Gotta Catch That One

Chapter 32: A New Quest

Serena got back to Palermo's apartment in the late afternoon. It had been kind of a strange walk back from Prism Tower. When they had passed the river, Serena had felt a strange sensation like she was being watched. Delphox had also seemed somewhat excited. They had looked around, but it must have only been a fish or something, because there was just a splash and a ripple of water.

She was now sitting at the dinner table and Palermo had just put out some dinner for the two of them. Serena had been kind of surprised that Palermo didn't have a personal chef or something, but she was also kind of pleased. She felt a little more comfortable that she and Palermo had something more than interest in performances in common. Even though Serena's cooking skills were more geared towards desserts, knowing that Palermo did some kind of cooking was kind of interesting.

After a few moments of silent eating, Palermo decided to get the conversation going. "Well, Serena, what did you do during your free time, today?" The tone of her voice made Serena think that something was up.

"Well...I was kind of bored. I know there's a lot to do in Lumiose City, but I guess I've gotten so used to always being on the move or training with my Pokemon. I just ended up going to Prism Tower and watching Clemont have a gym battle." She felt a little nervous telling Palermo this. She couldn't explain why, but she felt like admitting what she did today was something Palermo wouldn't approve of.

Her suspicions were confirmed when Palermo sighed with what sounded like disappointment. "I can't say I'm surprised, Serena. However, I do wish that you would have done something else with your time. Unfortunately you've failed the first test."

"What?" Serena asked, feeling a little bit of irritation creep into her voice. "You said I had the day off to do whatever I want. I chose to go to Clemont's gym so I could see him, Bonnie and Mairin. What's wrong with that?"

Palermo raised her eyebrows, looking both shocked and impressed with Serena's irritation. "I won't hold it against you. No need to worry about that. I would like to warn you though, Serena, that if you are not committed to this training, it does not make much sense for either of us to continue with this arrangement."

Serena thought about this for a moment. Her instinct was to beg for forgiveness, but she managed to stop this. Ash would stay stubborn and she would too. She hadn't done anything wrong, so why was Palermo scolding her. "I amcommitted. I left Ash for this, didn't I? How much more do I need to show you?"

The older woman smirked a little at the frustration Serena was showing. "He's had an impact on you, I can see that. As much as you relied on him, I can see that you've also learned from him."

Serena narrowed her eyes. "You didn't answer my question."

Palermo smiled. "I don't think that you have actually shown commitment to this. Obviously you are passionate about performing as you have shown with your showcases and dedication to your own training, but this training is different. It wasn't you who took the offer, really. It was Ash. He convinced you to come."

Serena opened her mouth for an angry retort, but no words were available to her. She realized that Palermo was right. Serena hadn't done anything so far to show commitment to this new training. The only reason she was here, was because Ash had broken up with her. She realized that if she had stayed with Ash like she had been trying to do, she might never have come. No, she never would have come. She wouldn't have been able to bring herself to do it. Palermo was right. "So what do I need to do to convince you? Do you not want me to see my friends?"

"Don't be silly." Palermo said. "Of course you can go and see your friends. I just don't think it's wise to visit them on every possible occasion. You need to be able to spend time on your own with your Pokemon. That is something that Ash will be learning now and I'm sure that he will have great success in the Kalos League because of it."