Part 29

The entire school day was being hyped up due to Homecoming taking place this Friday night. It was followed by a pep rally, and several other activities done during the day. After school was over, Ash went over to Gary's place for a change of clothes. Luckily, his house was only a few doors down from his own, so there wasn't much hassle

"Gary, I'm not so sure about this... why can't I just wear my usual stuff? I don't think it's so bad," Ash said, continually protesting.

"Ash, Relax. By the end of the night, you'll be thanking me for all the female attention you're gonna get at this Homecoming," Gary said with a smug look.

"Well, I'm not so sure about that. Anyway, uh, where's everyone else meeting us at?" He inquired.

"Oh, you know..." Gary replied dryly.

"No...? I don't know you jokester that's why I asked," Ash said impatiently.

"You'll see when we get there, lad. Just relax. You know, the atmosphere inside the PAC is going to be tense. Once we get there you'll start to feel the adrenaline kick in," Gary answered. Ash smacks himself in the face mentally. He didn't know if Gary just genuinely didn't understand what he asked of him, or if he was messing with him.

Time skip to Homecoming

As it approached 8 PM, Homecoming was officially starting. Ash and Gary arrived just a little later than the rest of the gang, who were already inside the PAC room in school. Surprisingly, Ash looked rather professional for once with the attire Gary had provided him with. He wore a tailored black suit accompanied by a dress shirt, black dress pants, his hair was a little less disheveled than usual. And of course, he still wore his Xtransceiver that he received from Cilan on his left wrist, adding just a touch of elegance with it.

For once, the boy who was commonly known as a cold-hearted outcast, actually looked respectable and professional in a way. And it was all thanks to his best friend, Gary Oak, who wore a similar attire to his. The two of them walked into the PAC room together, where the loud music could already be heard. They showed their tickets at the entrance allowing them to enter with ease.

"So, Ashy-boi, Let's go find the gang shall we," Gary spoke, almost in a shout. It was pretty hard to hear each other as the music inside was blasting at full volume.

"Yeah, I guess. They're already here, right?!" Ash called out.

"Yup! Look, there they are!" Gary pointed to the center of the room. He saw Paul, Barry, Drew, Trip, And Calem chatting with each other. The two boys approached them quickly making their flashy entrance.

"Hey boys!" Gary greeted. "Sorry to keep you dudes waiting!" They all turned to the two boys and greeted them.

"Ah, Oak, there you are. I was starting to think you would be a no-show," Paul shouted over the music.

"I was thinking the same thing about Ashy-boi over here. But, here we are." Gary replied. Everyone one of the boys had a similar attire looking very fashionable tonight. The guys hung out in the center of the PAC while the girls took a more subtle approach to their entrance for some odd reason. You would think it'd be the other way around...

From the minute the gals stepped foot into the pac, Serena was feeling uneasy and had the butterflies. The first one to notice this was her best friend Dawn. Of course, Dawn noticed. Why wouldn't Dawn notice something.

"Serena, What's wrong? You've had this anxious vibe to you ever since we got here. What is it?" Dawn pressed, eager to get a response from her. Not in a bad way of course. When it came to Serena, Dawn was there to help her out no matter what.

"I'm not anxious, I'm not. I'm just-..."

"Uh-huh, you're not anxious," Dawn raised a brow. "Then What is it? Ash?"

Dawn got it spot on. As soon as she said that name Serena's heart dropped. She had been constantly thinking about him. She finally realized what was going on with herself. Ever since Ash joined the school back in early fall she had felt these conflicting emotions, causing her to act different than her usual self. At first, she chalked it off as an odd interest in the boy and nothing more. But now, even she could admit to herself that she had a massive crush on this boy, despite not knowing much about him. Deep down Serena understood him better than anyone else. Everyone else saw him as an outcast boy who desperately tries to be different, but She saw him as a normal boy who has a heart for Pokémon and his close friends.

"I'm just extremely nervous," Serena admitted, stating out the obvious. "What if I do something to embarrass myself in front of him? Or what if he doesn't even show up at all?" Misty, the tomboy of the group grabbed her shoulder gently.

"Hold that thought Serena, And look over there," Misty pointed towards the central area of the pac. It was Ash. There was no mistaking it. Clear as day it was Ash with Gary and the rest of the gang hanging around. Ash genuinely looked like he was having a good time, and that for Serena was just enough to make her entire month. A warm smile spread across her lips as she watched him chat with their mutual friends. The music just seemed to simmer down a bit.

"Well, at least now we know he's here, Serena.  We should go over and see what there up to, hm?" Dawn suggested. The girls didn't seem to oppose Dawn's idea so off they went to Gary's gang. As they walked by a certain friend/rival looked closely. Miette, also a performer wore a light blue dress, she had dark blue hair with an orange headband on top.

"Hmm, wonder if she's finally going to make her move on him..." she mumbled to herself.

At this point all the nerves were settled for Ash at least. The boys all split up leaving Ash, Calem, And another boy Clemont chatting amongst themselves. They were specifically talking about battles until...

"Hiiii guysss..." The familiar voice of Dawn came into distance. The three boys turned and sure enough Dawn walked over to them with her friends right behind her, Misty, May, Iris, Shauna, Serena, all of them.

"Hi Dawn. What's up?" Calem turned.

"Nothing much," Dawn replied. "Just wanted to see what you guys were up to..."

"Oh, we're just kicking back - schooling these dudes on the aspect of Pokémon battles..." Calem responded cockily. "Mmm Pokémon battles... interesting, interesting," Dawn said. "Hey, where are the other guys? Weren't they just with you guys a moment ago?"

"Oh yeah, they went to go get food, they'll be back soon," Calem assured.

"Oh, gotcha," She nodded. "So, just curious, did you, or any of the other guys come here with a date? Or are you guys just here alone?"

"Everyone came here alone. We're just here to enjoy the night and each other's company, you feel me?" Calem explained. Just then the other guys came back with some food and drinks. They noticed the girls here at the spot and stopped their chatting momentarily.

"Jeez, What's got you so riled up miss troublesome," Paul Asked, munching on his food in the process. Dawn never liked Paul that much to begin with. She also didn't appreciate the nickname he always gave her instead of just using her name.

"Uhm,  excuse me Paul, but it's Da-

"Alright, boys and girls of Sycamore high school. The dance floor is now open for anyone to join in. If you want to have a dance with that certain someone, nows the time!" They all heard the DJ loud and clear on the microphone.

"Huh. I was wondering why the dance floor wasn't being used when we first got here," Barry pointed out. "So Paul, you going?"

"Yeah right, not on your life. You're never going to catch me dancing. You understand?!" Paul exclaimed. The purpler haired trainer made himself clear as no one else tried to convince him. Meanwhile Serena snuck another glance at Ash. Now was the perfect time. Everyone else was distracted by Paul she stepped closer to him...

"Hey, Ash..." She spoke softly. Ash looked over. He still had that stern look about him, but it became noticeably softer when he saw the Honey blonde haired performer.

"Oh, hi Serena," He said.

"I bet you were forced to come here by Gary, right?" She asked, her tone still gentle. She knew exactly how to communicate with Ash without messing it up.

"I guess so... but I just ended up tagging along after he hooked me up with this nice outfit. I think it looks cool," He said.

"Yeah, I think so too. It suits you," She smiled. Ash found himself smiling a bit too at the compliment. Finally she was getting somewhere with this guy...

"So, Serena, What's your occupation? Are you like a Pokémon trainer, coordinator...

"Oh, I'm a Pokémon performer," she answered. His eyes lit up a bit. Ever since he arrived in Kalos he'd heard a great deal about showcases.

"Oh wow, a Pokémon performer? I heard that performers and Pokémon showcases are extremely popular here in the Kalos region. That's so cool that you're one of them," Ash said in amazement.

"I'm glad you think so, Ash," Serena giggled at his reaction. "Unfortunately, the showcases don't start until late January, so for now I'm just preparing for them to start."

"Oh, I see."

"Mhm. Anyways, Ash, What about your gym battles? How have those gone?" She asked, wanting to keep this conversation going no matter what.

"Oh, they've been great. You know, now that I think about it, I never got to thank you for those times you gave me directions to the gyms," Ash chuckled.

"Oh, there's no need for that, Ash. I was just happy to help," She smiled softly. Serena seemed to strike up a decent conversation with the raven haired boy, which seemed near impossible at first glance.

"Hey, boys. Check out Ashy-boi over there..." Gary pointed towards Ash and Serena.

"Hey, just let the guy be. He looks like he's having the time of his life for once. Don't ruin it for him," Drew said, flipping his hair arrogantly. The rest of the guys agreed with what Drew said.

"Yeah... if you guys say so," Gary shrugged.

Dawn elbowed Misty And May with a sly grin on her face. "Check it out, girls. She's so into him she's not even hiding it anymore."

"She looks like she's ready to make out with him or something," May laughed.

"Oh, hey Ashy-boy~" immediately Ash knew who it was. He turned around and it was his cousin, Leaf. 'The mischievous brunette.' She wore a sleeveless teal dress accompanied by a short red skirt. She also wore high heels adding just a bit to her height. The only thing missing from her usual attire was the white bucket hat.

"Oh, hey there cousin," Ash greeted. "What a surprise to see you."

"Really? You thought I would miss this event for the world. Of course I'm here!" She said in her usual cheerful tone. Leaf noticed Serena then looked back at Ash with a smile, her eyes glinting with mischief.

"Ohhhh? Has my dense cousin finally found himself a beautiful girlfriend?" Leaf teased, in the most teasing way imaginable. That statement was enough for Serena's face to go bright red like a tomato berry. Ash remained composed.

"No, Leaf. She's a friend. We were just talking here..." Ash spoke a bit sheepishly. Leaf knew that was probably the case, but she just had to tease him when it came to girls. He was as dense as a rock.

"Heads up, Serena. I know my cousin looks stern all the time and at times scary, but deep down he's just a big softy," Leaf teased again. Ash continued to give her a glare. Serena giggled at the two. They seemed to be very close despite Ash not really showing any affection at all. After that, Leaf finally walked away promising to tease Ash some more later.

"I'm sorry about her. She's always been like that. Ever since we were kids," Ash apologized.

"Hey, Hey. Don't worry about it. There's nothing wrong with a bit of teasing," She smiled. "Besides, I know she was only kidding." Something about this Serena girl was very eye-catching to Ash. He felt like he could actually be himself around her rather than being all grumpy and distant all the time. The communication with her was also nice. She treated Ash like a normal human being and he appreciated this.

After Leaf had left Ash and Serena alone she got caught up in a conversation with Calem, the boy who was infatuated with her.

"...and that's what happened," Calem finished explaining.

"Oh my, that's terrible. I always knew he was a jerk, but I didn't think he'd go that far. Ash told me about some of this, but he never mentioned any busted lip," Leaf frowned.

In a corner of the pac where not much people were crowded, Jack and Damian were posed up looking very furious at the sight of Calem and Leaf talking to each other

"Jack, I messed up. That raven haired boy had nothing to do with Leaf. He's related to her. The one trying to make moves is Calem," Damian spoke.

"We can't keep making mistakes like that, Damian. I pressed him for nothing then. Our real target is Calem then. I'm gonna make sure he knows never mess with my girl again!" Jack said angrily.

"Relax, dude. We'll deal with it next week. If we do it now, we'll cause a scene and possibly shut down the event," Damian said. Jack just scoffed and continued glaring at Calem from the distance. By now a majority of the students who attended the event had left as it was now getting very late. Gary's gang all left the pac and met outside of the school where it was now completely dark and a bit cold out there.

"Whoo! Did you guys see how many chicks were glancing at me because of the fit?" Gary spoke all cocky.

"Oh, please. I didn't see a single girl look your way, Oak," Paul responded. The gang all laughed at the researcher's poor attempt at gaslighting. Ash and Serena went off to the side while the rest of the gang got ready to depart for the night.

"It was really nice talking to you, Serena. I'll see you in school Monday," Ash smiled. He walked off with Gary after that. After he was gone Serena was going crazy inside her mind. She had actually done it. She managed to actually talk to him. He wasn't as scary as he looked. Finally some progress was made with the raven haired boy...

A/N: Okay that was a very long one. Now that that's over with we'll get back to Junior cup action soon! I'll balance out the Junior cup chapters and Crisis ark as best as I can. For now you guys take care!