The Road to our Destiny

Chapter 34

After a few days of traveling, Ash, Pikachu, Serena, and Brock make their way to Neon City. It is almost noon, so the neon lights that the city is famous for are turned off until night time. Despite that, Serena is amazed at the size of the city and the various stores and other buildings decorated in all kinds of colorful lights.

"Wow, this place must look amazing at night," she comments as the group walks.

"Yeah, it's part of why this place is called the city that never sleeps," Brock says. "Anyway, let's hope the Pokemon Center here isn't far away. I could do with a shower and sleeping on a nice warm bed again."

"I hear that," Serena says.

The three trainers and Pikachu continue walking down the street when suddenly, several men start running past them hastily. Ash, Serena, Pikachu, and Brock look at the people running ahead of them in confusion as they look like they are in a hurry for something exciting.

"Excuse me, but what is going on?" Ash says, catching the attention of one of them running.

"What, are you new here or something?" The man asks rudely. "There's a trainer who's battling against Abigail."

Ash, Pikachu, Serena, and Brock look at the man even more confused. The man looks at them, dumbfounded and scoffs.

"Abigail is the most beautiful and powerful Pokemon trainer and coordinator in Neon City," he explains. "She has ten badges and is guaranteed to win this city's first Pokemon contest."

"Wow, she's both beautiful and a powerful trainer? Sounds like my kind of lady," Brock says in a giddy tone.

"Brock, behave yourself," Serena says firmly before turning back to the man. "But how can she have ten badges? I thought you only need eight to compete in the Pokemon League."

"Yeah, but some regions like Kanto and Unova have more than eight gyms, Serena," Ash explains. "I know Gary won ten badges when we were both competing on the Indigo League before the unknown leader of the Viridian City gym mysteriously defeated him."

"Who cares about this, Gary punk?" The man ridicules. "Some overconfident lady from Sinnoh thinks she can take on Abigail, and the two of them are about to face each other at the battlefield next to the Pokemon Center."

Before Ash, Serena or Brock can ask another question, another man whose running turns to the first man and asks, "Hey, are you coming or not, Saul?"

"I'm coming, I'm coming," the man named Saul answers. "I wouldn't miss seeing Abigail battling for the world."

The two men run ahead with the rest of the crowd leaving Ash, Pikachu, and Serena taken aback while Brock still has a dopey look on his face.

"Well... that was strange," Serena says.

"Yeah, but at the same time, I wanna check it out," Ash says. "A big battle with a strong trainer sounds exciting.

"Pikachu," Pikachu says, agreeing.

"And hearing that she's so beautiful only proves further that we need to check out this battle!" Brock squeaks.

"Brock, knock it off already," Serena ridicules in a motherly before she sighs. "Then again, I'm a little curious too, and we are heading to the Pokemon Center anyway, so we might as well."

"Alright!" Ash and Brock shout simultaneously before they start running towards the crowd with Pikachu still on Ash's shoulder.

"Guys, wait for me!" Serena calls out as she runs after them while holding on to her hat.

The trainers run until they make their way to the Pokemon Center, where a huge crowd of men are crowding over the battlefield next to the building. Ash, Pikachu, Serena, and Brock struggle to squeeze through the crowd until they get close enough that they can see the battlefield. Standing tall and proud on one side of the arena is a beautiful woman with long, shiny brown hair and wearing a long white dress with a black belt and wearing black high-heeled boots. The men in the crowd gaze at her with hearts in their eyes while she gives a confident smirk.