion of the watching crowd as they prepare for what Serena's planning.
The honey blonde girl smiles as the bubble fully forms around her. She throws both hands up in the air as she exclaims "Now Sylveon, use fairy wind!"
Sylveon nods as she leaps into the air while flapping her ribbon feelers. Suddenly a strong sparkly pink wind forms and heads straight towards the bubble. The wind blows the bubble straight up into the air as the current blows Serena along. Serena puts on a beaming smile as the wind only takes her higher, as she she floats in and amongst the clouds. The crowd roar in approval of her unconventional trick as Serena dances inside her bubble.
In the VIP box, Bonnie squeals a little and exclaims "She's just like a fairy!"
Gary nods in agreement and adds "It's a pretty cool trick if you ask me. A bold one too, it takes immense trust in your Pokémon to pull that off."
Ash smiles in agreement as he watches his girlfriend dance elegantly through the air. He can't quite believe how beautiful she looks in and amongst the clouds.
He also can't quite believe she'd even have the audacity to pull off a stunt like this. He almost agrees with everything Bonnie and Gary just said. The only thing he would change, is he'd describe Serena as more of an angel than a fairy.
Serena places a happy smile on her face, feeling so satisfied about how she's begun this performance. She winks a little as she orders to her pokemon down below "Now you three, play catch!"
Altaria let's off an elegant cry as she spreads her wings wide and takes off into the sky above. The cryare completely mesmerised by her skill as she effortlessly glides in and amongst the clouds.
When Serena saw the stadium was going to be the venue for this year's masterclass, she knew she had to take advantage of it by using the outdoor arena. As part of her training, she's been training Altaria to effortlessly fly with grace. With the help of Ash and his experienced flying type Pokémon, it looks like her plan has worked perfectly.
Altaria soon reaches the bubble and flies directly above Serena. She uses her wings to push the bubble back down towards the ground. The bubble soon reaches the ground below and it's intended target in Brionne.
Brionne leaps up and nods the bubble over towards Sylveon. Sylveon pushes out her ribbon feelers and knocks the bubble back towards Altaria.
The three repeat the process while all smiling and laughing at the fun their having. The crowd seem to respond to that by having fun as well, as they begin to clap along with every time the bubble is passed on.
This was completely part of Serena's plan. While combination moves and such are all very important in winning a showcase. Sometimes a performer needs to have fun on stage with a more playful action, in turn making the crowd have fun along with them.
Plus this little bubble game is giving her a little rest while still keeping the crowd entertained. A smart way to compensate for her injuries.
Serena's pokemon continue to knock the bubble back and forth for a while until it reaches Sylveon for the 3rd time. She wraps the bubble up in her ribbon feelers and throws it high above the stadium, as the crowd gasp in shock at the sheer height Serena now floats at.
As Serena floats high in the clouds, she notices the bubble starting to waiver a little under her feet. She uses that as her cue as she shouts "Now it's time for the grand finale!"
The crowd wait with anticipation as Serena extends her hands out and commands "Sylveon use fairy wind, Brionne combine it with icy wind!"
Sylveon moves into position as she flaps her ribbon feelers, sending strong pink winds fluttering through out the stadium. Brionne follows up by taking a deep breath before exhaling a powerful wind of light blue ice that swirls through the air. The two wind attacks combine and swirl around each other, creating a beautiful sight of blue and pink sparkles circling around each other.
The two attacks hang in the air just below the bubble as Serena sets up step one of her plan. She soon follows up with step two as Serena shouts "Now Altaria, use cotton guard!"
Altaria flies up and hovers just above the two wind attacks. She flaps her wings as they begin to fill with thick, soft white cotton. Once she's formed enough necessary, she lets off a cry and sheds her cotton. The cotton soon forms together below her into a make shift carpet of sort, that floats in the combined wink attack below.
With her set up complete, Serena takes a big deep breath to compose herself before she puts a massive smile on her face and shouts "Now!"
Suddenly, the bubble around her pops as the thing keeping Serena safe in the air disappears. She starts falling from the sky at a rate of knots as she quickly heads towards certain doom.
The crowd gasp in shock as they begin to panic, not sure if this is apart of her routine or a stunt gone wrong.
Ash is just as panicked as he stands up with worry etched on his face. He grabs Noivern's pokeball from his belt and moves on instinct as he prepares to throw the pokeball towards Serena to stop her from falling.
However, his rash action is soon halted as Gary reaches out and grabs his wrist to stop him from acting too quick. He can see that Serena has a plan and that Ash's got nothing to worry about.
Serena continues to fall at high speeds for a few seconds until she reaches the combined wind attacks below her. Her descent slows down rapidly, as she reaches the fairy wind and Icy wind attacks.
She floats in the wind for a second before the previous carpet of cotton floats up towards her. She lands on it and takes a comfortable seat, while beaming a smile at how surreal this all feels.
The carpet begins to ride the current as it slowly makes it's way back towards the stage below. Serena smiles and waves to the crowd below as they all let off loud cheers in amazement of her skill, feeling thoroughly entertained by her performance.
The carpet continues to ride the wind before gently landing back on the stage below with Serena resting on her knees.
Altaria flies in behind the carpet and lands behind Serena, while Sylveon and Brionne join their trainer on the carpet.
All 3 Pokémon pose as Serena throws her arms in the air and shouts with a beaming smile on her face "Ta da! And that's it!"
The crowd instantly break out into massive cheers of approval for Serena as the positive cheer for her performance completely blows Miette's out the water, earning her the loudest cheer of the day.
In the VIP box. Bonnie beams a smile at seeing such a pretty performance from Serena as she exclaims "That carpet trick was so cool! She was just like princess Jasmine!"
Gary smirks a little and adds "Not a bad idea. Definitely one she's worked on with her pokemon for a while. Although calling her princess Jasmine is a little much, she's Ashy boy's Kalos princess remember?"
Bonnie smiles and giggles at Gary's point, probably agreeing with him on something for the first time.
Meanwhile, Clemont has a small breakdown as he exclaims "How does that even work!? I can't even comprehend what she just did! The weight to resistance ratio doesn't compute!"
Grace has a small tear in her eye as she proudly shouts "That's my daughter up there!"
Ash breathes a sigh of relief and wipes a beed of sweat off his forehead as he mutters "You had me shook up for a second there Serena."
Back on stage, Serena smiles at the cheering crowd as she stands back up to her feet to give them a small curtsy.
However as she does, the adrenaline of performing wears off as she instantly feels a sharp pain in her midsection stab her in the ribs.
She scrunches up her face as pain overflows through her body. She feels her legs shake a little as her balance begins to waiver.
She can feel her legs start to give way as the fear of falling begins to consume her.
Acting quickly, Sylveon subtly moves behind her trainer and wraps her ribbon feelers around her waist to steady her.
Using Sylveon for balance, Serena quickly takes a breath as she manages to catch her balance and steady herself.
Sylveon releases her grip on her trainer as Serena gives her a subtle "Thank you." Sylveon nods back at her trainer as Serena and her pokemon curtsy to the crowd.
Up in the VIP box, Ash notices Serena's discomfort and grits his teeth a little as he think to himself "Her injuries are getting worse after Miette's stunt. I need to speak to her after we stop these guys. I need to make sure she can carry on like this."
Back on stage, Serena waves to the crowd one last time before she makes her way back towards her fellow performer's. On the way back, she gives Miette a cheeky wink back which causes the blue haired girl to grit her teeth in anger.
With all the performances finished, Pierre takes centre stage with his microphone in hand as he exclaims "What a beautiful performance by performer Serena. Truly magnifque!"
The crowd cheer in approval of Pierre's statement as the Kalos public show their appreciation for the Kalos princess.
Pierre let's the applause die down before he continues "Now, it's time to see which off these 4 performers will be moving on to the final against the Kalos queen Aria. Now, please vote using your glow casters in the stadium or on the app for those watching around the world! Let the voting begin!"
In the VIP section, Ash is the first in the whole crowd to vote as a pink orb fires off from his glow caster. The orb quickly travels through the air before it slams straight into the key attached to Serena's dress, giving her the first vote as the heart above her head ticks up by a click.
Everyone else in the VIP box votes for Serena shortly after, sending pink orbs flying her way.
Well that is apart from Tierno and Trevor, who turn their glow casters green for Shauna and send an orb her way.
Gary looks at the two idiots and decides they deserve a little payback for voting against Serena. He grabs them both by the shirt and slams both their skulls together, dropping them both to the floor.
Meanwhile on stage, Serena stands nervously with her eyes close and her hand in a heart shape around her key as she whispers under breath "Please, please, please, please please!"
Orbs of 4 different colours continue to fly towards everyone and fill up the hearts above their heads, as the votes continue to be counted.
The last orb hits Miette's key as the voting concludes.
Serena keeps her eyes tight shut as she moves her hands behind her back and crosses her fingers, as she continues to whisper "Please be me, please be me."
Pierre gets on the microphone and begins "Your winner, and the performer who will face Aria in our grand final is."
Serena keeps her eyes shut tight before suddenly, a bright spotlight shines down that forces them open.
"Performer Serena!"
The crowd roars as the hearts reveal themselves above the performer's head to show Serena has won with 44% of the total vote, a landslide victory over Shauna in 2nd and Miette in 3rd.
The realisation hits Serena all at once as she let's off a small squeal of delight before she screams "We did it! We won!"
Altaria, Sylveon and Brionne all let off similar happy cries as the 3 of them lock their trainer in a big hug. The 4 of them all giggle while in each other's embrace, as they celebrate getting back to the final stage once again.
Miette instantly stamps her feet in rage and turns around before she runs off the stage in a fit, having been proved wrong by her rival.
In the VIP box, Ash pumps his fist in victory and shouts "Yes! That's my girl!"
Grace clasps her hands together and exclaims with emotion sneaking into her tone "Serena, your amazing darling."
Bonnie jumps up out her seat and shouts "She did it Dedenne! She's back in the final!"
Dedenne jumps up out of Bonnie's bag and shouts in victory "Dedenne!"
Pikachu jumps up off of Ash's shoulder and stands on the railing. He looks down at Sylveon and shouts in congratulations "Pika!"
Similary, Ash looks down at Serena with a proud look plastered on his face. He soon closes his eyes and begins to focus his aura as he attempts to connect with girlfriend.
After a few seconds, he manages to establish a connection as he exclaims in an enthusiastic tone "Way to go babe, keep it up. Only one more round to go now, just keep doing your best and don't give up. No matter happens though, I'm very proud of you for how well you've done today."
Serena hears her boyfriend's words through her aura connection and instantly feels her heart flutter with happiness. She takes a deep breath before she closes her own eyes and focuses in her own aura. She let's a small smile drift onto her face as she replies "Thank you Ash, I'm going to do my best to take home the trophy. I promise you that I won't give up until the very end!"
Two of them both smile at each other as they let their aura connections drift away. While Ash was tempted to warn Serena about the showcase board, he decides it's best to leave her alone.
While that may sound stupid to some, Ash wants Serena to be fully focused on the competition and not have to worry about all that if possible. In an ideal scenario, she wouldn't even need to know about anything as Ash will have sorted everything out before they can even get to her.
Back on stage, Serena approaches Nini and Shauna. The three of them all hug as the two losers wish Serena good luck in the final. The crowd cheer at the show of sportsmanship as the 3 girls all give them a wave.
Pierre takes centre stage again and gets on his microphone as he announces "Now, we have a 30 minute break to give our winner a breather. After the break, a rematch for the ages as performer Serena takes on the kalos queen Aria for her tittle. Who will come out on top this time? Don't go anywhere if you want to find out Pokémon showcase lovers!"
The crowd roars in approval of the final matchup as Serena heads backstage through her pod. Once not in view of the crowd, she lets her true pain out as she tightly clutches her ribs while a tear forms in her eye.
She tries to sniff back her tears as her midsection throbs in pain. Her mind gets stuck in her own self doubt as she thinks to herself "I'm not sure I can do this through all the pain. But I have to. I can't let everyone down again this year. I can't let Ash down and lose."
Serena takes a deep breath to compose herself, she knows what she needs to do. She places a determined look on her face as she thinks to herself "I need to do this. I can't give up no matter how bad it gets. I need to do whatever it takes to win. No matter what the costs."
In the VIP box, Gary subtly turns to Ash and whispers with a serious look on his face "It's go time."
Ash nods in agreement with Gary's statement and whispers back "Right, let's do this."
Pikachu jumps on Ash shoulder as Ash and Gary stand up. Both boys make their way towards the exit, ready to save the day.
Grace notices the two looking a little suspicious and questions with a raised eyebrow "Where are you two going?"
Gary quickly comes up with a lie and exclaims with a confident smirk "The bar Ms Grace, it's past 5 pm and I haven't had a drink yet."
Grace tilts her head in confusion and questions with suspicion creeping into her tone "Isn't it too soon to celebrate yet?"
Ash backs Gary up as he scratches his head nervously and explains "It's to calm the nerves that's all, I'm so nervous that I need one. Otherwise might explode."
Grace places a motherly smile on her face and replies "Oh I understand. I can be like that sometimes." It's clear to her that something is going on, but she decides to let it slide and let Ash handle whatever this issue is. While she usually jumps to protect her daughter, she trusts Ash to make sure nothing bad happens to her.
Ash smiles warmly back and exclaims "We'll see you guys in a bit."
Ash and Gary walk calmly out of the box until they are out of sight of the rest. Once they are, they begin to sprint as fast as they can through the halls as they head for the backstage area.
As they run, Ash grits his teeth as his anger towards the situation rises. He focuses as hard as possible as he thinks to himself "I'm coming Serena, just hold on a little longer. I'm going to find out their true plan, then I'm going to stop them. After I'm going to hold you in my arms and tell you it's all okay. Your going to win this showcase Serena."
"Because your the very best!"
__________________________________
And so the plot thickens.
How did you guys enjoy part 2 of the showcase arc?
I know there wasn't a tone of performances and this is a little bit of a shorter chapter but it's for good reasons.
Well I say it's short and it's 12500 words long which I would have considered a long chapter when I started this book.
In fact, and I'm not trying to gloat when I say this, it is longer than the average chapter most Amourshipping writers release.
Although I always believe that a chapter's length doesn't correlate to how good it actually is.
The votes on these chapters tell me that and some with that lack of them.
Anyway enough rambling and state
the reasons author.
1. Performances are hard to write for me so I'd rather focus on making a few big ones that have unique ideas, than multiple smaller ones that aren't as good.
2. Because the next chapter is a long one with a lot of questions left to be answered.
How will Ash take on the showcase board?
Will Serena be fooled by their tricks?
Will Ash get his hands on the CEO?
What is Alain up to?
How bad are Serena's injuries?
Will she be able to beat Aria and become Kalos queen?
Will Gary get to drop kick someone?
All that and more in the next chapter.
It is a long one as I said so not sure how long it'll take but I'll keep you guys updated as always on my page.
So on that note.
Please make sure to vote and comment down below as it is always appreciated.
Have a nice day and I'll speak to you all soon.