One year ago today, I wrote a fireperformershipping ( Serena x Braixen ) one shot that was called From Fear to a Hairraising Experience. Now, today, I give you its sequel. I was trying to figure out how to set everything up to make this story fly, but, I think I got it. Now, to begin, This takes place around 1 year after Braixen's first haircut in the story. The scenario is this: Serena is now partaking in contests in the Hoenn region. She recently won her fifth ribbon and is on her way to Mauville City for the Grand Festival. However, Serena is struggling with making herself presentable for this special event. She has her wardrobe all picked out, but she's struggling with her newly grown out honey-blonde hair. Braixen, who sees her predicament, wants to help her and gets the idea of giving her trainer a haircut. I don't want to give anything else away, so, let's get this show on the road.

The Hoenn region. A region full of mystery, passion, and so much excitement. From the Hoenn league to the Battle Frontier and even its string of pokemon contests. This is where we meet up with Vaniville Town native Serena Yvonne, who is currently taking on the contests as extra training for her showcase circuit. Recently, she won her fifth ribbon after a major upset win over her mentor, May, in the Petalburg City contest. Now, she was arriving in Mauville City for the pokemon contest Grand Festival. During her journey, she got to meet trainers of all kind and learn a lot more on what it means to be a proper Kalos Queen. Along the way, she met Dawn, who was also doing the contests and the two decided to travel together. She too had 5 ribbons as well, allowing her to partake in the Grand Festival as well. The two got to share stories of their journey with Ash, sharing a lot of laughs and smiles. Dawn wasn't the only new friend she made along her journey. Serena caught three new members for her team and they, along with Braixen, Pancham, and Sylveon, have helped her in all of her contests, leading up to the Grand Festival. The first newest member was a male Sceptile, whom she met as a wild Treecko who loved to show off and perform aerial acrobatics like a professional. Overtime, as it grew and evolved, it learned how to do tight yet beautiful combinations while in mid-air, which really helps to show off its athleticism and its agility to the audience. The next new member was an female Altaria, whom she met as a Swablu. It was terribly hurt and Serena nurtured it back to perfect health and even helped it learn how to use steel wing, which became one of its most powerful moves. Overtime, the two grew close close with one another and once it evolved, they grew even closer. In contests, Altaria soars with the greatest of ease and can really make itself shine with its signature recover / sky attack combination. The last new member on her team was a male Pikachu, to which she nicknamed Satoshi, since it reminded her of Ash's Pikachu. It was well-known for showing off its speed and power, especially when it made rings with its thunderbolt and iron tail. When Dawn showed Serena how to do a countershield, Serena displayed it a lot with Satoshi, pleasing the crowd with every twist and turn. Along with them, her original three members were no slouches in contests either. Sylveon fluttered around beautifully, using its dancing ability to really make the crowd in awe. Pancham break danced and moved so fluently, mixing its dark pulse well with its newest move, focus blast, and creating exploding fireworks. Finally, there was her number 1 partner, Braixen, who was always at the top of her game. Her fiery displays and her fancy footwork caught the eyes of many contests fans and even fellow rivals whom respected her for her talent.

During her time in Hoenn, aside from the expansion of her team, the only other changes to her and the team were physical. Serena had grown her hair out to its original length from when she first started her journey. Speaking on that term, Braixen's has grown over their time traveling too ever since Serena cut it for her. It now reached a little bit passed her shoulders and she even now sported side-swept bangs, like how Serena's was in Kalos when she first cut it. She didn't let it get too long, but if it was reaching that point, she'd let Serena trim it back to its original length. Anyways, once Serena and Dawn arrived at the pokemon center, they rented a room and let out their respective partners, whom were Braixen and Piplup. When Serena met Piplup, she awed at how cute it was, with Piplup happily getting along with her. Braixen became fast friends with the Sinnoh water type starter as well, helping to keep him in line if he ever got overconfident or cocky. As the two got their bags down, Dawn asked Serena,"Isn't this exciting? The Grand Festival is coming up and there are going to be so many great coordinators competing with us." Serena responded with,"I'm excited as well. This is my first time competing in it. I just hope we can all do a good job is all." Dawn smiled and said,"No need to worry Serena. Just relax, have fun with your pokemon, and show them off the best way you can." Hearing that made Serena smile as Braixen smiled along with her. Dawn then asked Serena,"Hey Serena? Can I ask you something? When I first met you, I noticed that your Braixen sported the same hairstyle as you. I've wanted to know why she wears it like that." Serena replied with,"Well, it's kind of a long story. But since you're asking, Ill tell you. Braixen, you want to help"? Her fire type starter nodded in agreement as they sat down next to Dawn and prepared to tell the story. She says,"It took place a while ago back in Kalos. We were playing baseball when Braixen ran to get the ball and came into contact with a mysterious flower. At first, it didn't look like it did much other than block her vision. However, overnight, the pollen the flower released actually made her fur grow really long. We didn't know about it until the morning when we noticed Braixen with long hair. I tied it up in a ponytail and then Bonnie and I tried to think of a solution while Ash and Clemont went to go replant the flower somewhere safer. Soon, I decided that it'd be best if I gave her a haircut, though at first, Braixen was nervous about it since she never had one before. Luckily, I talked to her about it and then, I got the idea to turn the bathroom in the pokemon center we were staying in into a mini salon. Braixen felt a bit better and allowed me to work with her hair. So, I cut i into the style she wanted, dyed it to match my hair color, and she's been wearing it like this ever since." Braixen nodded as Dawn says,"Wow...I never would've expected it like that. That's really cool."

Piplup said its compliments as Braixen blushed a bit in embarrassment. Soon, they all settled and turned in for the night, and before you know it, morning came at the speed of light. Braixen was the first to wake up as she quietly came off the bed and yawned while rubbing her eyes in an attempt to stay awake. When she looked over, she saw that Serena was still asleep, but Dawn and Piplup were missing, meaning they were awake. Braixen looked around and soon noticed that the bathroom door was closed and a small light was emitted on the bottom. As she knocked quietly on the door, Dawn replied,"Come in," as Braixen quietly opened the door. When she entered after closing the door behind, she had to stifle in her laughter when she noticed Dawn's hair was completely messed up from a night of tossing and turning in her sleep. Piplup was already laughing away as Dawn groaned in embarrassment. Once she recovered, Dawn said,"Morning Braixen. Sorry you have to see me like this. Usually, my bedheads aren't this crazy. Not even brushing it is doing any good." Braixen seemed to understand what she meant as she continued with,"Anyways, no need to worry because I know what to do. Piplup, use bubblebeam," as Piplup prepared to use the move, but Braixen flailed her arms as an attempt to make it stop. Dawn seemed to catch her confusion as she says,"No, it's ok Braixen. You see, Piplup isn't using bubblebeam to attack, but rather, to help deal with my hair. See, when the bubbles land on my head and pop, it releases a small splash of water that dampens it, making it easier to brush and manage with. Plus, once I'm able to brush it down, it can leave a really pretty shine. Watch," as she commanded Piplup to use bubblebeam again. Once Piplup, luckily quietly, launched the move, the bubbles hit Dawn's head, releasing small splashes of water that were helping her, rather than hurting her. Braixen watched in amazement as Dawn then brushed her hair like normal, this time, it remained down and not sticking up like crazy, also leaving a pretty shine to it. She kept it up for a while before Dawn put her brush down and admired how pretty it looked, turning to Braixen and asking,"Tada! What do you think," with Braixen smiling and nodding in approval. Dawn smiled back, saying,"Glad you like it. See? I told you there was no need to worry." Braixen smiled before looking at herself in the mirror, seeing how her hair was messed up too. She wondered: If that bubblebeam worked with Dawn, could it probably work for her as well?

She tried to motion to Dawn what she wanted since normally, no one can really understand what pokemon say. However, Dawn seemed to catch her drift as she says,"I get it. You want me to brush your hair? Sure. Why not? Piplup, another, smaller dose of bubblebeam please," as Piplup was happy to use the move again. The bubbles from the bubblebeam popped when they landed on Braixen's head, splashing water on her with ease. Braixen shivered lightly since the water felt a little cold as Dawn used her brush on Braixen, doing her hair with ease. A few minutes later, she was finished as Braixen admired how beautiful her hair looked now that it was brushed and had a pretty shine thanks to bubblebeam. Dawn couldn't help but laugh as she says,"I'm glad to see you enjoy it Braixen. When you look good, it can make you feel good," as Braixen nodded in agreement. Once the trio came out of the bathroom, Serena woke up and got changed, washed up, and came down to join them for breakfast. After breakfast, Dawn wanted to go dress shopping to find a cute outfit for the Grand Festival, but Serena said she would stay behind since she already had a dress for the Grand Festival. As Dawn and Piplup went into town, Serena let the other pokemon on her team out as she went inside the room to deal with something. Pancham was talking to Satoshi, Sceptile was stretching its limbs, and Sylveon was riding Altaria, who was soaring in the air, feeling the wind blow. Braixen watched her teammates have fun as she wondered what was going on with Serena. She went back inside and headed towards the room to find her. As she approached the door to the room, she could overhear Serena talking about something. However, it sounded more like she was struggling rather than talking to herself. Braixen quietly tiptoed to the slightly opened door and tried to overhear what Serena was talking about. All she could make out was,"This? No..too common. What about...no..not that either. Maybe...never mind. This one might...no...ugh! Come on! You've let it grown out. You should have some idea of what to do with it"! Braixen felt a little worried for Serena and decided to go see if there was something she could do to help. She opened the dor and called to her trainer, who was sitting on her bed and looking through a beauty magazine while holding a hand mirror. Serena looked up and saw Braixen opening the door as she says,"Oh sorry Braixen. Did I cause you to worry about me"? Braixen nodded slightly as she sat next to Serena on the bed as she says,"I'm sorry Braixen if I made you and the others worry. I'm just trying to figure something out."

Braixen picked up the magazine, as if to ask,"What are you doing with this"? Serena, seeing the look of confusion on her face, says,"You're probably wondering what I'm doing. Well, you know how I already have my dress picked out for the Grand Festival tommorrow"? As her partner nodded yes, she continued with,"Well, I thought that maybe, along with the new dress, since I've grown my hair out, I could style it for the occasion. However, I can't seem to come up with anything that would suit me. They all look nice...but...they just don't feel right. You understand right," as Braixen nodded and smiled. Serena gave Braixen a good scratching under her chin as she continued with,"You know, back when my hair was shorter, I'd usually never had to worry about how to style it. It would just be brushing it, putting on my ribbon and headband, and that's it. I wish it could be that easy again. I guess I could put the headband and ribbon on again, but I'd also have to put my hair up or find some way to style it." Braixen seemed to understand what Serena was talking about and tried to think of an idea for her. Suddenly, she remembered when Serena cut her hair and realized something. What if Serena just cuts her hair again? Then, she wouldn't have to worry about stressing for the perfect hairstyle for the Grand Festival! Then, she remembered how happy and thankful she felt when Serena cut her hair back in Kalos. Ever since then, she's been wanting to find a way to repay her for not only helping her feel less scared, but for helping her be able to get through her first haircut and now love them. An idea suddenly came into mind. Instead of Serena cutting her own hair, she could do it for her! She could be Serena's hairdresser! With a paln in motion, she hugged Serena before heading back outside as Serena saw and says,"Braixen can be quite energetic sometimes," unaware of the idea her partner developed. Once Braixen got back outside, she knew that before she could be able to ask Serena the "big question," she'd need practice. So, she got a pair of scissors that was on the desk of Nurse Joy and went outside to practice on the bushes. She pulled an old bush that had dead leaves, which would be perfect to practice on. Braixen even found a rusted, broken, metal rake that still had the end, which greatly resembled a comb. So, she grabbed it and the scissors using her newest move, psychic, and practiced by cutting the leaves of the dead bush into the hairstyle she knew Serena would like. Believe it or not, it turned out perfectly as Braixen smiled in pride. Then, she called her teammates over and told them about her surprise plan for Serena. Around that time, Dawn and Piplup came back and Braixen told Dawn and Piplup about the plan too.

Once they got it and understood their roles, all they needed to do now was to lure Serena out of the room momentarily. Luckily, it wasn't hard at all because Dawn challenged Serena to a battle with Piplup wanting to go against Sceptile. Serena happily accepted as the two went to the field to battle. Meanwhile, the rest of the pokemon sneaked inside the pokemon center and into the room with a bunch of stuff, including an old sheet, some curtains, and even two swivel chairs. The battle lasted only a couple of minutes, with Sceptile winning, but it was all part of the plan, according to Braixen. You're probably wondering what is the plan exactly. Well, while Sceptile, Piplup, and Dawn distracted Serena by battling, the other pokemon and Braixen would bring some stuff inside and turn the bathroom into a salon, just like what Serena did for Braixen before. After they would set up, the pokemon would sneak back outside by the time Serena and Dawn would come to the entrance, the pokemon would come meet up with her and cheer, as if they were watching the battle the whole time. Meanwhile, Braixen would organize everything quickly so it would look like an authentic salon. Then, once Serena and the others entered the room, Pancham would pretend to hear a noise and have Serena go in to check. Then, things can take off from there. That was exactly what happened as Serena was bombarded with cheers from their pokemon. Meanwhile, Braixen was putting the last finishing touch, putting on of the swivel chairs in the middle and tying a smock on herself. Now, all she needed to do was wait. It didn't take too long as Serena, Dawn, and their pokemon entered the room when Serena looked around and asked,"Hey, where is Braixen"? Pancham knew that was the cue as he pretended to kneel down and listen to a "mysterious sound" inside the bathroom. Serena, seeing this, picked up Pancham and said,"I'll check it out. It's probably Braixen, I hope." When Serena opened the door to the bathroom, she was shocked and surprised happily. Everyone watched her reaction as Serena was in complete shock and awe. In the middle of the "salon room," stood Braixen in a smock and blushing heavily.

Serena was speechless momentarily, but soon recovered from the initial shock to say,"What is all this? It looks like a salon in here. Braixen, did you come up with this"? Braixen nodded as Dawn says,"Do you like it? This was all her idea. She told us about your predicament and wanted to help. She came up with this idea and we wanted to help." Serena smiled before saying,"This is so great. I like this." Then, something seemed to happen to Braixen as suddenly, she spoke,"This is my way of repaying for your actions." This shocked everyone as Braixen cleared her throat before saying,"I...can talk? Cool!! *Clears throat* Anyways, when you were talking to me earlier about your problem and you mentioned how you wish you'd wouldn't struggle so much with your hair like before when it was shorter, I remembered when you cut my hair back when it was long. So first, I thought: why don't you cut it again? Then, I remembered that since then, I've been wanting to repay you for being so kind to me. So, I came up with the idea of me having the chance to cut your hair, if it's ok with you I mean." Braixen fidgeted as she saw Serena give a look of shock and thought. Then, Serena walked up to Braixen and hugged her close while saying,"This is so nice. I can't believe you'd do something like this for me. Thank you Braixen." Braixen smiled and purred lightly before they separated and she said,"So, shall we get started"? Serena nodded as she motioned everyone to wait outside, only allowing Pancham and Sylveon to come in to help. As she closed the door, Sylveon ushered Serena to the chair, helping her sit down. Pancham gives Braixen the sheet, to which she ties onto Serena like a regular salon cape. Even though Serena thought this was a kind gesture, she was a little nervous because this is the first time she's letting one of her pokemon do anything with her hair, much less cut it. Braixen seemed to catch how she felt as she says,"I can tell you are a little nervous. I'm not going to lie, I'm a little nervous too. But no need to worry. I've been practicing and I've mastered the style I know you like. All we can do is give a new thing a try right"? Serena trusted Braixen more than anyone, and despite her nerves, she decided to let her give it a shot. Who knows? She might end up doing a good job.

To begin, Braixen brought Serena to the end of the sink as she says,"To begin, I'll just wash your hair here, like what you did for me before." Pancham hopped on a step stool and turned on the warm water. Braixen used her paws to move her trainer's honey blonde hair, so the water gets absorbed into it. Once she was finished, she asked Sylveon to pass her the orange shampoo bottle that read Pecha and Sitrus Berries Delight. She opened it up and poured a good amount of the snow white liquid into her paw. She then began scrubbing it into Serena's hair, forming suds while doing so. While doing so, Serena had a smile of content and giggled lightly from the feeling. She was beginning to really enjoy this. Once Braixen felt like she scrubbed enough, she ushered Pancham to turn on the warm water once more. Once the water was running again, she used her paws to rinse the sudsy shampoo from Serena's hair. After about a minute or two, Pancham shut the water off and Braixen squeezed the water out of her trainer's long locks. She then helped back to the original chair and had Sylveon plug in the blow dryer. Once she turned it on, Braixen had Sylveon pass her the comb as she began to use it on Serena. Seeing how happy her trainer looked made Braixen smile in return. Once she finished up with the blow dryer, Braixen picked up the comb and scissors with the help of psychic and begins to use them to cut Serena's hair with ease. She sidestepped a couple of times to cut a bit of the hair at a certain angle. Soon, she was finished as she said,"I'm finished. I think it looks really nice." Pancham and Sylveon agreed with her as Braixen gave her trainer a mirror after removing the sheet. Serena anticipated that it was going to be uneven or something like that, but she was in for a surprise. It ended up looking really good. Her hair looked just like how it used to back in Kalos, the only difference is that this time, it reached around her shoulders. Braixen shuffled her feet as she asked,"Well, what do you think? Do you like it"? Serena smiled as she got up and said,"I don't like it Braixen. I LOVE it!!!! Thank you very much. It's perfect." Serena hugged her partner close as Braixen blushed in happiness. Pancham and Sylveon joined in the hugfest as they cleaned up before opening the door. When Serena walked out to show everyone her new haircut, everyone was in awe and complimented her. Dawn took the moment to talk to Braixen, saying,"You did a really good job. Serena looks really nice. Who knew you could be so talented." Braixen scratched the back of her head as she blushed in embarrassment and says,"I guess all that practice was worth it."

Later on, everyone was getting ready to turn in for the night. Dawn was putting Piplup back into its pokeball as Serena was tying her nighttime ribbon. Braixen was settling in at the end of her bed. Serena petted Braixen under her chin as she purred in delight. As she kept it up, Serena says,"Braixen, thank you. What you did for me was so kind. You did such a good job with cutting my hair, I'm really grateful for it." Braixen smiled in content as she says,"It was nothing Serena. Just my little way of saying thank you." Serena hugged her starter again, the fire type loving the feeling of the embrace between trainer and pokemon. Serena then says,"Tommorrow, let's take the Grand Festival by storm. Ok"? Braixen nodded in agreement as they settled in for the night. As both trainers fell fast asleep, Braixen snuggled close to Serena, who was happy to be close to her partner / best friend. What a marvelous day of new experiences for both Kalos natives.