"Hello, excuse me—would you happen to know if there's a Pokémon Center nearby?"
Serena, holding Fennekin in her arms, approached the figure she had just spotted.
That figure turned around upon hearing her voice.
In truth—this was not a person at all.
It was a Vespiquen.
A rare sight indeed, and Serena had stumbled upon one by sheer luck.
Vespiquen had been sipping tree sap under a large tree, and upon hearing someone approach, turned her head curiously.
For a rookie Trainer like Serena, suddenly realizing the "person" she thought she saw was actually a huge bee Pokémon was quite a shock.
She let out a loud scream and fell straight to the ground.
The hat perched on her head flew off during the fall.
Originally, Vespiquen had no intention of attacking.
But Serena's loud scream startled her, and she reacted purely on instinct—
Poison Sting!
Though not particularly powerful, if it hit a human with a weak constitution, the poison could cause severe discomfort or even unconsciousness.
Serena was completely defenseless on the ground, and the Poison Sting was just about to hit her—
When, at the last second, the little Fennekin in her arms bravely leapt forward, took a deep breath, and unleashed a burst of Ember!
The fiery attack incinerated the incoming Poison Stings.
Vespiquen, naturally wary of fire, realized the attack had been an instinctive mistake and chose not to continue the fight.
Fennekin scrunched her tiny nose in an adorable huff, then trotted over to pick up Serena's fallen hat in her mouth and offer it back.
"Ah! Fennekin, thank you! You just saved me—you're amazing!"
Serena beamed at her partner, proud of her choice.
Hehe… Fennekin was actually pretty impressive.
"Is everything alright? I thought I heard someone scream."
Just then, Nurse Joy's voice came from behind.
After a short conversation, Serena learned there was indeed a Pokémon Center not far ahead.
Finally, she could relax—no need to camp out in the forest on her very first day of traveling…
The Next Morning
Ash and his friends set out early.
Santalune City wasn't far from Lumiose City to begin with, so by late morning, the three of them were already stepping into the city.
"Hahaha, we made it—Santalune City!"
"Pika!"
Santalune Gym would be his first official Kalos Gym challenge.
The Gyms in Kalos worked a bit differently compared to other regions—
there was a recommended order for tackling them.
Santalune Gym was the suggested starting point, since its Leader, Viola, didn't use particularly high-level Pokémon.
One of a Gym Leader's purposes was to help new Trainers—those still uncertain of their path—find their direction.
This suited Ash perfectly.
Both Froakie and Fletchling were still freshly caught, with plenty of room to grow alongside him.
"Ash, slow down! Do you even know where Santalune Gym is?"
Ash was jogging ahead, Bonnie bouncing along effortlessly, but Clemont—burdened with his bulky invention-packed backpack—lagged behind.
In the original storyline, Ash would just charge in without hesitation—
living by the motto, "We'll figure it out when we get there."
A fine approach every once in a while, but not every time.
"Of course I know! Come on, follow me!"
"Pika!"
Click!
The sound of a camera shutter came from near a pond up ahead.
Ash had already recognized the girl—
Viola, Leader of Santalune Gym.
A young woman with pale-gold hair and a passion for photography.
"Thanks—you just gave me a great shot. If you're heading to Santalune Gym, I can take you there. Without me, you wouldn't even be able to get inside."
Her tone carried a playful lilt. Clemont and Bonnie looked confused, but Ash nodded.
"Then I'll trouble you, Miss Viola."
Viola?
So this was the Santalune Gym Leader, Viola?
Clemont and Bonnie finally realized.
"Aha, you recognized me. My sister already told me about you, Ash. When I saw the Pikachu on your shoulder, I knew it was you. Didn't think you'd recognize me too. Come on, I'll take you to the Gym."
Viola didn't mind being recognized at all. After introducing herself, she led the way.
Her sister, Alexa, had already mentioned Ash to her, so Viola naturally knew who he was.
Santalune Gym sat in the heart of the city.
Viola specialized in Bug-type Pokémon, and her philosophy made her Gym a popular first stop for new Trainers.
Meanwhile
Serena had set out at dawn, reaching Santalune by midmorning.
Her first stop was the Pokémon Center, where she learned the location of the Gym—
and immediately made her way there.
She had just reached the front gates when she spotted four people approaching from the distance.
Her heart tightened. She was about to see Ash again.
Would he… still remember her?
With that thought, she quickened her pace.
At the Gym entrance stood another girl, a Helioptile perched on her shoulder.
This was Alexa, Viola's sister.
"Oh? Looks like you two have already met. Perfect timing for me to arrive. Ash, you don't mind if I take a few photos while you challenge my sister's Gym and publish them, right?"
Alexa winked at him.
"Of course not."
Ash replied without hesitation.
Viola had already unlocked the Gym doors, and Ash stepped inside—
Ding!
["Congratulations, Host—successfully arrived at Santalune Gym. Beginning sign-in…"]
["Ding! Sign-in successful. Rewards are being distributed…"]
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T/N:
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