Long Story Short

Chloe or Serena or Ash or May

May sat on the couch in the Pokémon Center's lobby with her Glaceon to watch Lilycove City's contest on TV, expecting to cheer on her friend and rival, Serena. She sipped on green tea as the performer before Serena was about to come on. Glaceon purred and cuddled against May to make herself comfortable while the brunette petted her. When the host announced "Chloe!" May raised an eyebrow at the outfit this new face was wearing.

"Gla?" Even Glaceon recognized the iconic outfit.

"That's my outfit. That can't be a coincidence," May laughed to herself. She had a feeling Serena had something to do with Chloe's wardrobe choice. There was no doubt in her mind about it. We carry each other in our hearts everywhere we go, no matter how far we are. Don't we, Serena? May smiled. She saw admired Chloe's Eevee when it released a captivating Fairy Wind that was followed by Eevee riding the wind. The little Eevee's movements were graceful as it elevated higher, prompting roars and applause from the audience. "They're great!" May looked at her beloved Ice-type.

Glaceon beamed, "Glaceon!"

May's eyes glistened. "And Chloe looks so beautiful in that outfit. I have to admit she rocks it even better than me." The pair giggled together at May's comment as Chloe's performance concluded. Suddenly, May's Rotom Phone vibrated. When she pulled out her phone, she saw a text from Lisia. She's in the middle of a contest but never lets a minute go to waste, May wondered what the energetic idol could want now. When she unlocked her phone, Lisia's text read, "Have you thought about my idea for an idol unit? I have two other people in mind."

"The idol unit..." May wondered if she was ready to get thrust back into the spotlight like that. Maybe. Glaceon purred to let May know that Serena was about to perform. The brunette put her phone away to watch her friend. "If it's the right people," the Princess of Hoenn smirked when she saw her Kalos friend take the stage.

And just as May carried Serena in her heart, Serena did the same. After the Lilycove contest concluded, Serena bid her new friend Chloe farewell at the dock. However, an unexpected surprise appeared in the form of Ash. "I'm entered in the Pokémon World Coronation Series and I aim to be the very best!" the Alola League Champion proclaimed to her as his ship departed the port.

"I've been competing in Contest Spectaculars! If you'll be the best trainer, then I guess I'm gonna have to be the Top Coordinator!" Serena yelled back.

"So we'll both do our best!" Ash cheered as Chloe and Goh smiled at their exchange.

Pikachu and Sylveon also admired the spirit in their trainers. "You bet! I'll be cheering for you and cheering for Chloe too!" the Kalos performer waved goodbye to her oldest friend and her newest friends.

"Right back at ya!" Ash couldn't contain the ecstasy over seeing Serena after so long. Chloe, Eevee, and the rest of their friends shouted their goodbyes as their ship started to get farther.

Serena watched their ship drift away until the sunset gave way to the stars. She watched the lone ship at sea with a longing gaze. Her only company was her Sylveon again. When in doubt, give stuff a try. Serena thought back to the advice she gave Chloe earlier about performing in the contest. I learned that from you. Serena traced her philosophy back to the boy she loved. Despite their fallout, the pursuit of her dreams was sparked by Ash Ketchum and that drive didn't falter. Ash would never allow her to give up and thanks to him, Serena learned to never allow herself to give up either. It was also clear to Serena that even though Ash had gone through so much pain before, his dream to become the very best didn't waver one bit either. In fact, she saw that his spark had gone only grown brighter. Not only that but he continued to make friends and bring people together. Perhaps it was Ash's extraordinary character that drew in extraordinary people like Chloe. Or it may have been fate that brought Chloe into Serena's life simply to remind her of what she lost and gained through her adventures. In this case, Ash represented her loss and her gain. Watching him slip away from her yet again was a bittersweet moment. It reminded Serena of how incredible he was and how far she had come on her journey, yet it was evident that love between them still wasn't in the cards. To Serena, that was quite alright. She'd be just as grateful for the boy from Pallet Town as she was for the girl from Petalburg City. If only you'd been here too, Serena wished, looking to the star over Ash's boat and thought of May. We'd both feel that rush of excitement, Serena thought of how May would also feel reinvigorated to become the Top Coordinator just by being in the same contagious space as Ash. No one could get her brunette friend as fired up as the Alola Champion. Nonetheless, Serena knew that May's flame would also carry the same sense of bittersweetness she felt. The three of them were bound by something deeper than friendship, which hurt yet made them better for it. That bond linked their hopes, dreams, and energies. They knew it and would never allow it to go to waste regardless of the time and distance. And so with Ash's boat nearly out of sight, Serena thought of the next thing that would bring her a step closer to becoming the Top Coordinator. There were always many paths, but it was never clear to her which one to take, so she'd try the one that filled her with the most doubt. Naturally, she had something in mind. The idol unit... Serena pondered on Lisia's proposal. Sylveon read Serena's eyes and called to her. The trainer turned to Sylveon with a grin. The Fairy-type Pokémon recognized that smile, realizing Serena knew their next story. "Shall we go?" Serena asked.

This chapter was long overdue and it brings Long Story Short to a close. Set during the events of Pokémon Journeys episode, "Reunited for the First Time," it was always going to be just as isolated as the previous chapters but maybe longer than what it turned out to be. However, it would've felt repetitive and like dragging out if I wrote it any longer. I hope you got to enjoy this tidbit and enjoyed the anthology. For those who read in between the lines, you may have noticed that I hinted at my next potential project in this chapter now that LSS and AJ are complete. Until then, best wishes on your journey!