Love in the Time of Tribulations

Chapter 2: An Invitation

Bit of a slow start, but that's okay. A quick note or two: this story is officially being set after XYZ 43, but taking little elements from 44 (maybe 45) like Prism Tower and parts of the party. Also, for those who like to review anonymously because you don't have an account, feel free to sign up on Serebii under the same name, and I can respond to you there! Or over Twitter. Now, Chapter 2!

Chapter 2

An Invitation

"This place...is huge!" Ash's exclamation, and simultaneous skidding to a stop, caused Serena to jerk in her place and bump into her boyfriend's back. Skirting around him to take a glimpse at just what had him so captivated, Serena gasped. What spread out before them really was amazing in every possible way.

"It's a castle! A castle!" Bonnie cheered out. Serena shifted her gaze to the lemon blonde next to her and smiled. Whether she was keeping a façade or not, it was nice to see Bonnie with a smile on her face. Actually, it was nice to see a smile on anyone's face in their group, even the lagging Clemont behind them.

Taking in a deep breath, the honey blonde surveyed the sprawling sight before them: a castle that was larger than even the Battle Chateau. Its turrets stretched high and it looked almost ancient...or at least a replication of something ancient, since according to her guide, Serena knew the castle had been built only fifty years back or so. To her, it almost felt like standing at the center of the world. This was the Kalos League Headquarters, and she never thought she would actually see it...at least, not after the Lumiose Conference. Sliding her eyes over to her boyfriend, she saw Ash looking positively excited over something slightly beyond the castle.

It wasn't hard to tell that he was excited about the large stadium that was connected to the castle, which had a similar exterior but, from the pictures she had seen, had a much more modern interior. Surrounding it were helicopters and airships, all emblazoned with the League logo on them. They were certainly pulling out all the stops for protection on this particular event, and judging from the massive number of crowds below, the people hadn't been all too deterred by what had happened in Lumiose City.

"This is really awesome," Ash breathed out next to her. She smiled at him and took his hand in hers. "Come on, Clemont!"

"I'm...trying..." Clemont huffed out, finally catching up to them, only for them to start their quick pace down the slight incline that would lead them to the stadium. When he finally had, Bonnie appeared to take the opportunity to scold him.

"Brother, stop being so slow. You'd think after facing disaster enough times, you'd learn how to run better!"

"I try, Bonnie, but I'm just not built that way!" Clemont argued with his sister. Serena giggled at it, while Ash almost remained oblivious, his sights laser-focused on the stadium they were heading to. "I am excited, though. Not often a gym leader gets to participate in a League sponsored event!"

"Yeah! I wonder what kind of tournament it is, huh, buddy?" Ash proclaimed, turning to the yellow companion on his shoulder.

"Pika!" Pikachu cried out happily. Ash reached up with his free hand and scratched him behind the ears. "Chaaaa..."

"It is a little different, huh?" Serena noted, now separating her hand from his to reach into her bag. Ash frowned a little but went right back to smiling as the crowds at the stadium began to become thicker. From her bag, Serena pulled out the thick cardstock with gold embroidery and lettering on it. "Never thought I would be invited, that's for sure. I'm not even a League trainer."

"Yeah, but you're still a great battler, between Ancien, Nova, and Lumiose, after all!" Ash pointed out to her. That kind of encouragement served to remind her of why she loved the boy standing next to her so much. He always believed and encouraged all those around him in any way he could. Knowing that, Serena smiled, offered him a peck on the cheek and went back to looking at the invitation that all three of them had received from a League official just a week ago.