Hope you all are doing alright during this pandemic! Without further ado, here's the next chapter!
~
After the paparazzi finally calmed down, the rest of the show went on without a hitch. Valerie also received huge support on her Pokemon-based designs. Near the end, she looked over to the group and winked at Sawyer, then challenging him to a battle.
He sent out his Bagon versus her Spritzee- a bad match-up if Zenith had anything to say about it- which resulted in his loss, tragically.
At the very end, Zenith arrived back on stage to congratulate them both on the battle well-fought and get some last-minute pictures to commemorate the event.
Once it was finally over, she made her way to the changing room, giving Cumulus a hug and wave before returning the Altaria to the PC. Zenith changed back to her normal clothes quickly and left without attracting too much attention, thankfully, to find the rest of her friends.
Ash was the first to spot her. "ZENITH! YOU DIDN'T TELL US YOU WERE GONNA BE IN A FASHION SHOW! YOU DID SO AMAZING!"
Crystal and Pine came over to ruffle her hair. "Yeah, can't believe you ditched us, Sky. We got some cool new accessories for our next performance, though."
"Great to see Cumulus again, trying to hog the spotlight like always," Shadow added with a chuckle.
Meanwhile, as Clemont, Bonnie, and Red also gave the girl their two cents, Sawyer's jaw dropped. "I-I knew she was your friend, but it's a whole different experience seeing her in person!" The boy bowed in front of the honey blonde. "It's an honor, Miss Zenith! Your performance was splendid; my loss was terribly embarrassing..."
"It's great to meet any of my fans in the flesh! And don't worry! Valerie's a tough cookie when it comes to battles; her Fairy-Types might look cute, but they're fierce! I'm sure you'll beat her next time. After Ash, that is," she chuckled.
"YEAH!" The boy exclaimed.
~
Our heroes spent the night in a private suite, thanks to the sisters' connections to Valerie, where they got plenty of rest and enjoyed a luxurious breakfast.
Zenith, after getting dressed for the day, walked over to where Ash and Pine were talking. "Ash, you ready for your battle today?" She hugged her egg to her chest.
He pumped his fist into the air. "Is that even a question!? Of course I am!" He looked between Zenith's egg in her arms and the one Pine had also been holding. "When do you think those will hatch?"
Shadow perked up, revealing she was holding her own in one hand while she had her other hand on her hip. "They're pretty close to hatching, if my time as the Professor's assistant taught me anything. Within the next few days seems reasonable..."
"I'm so excited to see the little cutie that comes out," Zenith giggled. "I'm sure the young Eevee will be a darling!" She reached up to the golden and purple bracelet on her wrist- the one Ash gave her- and unintentionally smiled.
"Alright everybody!" Ash announced. "Let's get a move on! I've got a date- er, a battle- with destiny!"
"Pika!" Pikachu added determinedly.
The two of them raced out of the room. Crystal slowly shook her head as she glanced at Zenith. "Do you think he even knows where he's going?"
"I'm sure he doesn't have a clue," the other replied. "Well, let's go catch up with him on the off-chance he actually finds it."
Safe to say, that did not happen. Zenith caught up to him walking circles, waiting for the rest of the group to arrive before leading him the correct way to the building.
The energetic honey blonde was the first to arrive, though she noticed Sawyer outside, who smiled at waved at her and she did the same back. Then, easily opening the door and walking in like she owned the place- which wasn't the case, but she had been there her fair share of times upon Valerie's request- Zenith stepped onto the battlefield and found her way to the sidelines.
The room was beautiful, styled in a traditionally-Japanese way. Zenith enjoyed how fresh it smelled, likely due to being well-tended to by the Fairy-Types Valerie let inhabit there.
A minute or two later, a quartet of Furisode girls led the rest of the group in, and Zenith waved to her friends. Sawyer released his Treecko to watch the battle as he stepped up the stairs to the viewing platform.
The group, minus Ash, came over to stand with Zenith, though Serena tried her best to avoid the Champion as if she wasn't there.
"Hold on, where's Valerie?" Ash asked.
One of the ladies, named Kali, who was going to serve as the referee looked out across the field. "No need to rush these things," she stated. "The gym leader will be here shortly."
She wasn't wrong, as a moment later, the room went dark. Then, glowing panels around the room appeared and began turning into petals. "This is exactly how a designer's gym should look," Sawyer mused in awe.
The rest of the group oohed and ahhed the scenery, while Zenith watched with a serene look on her face, enjoying the peaceful atmosphere.
Finally, a figure appeared across from Ash, levitating into the air. "It's her," he breathed.
Valerie was in her normal attire, long pink kimono and wing-like bow in her hair on. She stepped forward gracefully, softly, without a word.
"The time has finally come! Valerie, the Laverre gym leader, is making her entrance!" Kali announced. Valerie bowed to Ash before speaking in her usual, pixie-like voice.
"I welcome you all to my gym! It's great to see some familiar faces of my friends here," she gestured to the Sawyer siblings before turning to her challenger. "I believe your name is Ash, right? Zenith told me you would come here for a battle. How many gym badges do you have?"
"I have five of them," he informed her. "Right now," Ash added with a laugh. "After this, I'll have six gym badges!"
This caused Valerie to laugh herself, faint and gentle and true. "Such spirit! You're certainly confident, aren't you?" Her violet eyes narrowed, not threatening but in a playful challenge. "But I won't let you win that easily."
~
The fashion show went without a hitch, Sawyer lost to Valerie, and now Ash is facing her, too! Who will win? What's next? Stay tuned to find out!
Goodbye for now and stay safe,
Zenith
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Pokemon: The Queen of Kalos
Fantasy(Ash x OC) All is well for our heroes, Ash and his friends, continuing on their Kalos journey. However, after seeing a performance by the Kalos Queen and Champion Zenith, they can't seem to stop running into her. Eventually, they join forces as they...
