Amourshipping : One Day Off

Chapter 21

"We're nearly there! It's just down this route, and we'll be able to see Vaniville town!" 

Serena happily jogged down the familiar path to her hometown of Vaniville, followed by a casually moving Ash, Clemont and Bonnie. The Kalosian champion gazed around the route, admitting the cherry blossom trees, smiling at the amazing work of nature.

After Ash's victory at the Kalos league, he had been bombarded by the paparazzi and, what Bonnie liked to call, his "newly appointed fan-girls", a phrase which irritated Serena to no end, as she had to watch them all try and hug her boyfriend. To his credit though, Ash had handled it as professionally as one could expect from a teenage reigning Kalosian champion. 

Now, the group was headed to Serena's hometown, to meet her mother, Grace, once again, this time, on more familiar soil. Serena hadn't been in her own home in nearly a year, and she was looking forward to eating in her own kitchen, and sleeping in her own bed. With the added bonus of sharing it with Ash, but that would happen when it happened. 

As the group walked along the path, it became more and more familiar to Serena, occasionally pointing out areas where she used to play with friends, or hide from her mother when she was supposed to be doing Rhyhorn practice. To Ash, Clemont and Bonnie, it as all just about as foreign as the rest of the entire route.

"How much further is it?" An exhausted Clemont asked an enthusiastic Serena.

"Not much further! Maybe about another five minutes if you keep that pace up!" Serena called back from about 20 meters forward.

Clemont sighed and used placed his hands on his knees, using them to support his upper body, so he could catch his breath. Ash came up behind him and patted him on the back. "Come on, we're nearly there."

Clemont nodded. "Right."

The Kantoan and Lumious City siblings walked behind an excited Serena. Clemont brought up conversation with Ash. "So, what's the plan now?" He asked.

Ash bit him thumb and considered for a moment. "Take it easy in Vaniville town for a short while. Can't stay for too long though, everyone's waiting for me back in Pallet town, back in Kanto. So, I'll be here for a couple of days at the most before heading home, I guess. You guys want to tag along?"

Clemont and Bonnie agreed happily, excited to visit Ash's hometown. Ash smiled, happy he wouldn't be separated from his Kalosian friends quite yet. The Lumious twins assumed Ash had asked Serena already. He hadn't. In fact, he wanted to surprise her, by getting her a ticket to Kanto with him. He hadn't gotten the ticket by now, but he figured he would have plenty of time to do that while in Vaniville town. 

"Come on! It's here! You can see Vaniville town!" Serena called back, happily looking out over her hometown. She never thought she would be so happy to see Vaniville town again in her entire life.

Ash, Clemont and Bonnie finally caught up to a waiting Serena, overlooking the town. The first thing Ash noticed about the town was that it hardly seemed like a town at all. More like a village. There weren't all that too many houses, and there weren't many prominent landmarks or buildings of note for tourists, however, it was still a beautiful and peaceful area, which reminded Ash of Pallet Town. He could see a playground, with a couple of young kids playing on the slide and a tyre swing, along with a friendly Bidoof that must have lived nearby. The buildings were simple detached houses, each of which would contain one family inside of them.

Serena stretched out and took a deep breath of air into her lungs, and then sighed it all out, sampling the air. She then put her hands on her hips and looked over her village, happily stating, "It's great to be back home!"