An Alola Surprise!

Reforged Rivalry

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Ash's POV

Ash awoke in near complete darkness. Bundled in his blanket, his eyes roved, scanning the room for any indication of time. He listened for the monotonous ticking of a clock, but the rhythmic breaths of the slumbering girl below him met his ears instead. White post-dawn daylight fringed the heavy curtains to the top and sides. The air felt warmer, and soon Ash heard the sounds of muffled chatter from beyond his bedroom door.

He lifted his feet over the railing and stretched his limbs until they produced a string of satisfying cracks. With muted footfalls, he descended from the top bunk. Serena lay on her side, dark covers concealing all but her face. She looked to be having a pleasant dream. Ash smiled, replaying the conversation from the night before. Gazing at her, he realized she felt very different from the other companions he had journeyed with. Ash began to ruminate deeply as he slipped into his clothes when something else tickled his mind. A savory aroma wafted through shadowed slits in the periphery of the closed door. Ash smelled food.

When he got to the kitchen, the table was already laden with pointed silverware flanking plates of varying diameters, each bearing an assortment of greasy foods. Thin, crisp slices of bacon supported chunkier pieces that drooled oil onto the blue tablecloth. Piles of smoked sausages beside plates containing golden omelets and buttery french toast made Ash's mouth water with primal hunger. His legs pulled him towards the table, heedless of whatever obstacles stood in the way.

"Hey!" a voice whispered sharply. "What are you doing? We have to wait for Serena!"

With her arms folded, Bonnie held the final line of defense, past a trail of felled chairs and slumped bean bags. She threw her arms out perpendicular to her torso, apparently adamant on preserving the dishes that her brother had prepared. When Ash nevertheless staggered onwards, driven by his hunger-driven stupor, Bonnie cried for her brother. Beside her, a splash of yellow darted from a half-trampled bean bag towards the table.

"Food! Almost there..." Ash drooled.

He never made it to the table.

A fork of lighting contacted his rear, and arched up the length of his spine before exiting his mouth in a puff of charred smoke. His body met the ground. The fulmination had temporarily stolen much of his movement below the neck, and he could only crane his head. Perched on Bonnie's shoulder was Pikachu, fresh electricity flickering on its red cheeks.

"Pikachu didn't like how you kicked its bean bag earlier!" Bonnie stuck out her tongue.

She winked. "Thanks a bunch Pikachu!"

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Serena's POV

At the table, Serena fetched herself a plate, and forked an oily omelet on top of her bacon. The last time she had eaten felt like days ago. A cold heap of unseasoned rice could have crowned her plate and she would have still eaten it. Beside her, half of Bonnie's plate had already been cleared, and what remained was quickly being devoured. Serena assumed it would be fine to begin eating.

"How's the food?" Clemont asked as Serena finished munching on a strip of bacon.

"It reminds me how much I've missed your cooking," she admitted.

"Y-you really think so?"

"My brother's cooking is the best!" Bonnie boasted. "I had to make sure we had enough left for you when you arrived."