Well hey guys, I'm back with the latest update. Yeah I know, it took me a bit more time than I wanted to, but the world cup is currently taking place so that is a bigger priority for me. Well that and some recovery time lol. I'll explain myself below, for now, please enjoy this next chapter.

Parfum Palace Twins

"It's high noon" Ash attempted to shield his eyes from the sun that was currently baring down on them. Normally his signature cap would've done the job, however his electric type friend was currently using the cap. He wondered if it would offer any protection from the mid-day sun.

"We would've been there sooner if you hadn't tried to lead the way" Serena playfully argued with the Kanto teen. Had they listened to her instead, they could've avoided the blinding sun. Thanks to Ash's stubborn attitude, they were arriving later than expected.

At a closer glance, an entrance way of some sort was appearing in the distance. "We're getting close" Korrina points out, much to the happiness of the rest of the group. She knew just how hectic the preparations at the Twin's house would be. Thankfully Ash, Clemont, Bonnie, and Serena were more than happy to let the hyperactive teen and her two Lucario join them for a short while.

Stepping through the rather fancy entrance way, Serena discovers they are on Route 6. "You know, for a thick forest, this place is actually kind of nice" Serena notices just how well kept the scenery is. She wonders just why hasn't Shauna ever talked about this path. Then again, she has never mentioned Calem. She had to find out about the guy simply by luck of running into him. Unfortunately, it wasn't all lucky either, considering the other twin's attitude. It was obvious that he had a crush on her. Sighing, she figured she would have to fend him off soon enough.

At the end of Route 6, an enormous structure revealed itself to those emerging from the trees. The massive gates allowing entrance to the palace were open for guest. "What's up Jeffery, I see they have you here greeting guest again" Korrina casually greets the butler by the gate. She introduces the group to the butler and explains how they were all invited by Salem himself.

Although he trusted Korrina, as a formality, he had to confirm with the twin if the guest Korrina was bringing along were allowed entrance.

While the group were waiting, they were approached by a strange Pokémon. The Pokémon started growling at the group, almost as if it was warning someone. "Get away from them Furfrou. You'll get an upset stomach from eating trash" a young girl around the same age as Bonnie said aloud. The group saw a young girl wearing a purple dress with orange-reddish hair that ran down her side in curls.

"That wasn't very nice" Bonnie began scolding the girl her age.

As much as Serena wanted to join the younger blonde, the girl was a little to young for her to get mad at. Despite her bratty attitude, she had to admit, her Furfrou was well groomed. Still, she wouldn't give that brat the satisfaction that someone admired her Pokémon.

The young girl began observing the group. Paying close attention to Ash's shoulder, she saw exactly what she wanted. "Hmm, how much do you want for Pikachu?" she began asking in a rather forceful way.

Instantly, the Kanto trainer was horrified by the idea of selling his best friend. "You can't be serious" he immediately replied. There was no way his best friend was for sell.

Annoyed by the trainer's stubborn attitude, the girl had an idea. She snapped her fingers and, in an instant, some maids came out with a chest on a rolling cart. "You can have all this if you leave Pikachu with me" she opened the chest, revealing the enormous wealth she was offering for the electric type.

Serena, Clemont, Bonnie, and Korrina could hardly believe what they were witnessing. Sure, they knew Ash wouldn't sell Pikachu, but there was a lot of gold, necklaces, and plenty of other valuables. As far as they knew, this was probably the most they will ever see in their lives, at least in such a short amount of time.

"You can forget it" Ash closed the chest, flat out refusing the offer. There was no way he was going to sell his starter Pokémon, a fact that Pikachu greatly appreciated.

Disappointed that the thought of being filthy rich wasn't enough to get a hold of the electric type, she decides to use a different approach. "How about we battle for Pikachu?" she throws out another plan.

The group could easily see that this young girl was persistent to say the least. Although it's obvious someone needs to get the idea of owning Pikachu out of her head. "Listen now" Clemont began. "A strong bond with a friend isn't something you can sell" he motioned towards Ash and Pikachu. "These two have a deep bond that can't be broken, so you might as well forget about it" he sternly scolded the girl. After all, it was Ash that showed him first hand, just how important friends are.

"Don't you think you're being a little too harsh on her" Korrina said, seeing the older blonde sibling was oblivious to the teary eyed young girl. Unfortunately for Clemont, even Serena and Bonnie agreed. Sure, she was bratty and a bit spoiled, but there are less harsh ways of getting your point across, especially to someone who was as young as Bonnie.

Turning towards the girl, the gym leader was about to apologize. "I've never had anyone talk to me that way" the curly haired girl began. "The fact that you yelled at me means you actually care about me" she reasoned. It was refreshing to know there are people out there that would treat her just like a normal person, despite her status. "Say, would you like to be my date for tonight?" she asked the Kalos teen, blushing at the thought of having someone as caring as him around.

Reacting rather quickly, Bonnie did her best to pull away the young girl from her brother. There was no way she would allow someone as young as she was, take care of her brother.

It took a great effort to keep Serena from laughing at the irony in the situation. She knows Bonnie is doing her best to find Clemont a girlfriend. Now here is someone who is practically offering to be said girlfriend, and Bonnie disapproves. "Dene nene" the small electric type begins to help as well.

Seeing the struggle between the three, Korrina decides it is best if she acts. If nothing else, she finds amusement in the very thought of what she is about to do. "I'm sorry to burst your bubble, but Clemont here is my date" she pulls the gym leader away from the spoiled girl, surprising everyone. She couldn't say that she was surprised by everyone's reaction. Oh well, at least it got that young girl away from him, for the moment at least.

"Glad to see everyone could make it" Salem greets the group as he is walking towards them. "I'll take it from here Jeffery" the twin says, implying to his butler that they were indeed invited by him. Hearing no objections from his butler, he assumed they were all free to go. "So, I see you met my sister, Princess Allie" he formally introduced the girl who was causing them a lot of trouble as he led the group inside the Parfum Palace.

"Princess? As in Kalos royalty" Serena and Bonnie let out, shocked to discover this troublesome little girl was the princess of the Kalos Region. "So that means" they both concluded. Despite the king being a public figure, his family was unknown to the Kalos Region. Only a select few knew the identities of the royal family.

Salem nodded, confirming their suspicions. He was one of the Princes of the Kalos Region. "Although Calem and I are twins, since he was born first, only by a few minutes, he is next in line to become king" he reveals the reason for such a grand celebration. "Obviously a date isn't required to such an event, but it is preferred" he stated, loud enough for a certain someone to hear.

Hearing about the preference for people on a date, both Korrina and Clemont agreed to be each other's date. Although they made it clear to each other, they were simply going as friends. That and hopefully that would be enough to keep Princess Allie from forcefully marrying the gym leader.

Despite the friendly nature of their date, Serena couldn't help but to smile at her two friends. For a quick-thinking solution, the two do seem to click rather nicely. Seeing the two interact, it is obvious they are still trying to get comfortable with the idea of going on a 'date.' Seeing Bonnie and Dedenne with the two only made the moment seem more special. Then again, she was probably looking way too much into the situation. Turning towards Salem, the Kalos teen sees him approaching. This is going to be uncomfortable to say the least. Maybe she could latch onto Ash's arm like Korrina did with Clemont.

"What do you say Serena?" the blonde teen was surprised to hear those words from none other than Ash. It was clear as to what he was referring to, but she wanted to be sure.

"What do you mean?" she asked, hoping Ash was asking her to be his date.

"We're the only two without one, so why not?" he held his hand out, giving her a cheeky smile.

"Uhh" Serena stuttered. She felt her heart beating slightly faster than usual as her face began to heat up. "This can't be real, can it" she found asking herself, even if he did just see it as nothing more than a friendly date. As much as she wanted to say yes, she found herself a little too nervous to immediately respond.

Salem saw the hesitation as a rejection. "Now's my chance" he began inching closer, aware of his brother and Shauna approaching the group.

"Here's an idea, just say yes" Shauna startled her friend, causing her to nearly fall over onto Ash. "He's offering his hand, not a hug" she continued to tease her best friend. The more she messed with her friend, the redder Serena's face became. It was amusing to say the least.

From where he was standing, Salem had a difficult time believing what he was witnessing. He was sure Serena would've rejected the teen. "Looks like this rivalry just got more intense" he told himself. The twin thought his status as a prince would surely help win over Serena. "Next time I won't fail" he mentally noted. Had he been a bit quicker to ask, he probably would've been the one with Serena.

"Sure, it should be fun" Serena shyly replied, not wanting to ignore her friend. Despite knowing it was more of a friendly date, she had to admit, she was looking forward to the celebration. Wanting to shake away the embarrassment, "So where's your date?" she asks sarcastically, as if she already didn't know. More than anything else, she wanted to show her friend she was more than capable of finding her own date too.

"Here he is" Calem appeared out of thin air, waving at the group. Immediately, he began greeting his friends.

"Congratulations, I hear you're going to become the new King of the Kalos Region" Ash casually lets out, while greeting the prince.

Calem waved off the gesture. "It's nothing really" he replies. "We're just for show nowadays since we have no real power" he humbly admits. More than anything else, he would like to be treated as if they were true friends and nothing more. Thankfully Shauna did just that.

"You mustn't forget my dear Calem" three men approached the prince. "While we have no real power, we still play a vital role here in the Kalos Region, and that is to uphold the traditions we hold dear" the short man of the three stated.

The group see three men standing before Calem. One of them is a rather short man addressing the prince. He had a red coat with a purple undershirt and blue pants. Judging by the crown, it was obvious he was the king. Despite his frail appearance, he clearly had a strong vibe associated with him.

"Everyone, I want you to meet my dad, Lord Shabboneau" Calem introduces the king to Ash, Clemont, Bonnie, and Serena. "And this is my uncle and a prince of the Kalos region as well, Lysandre" he introduced the taller orange-haired man to the group as well.

"It's great to see everyone again" Professor Sycamore greets the group of friends, being the third person they saw.

Instantly, Clemont recognizes the taller orange-haired man. "You're the Lysandre" Clemont begins. "You're the owner of Lysandre labs, inventor of the Holo Caster" he personally greets the orange-haired man. "As a fellow inventor, I look up to you" Clemont admits. He never would've expected to meet someone he holds to a high standard any time soon.

Kalos' greatest inventor appreciated the praise. "If you want, the next time you're in Lumiose City, come take a tour of my lab" he offered the gym leader. The world needed more people like him around.

The Lumiose native quickly accepted the offer.

"I almost forgot" Professor Sycamore gets the group's attention. "These weren't ready until just recently" he pulls out two Pokédex. He hands one to Serena and the other to Ash. "I apologize it took this long" he stated. "But I had none left to give when you two came by" he admitted. "Thanks to Lysandre however, these two are the first Pokédex of their kind, and I would like you two to be the first to use them" the professor said.

The two teens thanked the professor. "I apologize for our sudden departure, but we have to get Calem ready for the ceremony" Lord Shabboneau began. "But please, join us for the celebration, I'll make sure Jeffrey reserves a table for all of you" he lets the group know. With that, the three men plus Calem leave.

Seeing as how this would more than likely be a formal event, Serena begins search for any stores on her navigator. Perhaps she could go shopping with Korrina and Bonnie. "You know, if you guys need something to wear, we'll be more than happy to lend you some clothes" Salem noticed the group probably didn't have anything for such an event.

Not wanting to be the only people underdressed for such an occasion, they all took Salem's offer. "I know where to go so don't worry about us" Shauna led the girls. Leaving the her two Lucario with Ash and Clemont, the group of girls Bonnie followed the brunette. Considering how close she was to the prince, Shauna figured they wouldn't have any issues if she led them around the house.

With their friends going off in a different direction, Salem led Ash and Clemont towards a room where they could place their belongings for the day. "Feel free to try on anything you would like" the twin left the two alone with the two Lucario as well.

Emerging from the changing room, both Ash and Clemont wore near identical outfits. They both wore Khaki dress pants and dress shoes with a white button up dress shirt. They even wore a Khaki belt and suspenders. The subtle difference between the two however were noticeable. Ash wore a black tie while Clemont wore a black bow tie.

Also joining the two guys were the two Lucario. Despite being Pokémon, they also found something to spice up their usual appearance. The two went the simple route like Ash and Clemont and simply wore a black bow tie as well. "Let's go see if the others are ready" the four head off to find their friends.

With the girls, they were nearly done changing. Despite her brother having a date she didn't set up herself, Bonnie knew the date between Korrina and Clemont was friendly and nothing else. If anything, she was doing Clemont a favor, by keeping away that spoiled princesses. "So Dedenne, think I'm ready for this party" Bonnie asked her electric type.

Korrina and Serena couldn't help but to admire just how adorable Bonnie looked in her dress. The dress itself had a purple top half, a white bottom half, and a yellow collar. "Fenn" the fire type also agreed with the other two.

Serena had an idea to help complete the outfit. "Perfect" Serena took a step back. She placed a red bow in Bonnie's hair.

"Thanks so much" the young girl jumped with joy. She too admired Serena, someone she has come to slowly see as an older sister. She saw the brown dress with a white long sleeve underneath seemed to fit her well. She loved the brown bow above her waist as well as the red bow above her chest. Even more stunning was her hair. Serena tied two slightly braided pony tails with brown bow ties. Matching her red bow was Fennekin, who also wore a red bow on her head.

"I think it's time to go impress our dates" Korrina said, as she headed for the door. Unlike her friends, she went the simple route. She wore a yellow dress to match her hair. Like Serena, her hair was rather impressive to say the least. The two have only seen her with her long pony tail. Now however, she decided to let her hair down. Despite the length of Korrina's hair, it is a thing of beauty when seen in its natural state.

Walking to where they were separated, the two teens wait for their friends. The two began looking around for any signs as to where to head next after they reunite with the other three. "It sure would be easier if they at least told us where to go after" Clemont admitted. Still though, could be worse.

Turning to find an exit, the two spot their friends. Despite the nature of their date, they had to admit, they found their dates rather stunning. "Hey guys, looking great" the girls approached the two. They were surprised to see just how well Ash and Clemont could dress themselves. They assumed the two teens would be oblivious to formal dress. Thankfully, that wasn't the case.

Both Ash and Clemont gave each other a fist bump. "At least they approve" Ash lets out. They were both worried they would either over dress or under dress. "Looking great" Ash gave Serena a thumbs up, causing the Kalos native to turn away in embarrassment.

"Thanks again for saving me from Princess Allie" Clemont thanked his friend. "You and Bonnie are looking great" he complimented the two on their appearance.

Even the two Lucario received complements on their bow ties. A little extra effort went a long way to impress.

As if reading their minds, Salem appeared once again. Thankfully he was more than mindful of the group. "The ceremony is about to begin, I'll lead you guys to your table" the twin stated. Understandably rushing, the twin sat the group and rushed off towards the palace.

Once seated, the group noticed they had a rather amazing view of the balcony overlooking the palace. Looking around, the area was filled with guest of all ages. What stood out however were two statues. Only was of a black dragon and the other of a white dragon. "It's starting" Bonnie pointed out, interrupting the groups gaze from the statues.

From the balcony, Lord Shabboneau, Lysandre, and Professor Sycamore were the first to appear. Behind them stood the twins, Princess Allie, and Shauna. "Ladies and Gentleman, guest of the evening, thank you all for joining us on this special occasion" the King was the first to speak. "We are gathered here today to present the next king of the Kalos Region after I step down from power today" he iterated. "As part of the royal family, our duty to the Kalos Region is to safeguard the legends and help lead the region towards a prosperous future" the king explained their role to the Kalos Region. Lord Shabboneau stepped aside to let his brother address the audience.

"Many of you may know me as the CEO of Lysandre Labs" the orange haired man announced. "But as a prince of the Kalos Region, and direct descendant of the ancient Kalos King, I have done all that I can to bring smiles and preserve the beauty of Kalos" Lysandre spoke of his goals. "Today, my brother and I pass down this responsibility to the next generation of the rulers of Kalos" he stepped aside. He motioned for the twins to step forward. "And now today, we pass on this responsibility to the next generation" Lysandre presented the twins as the next rulers of Kalos.

Lord Shabboneau kneeled before Professor Sycamore, who removed the crown from his head. Walking behind Calem, he places the crown on the next king of the Kalos Region. "Ladies and Gentlemen, this is our new king, Calem" the professor announced.

The crowd erupted into cheers, congratulating the new king. "Who's going to be our queen?" was the most prominent question being heard from the crowd.

From the table, Serena had some trouble holding back a smirk. Clearly, she knew who the queen would be. "Don't mess this up Shauna" she thought to herself. Although she was slightly upset that her friend wouldn't at least introduce her to that special someone, if she was happy with him, Serena figured she would have nothing to worry about.

Standing to address the crowd, Calem looks to those present. "Today, I stand here as the new king of the Kalos region" he began. "I understand my duties, along with my brother, is to help the region prosper. Although we hold no real power ourselves, I want to be of service to my people. That is why today, I'm announcing my intentions to conquer the Kalos League and challenge the elite four" he announced his plans. "This isn't some attempt to bring the power we once held back home, I simply want the Kalos region to know they have a strong king alongside them" he briefly explained. "I have a vision for Kalos, an ideal region that I hope to work towards with everyone" he let out, stepping aside.

Salem took his brother's place to address the crowd as well. "Like my father and uncle, both of them worked tirelessly to bring smiles to the Kalos region. I hope to accomplish the same, with the king by our side" Salem announced. "I want to know what the true source of happiness is for those living here and help everyone find their true happiness" he let's out, motioning for his brother to join him.

While the crowd were cheering the twins and giving their full support, many in the audience began reflecting on their goals. The twins were inspiring to say the least. "Looks like Calem is going to be my rival. As a future Pokémon Master, I would love to battle the king" Ash let out.

Judging from what the teen said, his goals were clear. "I too want to bring smiles to everyone around me and become an inventor like the world has never seen" Clemont added.

"Well I hope to one day take my grandpa's place and help trainers that are trying to learn the proper secrets of Mega-Evolution" Korrina states her intentions.

"Dedenne and I will become partners once I'm old enough to be a trainer" Bonnie hugs Dedenne, looking forward to her future.

While everyone at the table all had something they all wanted to work for, Serena was the exception. She was thrilled for her friends to say the least. But at the same time, she felt a loneliness that the others would never understand. It was as if she was drifting away in the ocean, with no way to know which direction was towards land. The very thought of having nothing was more than enough to bring down her cheerful mood she had earlier in the day.

Observing the teen next to him, Lucario noticed a rather depressing turn in Serena's mood. Despite the weak smile she gave her friends, it was clear she was feeling lost. Everyone around her had a reason to wake up everyday and continue to reach for their dreams. The empty and lonely feeling was something he understood all too well.

"And now, to commence the celebration, we shall have a feast to everyone's content" Lord Shabboneau announced. Immediately, the butlers began delivering food to the tables. While the guests attention was elsewhere, Calem and Salem followed their father back towards his room.

With what seemed an endless amount of food coming their way, one person at the table was eating rather slowly. She was currently contemplating what exactly was next for her. Her friends at the table were all working towards their own dreams. The twins made their life goals clear as well. From the looks of it, even Shauna may have already found something to look forward to.

Like the teen next to him, Lucario had a rather tough time eating. Unlike Korrina's Lucario, he felt himself drawn towards the lost teen. Despite the hopeless feeling he sensed in her, it was obvious she wanted better. She was currently struggling to find her identity, something he has lost, long ago.

Looking over to his 'date', Ash noticed Serena was rather quiet. Throughout the day, she has had quite a few mood swings. "Everything okay Serena?" he asked out of concern for his friend. Even Fennekin began to take notice of her sudden mood swings.

Serena quickly put on a cheerful face. "Sorry there, I was just lost in thought, is all" she smiled, hoping to brighten the mood. Seeing how happy Clemont, Bonnie, and Korrina were currently with each other, she would hate to bring everyone's spirit down.

Despite putting on a rather cheerful smile, it was clear to the Kanto teen that something was indeed bothering her. It seems the mood swings was just her trying to cover up something.

Outside of a doorway, Shauna stood by, waiting for her friends to emerge. She figured the three were have a serious conversation about being king or something along those lines. After patiently waiting for what seemed an eternity, she heard the double doors open. Before she could say anything, she noticed the puffy red eyes on the three of them. "Are you okay?" she asked the three, hoping there was something she could do to help.

As much as Calem hated lying, and to his dear friend Shauna of all people, even she was one of those that had yet to realize his father's true condition. "Yeah we're fine, dad just gave us a very heart-warming speech" he wiped away any lingering tears. Ignoring her for a moment, it was time to address the crowd.

Whatever their dad told them, it definitely moved the three to tears. She reminded herself to ask about it later. For now, it was the King's turn to speak.

"Attention everyone" the newly crowned Kalos king gathered everyone's attention. "In just a few moments, we have a special presentation to kick off the celebration" Calem announced. "I would like to introduce everyone to the current queen of Pokémon Showcases, Aria and Braixen" a trainer with the fire type appeared before the guests. "She's her to give a one of a kind Showcase" the king stated.

"Who's Aria?" Ash wondered aloud. Judging by everyone around him, it seems she was quite famous.

"She's the current Queen of Pokémon Showcases" Serena answered. Obviously, she wouldn't expect her friend to know such details. After all, he was more interested in battling if nothing else.

From their table, they see the showcase queen and her Braixen dance on stage. With the twirl of a stick, the fire type created a rope-like stream of fire. Aria simply danced her way towards Braixen. Reaching her Pokémon, the two began dancing together once again. Grabbing the stick from her tail, Braixen engulfed the duo in a vortex of fire, stunning the crowd. In a sudden burst, the vortex dissipates, revealing the duo.

The crowd was simply dazed by the stunning performance they witnessed, despite being rather short. Serena especially was paying close attention, something her friends noticed. As Ash was about to comment on Serena's interest, an announcement comes on. "And now we have a special treat" Calem announces. "We will hold a Pokémon Battle tournament, were the winner will receive the honorary title of King's Knight" the king informed the audience.

Immediately, Ash decided he would enter the tournament. "Ready to be the King's Knight buddy?" he looks towards his trusty electric type.

"Pika pika" Pikachu lets out electric sparks. He was more than ready to battle.

Serena could only stare as her friend jumped at an opportunity to battle. "Sure would be nice if I could get excited about anything" she placed a hand on Fennekin's back, who was sitting on her lap.

The fire type simply lays her head down, rather sad. There was nothing she could do to help her trainer out. If only she was a little better at battling. Perhaps then she could give her trainer a reason to smile.

Lucario once again sensed a certain level of despair in the Kalos teen. Even Fennekin was beginning to become engulfed in such a sinking feeling.

Ash and Pikachu head towards the balcony to sign up. Meanwhile, Korrina looks to Clemont. "Aren't you going to sign up?" she asks, curious as to why he wasn't joining. After all, he did an excellent job repelling Team Rocket the day before.

"I would, but as the Lumiose City Gym Leader, I feel I shouldn't participate for that reason" he gave off a cheeky smile, hoping he didn't sound arrogant. "What about you? Surely with Lucario by your side, you can definitely win" he asked her the same question.

Like Clemont, she too gave a cheeky smile. "I'm actually training to become a gym leader myself" she stated, surprising the siblings.

"Oh cool, another gym leader!" Bonnie let out rather loudly. She noticed Korrina motioning for her to not reveal her secret just yet. "There's another gym leader" Bonnie whispered to Dedenne.

The three were about to ask Serena to keep Korrina's secret as well, but they noticed she was rather spaced out. She was staring at Ash, but in a rather strange way. Not in a happy lovestruck way, but a rather blank soulless gaze. "Everything okay Serena?" the Lumiose teen asks, slightly worried.

Once again, Serena quickly shook away any stray thoughts. "Sorry about that, I was just thinking" she replied, hoping she didn't worry her friends too much. "I'm going to go watch Ash battle" she stated, as she got up and left towards where their friend was.

"Fenn" the fire type frantically followed her trainer. Despite not being with her trainer for too long, it was obvious she wasn't her normal self. Judging by the reactions of those around her was more than enough reason for the fire type to worry.

Approaching where trainers signed up for the tournament, she bumps into a blue haired girl. "Sorry there, I wasn't watching where I was going" the blue haired girl apologized as she walked off.

Noting the strange interaction, she hears a friend of hers calling from above. "Hey Shauna, what are you doing up there?" she asks. Its clear why she was up there, hopefully she would say something.

"Well come up here and I'll tell you" Shauna smiled nervously. As much as she wanted to avoid this particular subject, she felt it was only fair if her dearest friend knew the truth.

Serena figured her friend was inviting her to watch the tournament from a better place. Either way, it would keep her mind off her lack of goals. She navigated her way towards the brunette. "Let me find out you're here to confess some deep secret" she jokingly stated while nudging Shauna with a wink.

As much as she knew her friend was joking, it was a now or never moment. She figured if Serena found out from other means, she wouldn't be too happy. "Actually, that's exactly what I'm here to do" she stared at the ground, knowing full well her friend's gaze was on her.

Instantly, Serena felt a pang of guilt. Shauna was trying to reach out for support and here she was mocking her. The Kalos teen motioned for her to continue. "Well, let's go somewhere where we can watch the battles at least" Shauna led the way towards a more private place that allowed them to still watch the tournament.

From the balcony overseeing the battle field, the two friends watch as the twins are organizing the trainers. "From the looks of it, Ash is up first" Shauna commented. He looked quite enthusiastic about it from her vantage point.

"Why am I not surprised?" Serena slowly begins to realize just how little Ash has changed since they have known each other. However, they were there for one reason. "So what's up Shauna?" she asks, ready to support anything her friend may have trouble with.

Instantly, Shauna had a hard time bring up what she wanted to talk about. "Oh nothing, it's been so long since we've actually hung out, I just figured we have time now since our guys are down there" she casually mentions.

Something Shauna said gained Serena's interest. She figured her brunette friend would attempt to tease her. However, "Our guys?" Serena was curious by her choice of words. It's obvious what Shauna wanted to bring up, but had a hard time. "Well I honestly never would've expected you to be after a king" she lightly joked. Despite not knowing much about the twin, Calem seems to be like a down to earth person.

The brunette teen let out a small tear. "I wish I would've told you sooner" she quietly let out, covering her face with her hands in shame. This whole time, she saw keeping her friend a secret as a cute and mysterious way of keeping Serena guessing. However, she does deeply regret not sharing such information with what she considers her best friend.

Seeing her friend crying, Serena always knew how to cheer her up whenever she began sobbing. "I think it's me who's going to be crying out of joy at your wedding" she wrapped her arms around Shauna. "Now let's watch the battles" she calmed her friend down.

Observing from the balcony, they realize they missed Ash's first battle. Thankfully, him and Fletchling managed to defeat another trainer who had a Fletchling as well. "Ash sure is something else when it comes to battling" Shauna noted, trying to get her mind off of her long kept secret.

Still watching the battle below, they see the Kanto teen has chosen his starter as his next partner. From the opponent's side, they see and Pokémon with a similar appearance to Fletchling, only bigger. Serena takes out her Pokédex for more information. "Flechtinder, the Ember Pokémon and the evolved form of Fletchling. From its beak, it fires embers at it's prey. Once it has caught them, it grills them at high heat before feasting upon them. It will not tolerate other Fletchinder entering its territory, which has a radius of several miles".

The two watch as the battle rages down below. One thing Serena notices about Ash is his unpredictable battle style. She has never payed much attention to it, but he never uses a certain strategy to win. If she had to guess, he battles in the moment, rather than come up with a plan beforehand.

After a few minutes, Ash manages another victory. "And once again, Ash seems to be unstoppable at the moment" Salem address the crowd. Despite not liking the idea that the Kanto teen was taking the girl of his dreams, he had to admit, Ash was a competent trainer. However, with only one more battle left before being able to claim the title of King's Knight, he knew it was going to be an uphill battle for either trainer. "Last battle will be between Astrid and Ash" the young prince announces.

The two let out their Pokémon they planned to use. The blonde trainer let's out an Absol, who had what appeared to be a mega stone. "Charizard, I choose you" Ash let's out his fire type.

The two witness the both Ash and Astrid charge with intense fury. They both had every intention to win the title of King's Knight. Only one however would win. "Mega-Evolution" they watch Astrid begin the mega-evolution process. Responding to the change in pace, Ash also begin the mega-evolution process.

"Looks like the battle is going to take another twist" Salem announces, as the blinding light settles down, revealing two powered up Pokémon.

"Mega-Charizard!" Bonnie cheered. It's been a while since they have last met the blue Charizard, and she was certainly enjoying just how strong he appeared to be.

With the young blonde, Korrina and Clemont also look on as Ash begins battling with his dragon type. "As a fellow gym leader, Ash is going to give us a hard time if we brings out Mega-Charizard" Korrina points out. Despite also having the power of mega-evolution under her control, just by watching the Kanto teen battle, she knew he would give her a run for her money.

Clemont on the other hand is slowly beginning to realize there is no way he would be able to give Ash a proper gym battle in his current state. Even though he wants to become a bit more like his friend, he has a long way to go before he is there. "Looks like I'll have to try even harder" he wonders to himself.

After a few minutes, both Serena and Shauna have finally joined the rest of the group. Just in time as well. "Charizard, finish this off with Flamethrower" they heard Ash call out.

The dark type was unable to defend himself against such an attack. "Absol is unable to battle, the winner is Ash and Charizard" Salem announced the results of the battle.

The crowd cheered the results of the battle. It sure was a fitting battle for the title of King's Knight.

The two friends watching from the balcony join their friends, who were all congratulating Ash on his newly acquired title of King's Knight. "Awesome battle out there Ash, can't wait to see more" Korrina was the first to acknowledge his victory. Just observing him and his Pokémon, it's obvious this was no ordinary trainer. If anything, that Mega-Charizard of his sure is going to be a challenge.

With the Kanto teen receiving praises for his hard fought battle, there was one more surprise of the teen. "Well Ash, now that you're the King's Knight, your next surprise is a battle with the king himself" Calem said aloud.

"You're on" Ash immediately responded before the crowd even had a chance to react. Seeing as how another battle was imminent, the observers quickly clear the battle field.

From opposite ends, both trainers were ready to begin the battle. "I would like you all here one last time for one more battle" Salem announces. "This battle will be between the newly crowned king and the newly appointed King's Knight" he begins to hype up the surprise the battle. "Will the king reveal his Pokémon" he asks his brother to reveal his partner.

"You're up Chesnaught" the young king reveals his partner for the night.

Instantly, Ash recognizes the grass type. However, he was much smaller than the last time. "Will the King's Knight reveal his partner for this event" Salem asks Ash to unleash his Pokémon as well.

The Kanto teen knew who he wanted for this battle. "Froakie, I choose you" he calls on his water type for this battle.

The surrounding crowd question Ash's choice. Why would he purposely put himself at a disadvantage, especially when he had Pokémon as strong as Charizard.

"Ash sure is something else" Shauna commented. From the looks of it, he was going to choose his water type no matter who their opponent was.

Raising both arms, "battle begin" Salem announces the start of the battle.

"Froakie, let's start this off with Bubble" Ash was the first to make a move.

The water type began unleashing a barrage of bubbles, littering the battlefield with it's water type attack.

Despite the nature of the attack, Calem knew Ash was unpredictable as a battler. He would take no chances against this guy. "Disperse it with Leaf Storm" the king countered.

The fully evolved grass starter also unleashed a barrage of leaves. However, being stronger than bubbles, he simply cut through the attack, and took aim at his water type opponent.

Ash figured such an attack was bound to happen. "Use Cut" he instructed his water type.

Froakie carefully cut the barrage of leaves headed his way. Despite being able to fend off most of the attack, some of the leaves did make contact, leaving the water type quite exhausted rather quickly. "Fro" the starter huffed, trying to regain its composure.

The crowd watch began wondering if Ash had any idea what he was doing. He purposely put himself at a disadvantage and for what. "Let's go Ash and Froakie" Bonnie cheered the loudest for her friends.

Although concerned, Serena and Clemont had full confidence in Ash. After all, his battling stype was way too unpredictable to even begin guessing his next move.

"Froakie, charge in using Water Pulse" Ash stated.

"This guy is unbelievably reckless" Salem thought to himself as he watched Froakie charge at his brother's Chesnaught. From the sidelines, his brother has yet to make any offensive move. "So you're going to use that" Salem remembers the new attack Chesnaught recently learned.

Seeing the water type quickly approaching, Calem has his next attack ready."Use Spikey Shield" the king let out.

Chesnaught crossed its arms, putting up a barrier between and Froakie. However, this barrier violently launched green spikes from it.

"Frooo" the water type grunted, slowly getting up.

By now, Serena was tightly grabbing her dress without realizing. Her tense stare at the battle didn't go unnoticed however. "Likes like your boyfriend is in trouble" Shauna began teasing once again.

If this was any other time, Serena would've began to explain how she didn't see their friendship as anything other other than that. But as Shauna noticed, Serena was too invested in the battle before them to even care about her. "I've never seen her so focused" Shauna begins to wonder why. Taking another look at Ash, She slowly starts to see what her friend sees. "Despite the current results, Ash looks more determined than ever" the brunette notices.

"Is it normal for Ash to begin glowing blue like that?" Korrina points out, tilting her head to make sure she wasn't seeing things.

From the opposite end, Calem sees the same thing as everyone. Froakie being surrounded by a blue aura could be explained. They figured this was his ability, Torrent, that had been activated. But why was Ash slowly being consumed by a similar blue aura as his Pokemon?

Feeling the sudden surge in energy, "Let's go in with Cut" Ash lets out. The water type forms a glowing knife-like object as he rushes towards his opponent.

Calem was at odds over how to react. Was Ash expecting a certain reaction or had planned a response to any counter or was he attempting to attack from close range? Either way, he figured keeping some distance would be best at the moment. "Repel Froakie with Leaf Storm" he had his grass type counter attack.

Without much thought, Froakie began slicing through the leaves like he did earlier. However, this time, both him and Ash were much more aware of their surroundings.

The crowd watch in amazement as Froakie masterfully makes his way through the Leaf Storm practically untouched. "No way" some in the crowd could be heard saying. "Looks like the King's Knight wasn't an idiot" others said.

With Froakie within striking range, Ash saw an opportunity to attack. "Use Water Pulse" he ordered. However, this attack was aimed at a much different target. Thankfully Froakie understood this as well without needing some more instruction from his trainer.

From Calem's perspective, was Ash suddenly a more predictable trainer? Or did he just learn how to read Ash? Either way, he would have to counter the incoming water type. "Use Hammer Arm" he ordered.

Chesnaught slammed his fist into the ground, expecting to hit the approaching Bubble Frog Pokemon.

The results clash kicked up a mixture of dust and mist, causing the visibility to be non-existent.

Looking around, Serena and Clemont had trouble seeing both Pokemon. In fact, everyone did as well. "Where could they have gone?" Korrina squinted, hoping to see any signs of the two.

Ash however had other plans. "Now Froakie, go in using Cut" he said while looking towards the night sky.

The crowd also faced the same direction as the Kanto trainer. "Ash, you sneaky little bastard" Salem chuckled under his breath. It seems that Water Pulse was used merely as a way to launch himself in the air. Impressive, considering he didn't even have to mention a single thing to his Pokemon. "Well Calem, looks like you finally found yourself a worthy opponent" the twin smiled. Unfortunately, that smile didn't last long. With both Ash and Froakie being surrounded by a much more visible blue aura, his suspicions began to flare up like crazy. He pushed that thought to the back of his mind for the time being.

"My goodness, Froakie is slashing away at Chesnaught" Shauna was shocked by the turn of events. Despite the disadvantage Ash seemed to have put himself in, he found a way to turn the tide of the battle. Suddenly, she wasn't sure who would emerge victorious. "At least you'll never get bored with him" Shauna nudged Serena, who was focused on the battle at hand.

Back to the battle, Calem was once again impressed by his opponent's unpredictable nature. However, he too noticed a pattern in their unreadable nature. "Chesnaught, use Spikey Shield" he ordered, knowing full well Ash and Froakie were too busy with their barrage of attacks to react quickly enough.

Sure enough, the grass type put up a barrier between himself and his opponent.

Froakie attempted to continue attacking, in the hopes that he was the faster of the two. "Frooo" he cried out loud, when he clashed with the protective barrier.

The water starter was launched backwards, laying on the ground. "Froakie is unable to continue, therefore the winner is the Kalos King" Salem announced the results of the battle.

As Ash recalled his Pokemon, the crowd began applauding the two trainers for a magnificent battle. "Ahh shoot, he'll get them next time" Bonnie let out, while patting Dedene.

Approaching the two, Salem congratulates his brother on the win. "I'm sorry to tell you this but the title of King's Knight is simply a title and nothing more" he turns towards Ash. "So this was probably pointless other than to pass some time" he calmly let out. Truth be told, this is a tradition both him and his brother agreed to start once Calem became king.

"No need to worry" Ash responded. "Although pointless, nothing we do is ever useless" he begins. "Everything we do will help lead up to victory at the Kalos League" he states, surprising the twins.

It seems the Kanto teen values every experience he receives. Either way, they would have to move on. "Well thanks for understanding" the king was grateful. "It's been a rough day to say the least, so thanks for making it a bit easier on us" he said, earning a few confused stares from his friends. Oblivious to the stares, the twin decides to continue on with his plans. "Well wait here for a moment and we'll get started with something for everyone" he cheered up. He ran off with his brother back towards the palace.

Not being one to be left behind, "Wait for me you two" Shauna did her best to catch up to the twins.

The group of friends return to their seats for the time being. After all, Ash just battled four times without any rest. "Well that was fun to say the least" he said as Pikachu climbed on his shoulder.

While Clemont and Korrina were busy congratulating the Kanto teen, Serena couldn't help but admire her friend once again. Despite the title of King's Knight being nothing more than a title, Ash still found a way to make the best out of the situation many others would probably find pointless. She mentally slapped herself out of such thoughts, This was a day of celebration.

Seeing the crowd awkwardly standing, the twins lucky had something planned right after to lighten up the mood. "Well guys, we thank you all for coming, but this is a celebration" Salem once again received the crowds attention. "Now let's all hear it for the new king of the Kalos Region" he said, with the crowd errupting into cheers. "Now let's all begin to party" they began playing music for the audience to begin dancing.

Some time goes by, as Lysandre and Professor Sycamore watch over the crowd. Despite how lively the celebration is, they knew they were too old for such activities. That and they failed to see what was special with the music the young ones were into. "Even though we're getting old, I do see some promise among these young ones" Lysandre says, looking towards Clemont from the balcony. Currently he was awkwardly trying to dance about with Gurkin's granddaughter. Shaking that thought aside, he made a note to keep tabs on that young scientist.

Professor Sycamore had to agree with his friend. The crowd of people did indeed show lots of promise in the young ones in the crowd, namely Ash. Despite the troubling sign between him and Froakie, the trainer seems to have rather strong bonds with those around himself. But he just couldn't get over the blue aura surrounding the two during their battle with Calem. If he remembers correctly, there was an ancient legend surrounding such a phenomenon. Keeping that in mind, he plans to follow up on that investigation some time in the future. "Well looks like the twins have everything under control" the professor states. Lysandre agrees as the two head back towards Lumiose City.

By now, a rather sizable circle has formed, involving the the twins, Shauna, Clemont, Bonnie, Ash and Korrina, along with their Pokemon. They were all taking turns coming up with some random dance move to impress each other. More than anything else, they found humor in their silly antics. One person who was left out however was Serena. Strangely enough, she was also sitting around with one of the Lucario.

Seeing how something was bothering her, Ash decides to approach her. But before he does, he asks Shauna a quick question before going over. "So I take it you're still tired" he said, knowing that wasn't the real reason behind her withdrawn attitude lately.

As much as she would love to keep up the tired act, she found it rather difficult to lie to her friend. "Truth is, I'm not sure why I'm even traveling" she slowly lets out.

Ash was certainly surprised to say the least. He wasn't expecting her to come out with her problem right away. But he couldn't blame her as well. Thankfully he had known about this beforehand. Sitting next to his childhood friend, he figured right now wasn't the time for such a discussion. But he still couldn't leave things they were for the time being. "This isn't something that you can figure out over night" he let out truthfully. "But this isn't something I'm going to let you go through on your own either" he stated, promising to help her find her own path in life.

Serena was rather confused by the Kanto teen. Sure he had unique ways of making things work out for himself, but she never would've figured he could help her in this aspect. "I appreciate the offer, but I think I should do this on my own" she feared interfering with his goals.

"Well how about we do some training tomorrow, I could always use the help" Ash asked, hoping she would accept his offer.

She honestly couldn't see anyway she could be of any help. But if it was Ash asking, she would do it. "Sure thing, but I guess I'll keep waiting for you guys here" she said, not wanting to leave her seat.

The raven-haired teen wouldn't have any of that. He grabbed Serena's hand, "Let's go dance" he offered, while smiling towards his date.

Almost in a trance like state, Serena was surprised by how direct he was. Shaking off any lingering worries she may have, the teen decides it's best to enjoy the night.

With the two hurrying away, Lucario keeps a close watch on the teen. It seems she too is in an unbreakable cycle of despair. Unlike the other Lucario, he decided to call it a night.

The night goes by as the celebration begins to wind down. With the music stopping, the twins have one more announcement. "First of all, thank you to all of our guests for coming and celebrating this day with us" Calem thanked the crowd. "But before you leave, we will have a fireworks display for those of you who wish to stay and watch" he announces before heading towards the palace.

Before leaving, the twins invited the group to the balcony to watch the fireworks display with all of them. "You may also help yourselves to some empty bedrooms for the night if you wish to stay" Salem stated, knowing it would be better if they stayed rather than set up camp.

With the group settled in, they all prepared themselves for the fireworks display. Meanwhile, Bonnie was doing her best to keep away that annoying princess from her brother. "Psst" Korrina got Clemont's attention. "Just hold my hand to keep Princess Allie away" she whispered, while looking away.

The Kalos teen awkwardly grabbed the gym leaders hand. "Uhm, hey you two" Clemont nervously let's out. "Let's all enjoy the fireworks" he said, as Korrina slowly raised her hand to show the princess they were 'together'.

"One day you will be mine" Princess Allie huffed.

Laughing at the display of jealously the princess had, Serena was glad her Ash asked her to dance. Although rather strange, she seemed to enjoy being surrounded by her friends. It sure helped her keep her mind off her troubles for the night. However tomorrow she would face whatever troubles were ahead of her.

"Hey look, it's starting" Ash broke the Kalos teen out of her trance. The two teens watched, as the colorful display disappeared as soon as they appeared. "Hey Serena" Ash gained his friend's attention. The blonde teen payed close attention to her friend. "I had a great time tonight" he shyly let out.

Serena had no clue how to respond, considering this was the last thing she expected to hear. She spent the whole day wondering if she would ever find anything meaningful in her life. And yet, here was Ash admitting to enjoying the day alongside her. "Well thank you for making today great too" she smiled, admitting his help was much appreciated. Without thinking, she casually lets her head slip onto Ash's shoulder.

With Shauna and Calem, the two watch the fireworks in silence. Calem was busy contemplating the thought of being king while Shauna was hoping to comfort her friend now more than ever. She could only imagine the kind of stress he would face once he gets settled into his role of king.

"Shauna" the king gets the brunette's attention.

The brunette looks up, only to be met my her friend's gaze. Trapped in a trance, she leans in not resisting any advances. In a swift moment, both her and Calem give each other a quick kiss as the fireworks go off, both figuratively and literally.

The family butler walks over towards the two love struck teens. As much as he hated to interrupt, he figured waiting would be the best course of action. "It seems one of your Pokemon has learned Protect" he said once the two had their small moment.

Well guys, there you have it. So far this is my longest chapter to date. Sadly I ran into a lot of trouble while writing it. One was school. Once that ended, I had to transition from school to adult life (fun I know right lol). That and I was involved in a little accident that left me with a few broken bones, again. It's funny because four years ago, I broke an arm and leg playing soccer before the world cup lol. Like four years ago, I had the chance to watch the World Cup since I was busy recovering lol. Anyway, I'm on my way to making a complete recovery so I'll be fine soon. If you wish to find out what happened, feel free to message me since I could go on forever about this lol.

Anyway, as much as I have to respond to, let's get on to the readers lol.

Amourshiper35 - I'll try to include more moments like that in the future.

Rajiv A. Rajaram - Great seeing you again. About it being a side chapter, you hit it spot on lol. Although the mega evolution specials are going to be included in here as well, I won't rewrite them. I'll just simply imply them are going on at the same time as other chapters. This way I can continue to use those plots and further expand on them as well. And to anyone reading this, special thanks to this guy for helping me flesh out the plot of this story. Even though there is still a lot of work to be done, Rajiv A. Rajaram had a helping hand in pointing this chapter and story in the right direction.

ultimateCCC - I had no idea. If you're trying to imply that's also your birthday, happy birthday lol. Joking aside, I'm curious as to where you found this, and what else you may have found. But thanks for this bit of information.

kcg998 - Well first of all, thank you so much for the support. I will do my best to continue to make this as enjoyable as possible. And don't worry about the original. I discontinued that one since it became too messy to continue reading. With that said, this one will be written the way it was intended to be, so you're not going to miss out on anything.

Ooobserver - Hey there, nice to see you again. That is indeed correct. But unlike the anime, I want them to meet up much sooner to further develop their bonds.

Principal Oak - Well how about I Raichu another joke lol.

Guest 1 - Well no, they aren't going to be side characters. By main characters, I mean to say that the main story line will revolve around the interactions of Ash, the twins, Alain, and Clemont. This story will be written in as "you are the hero of your own story" type of manner. It's just some characters will have a much great influence to the plot than others. But by no means are Serena and Bonnie side characters if you're wondering that.

Guest 2 - Well I didn't want to spoil the surprise, but what the heck. I was going to write a wedding rehearsal chapter with Ash and Serena somehow being stuck to play the parts of bride and groom. I'll announce that chapter once I have more details fleshed out.

Brock - Relax, your time to shine in this story will come. Just wait and we'll find out if Ash beats you to getting a girlfriend lol.

Guest 3 - Honestly, I just judged them based on the amount of impact they had on Ash. Gary and Paul had a huge impact on Ash while I would have to say Ash had a bigger impact on Alain. Either way, these three I would consider true rivals to Ash.

Guest 4 - Again, I have no plans to discontinue this story. Sure I may have things interrupt my progress but I will continue to write. So unless I say I will no longer write, do not worry about it lol.

Next chapter, The Pokemon Poacher

This will be a Clemont and Bonnie focused chapter, with the appearance of a mystery legendary Pokemon.

As usual, I hope to hear from you all soon. Thanks for all the support and until the next time.