Listen to the wind

Chapter 1: Whisper

Serena loved hoenn. Vivid skies, deep seas, the whispering wind- This was where she had finally found her dream, maybe even better than performing- just maybe. Coordinating had helped her improve her battling while still trying to look beautiful, meet some very useful friends, find role models, and most of all- take it off her mind that Ash was gone. 

She wasn't denying she missed him. She'd already told him how she felt, through a kiss- not exactly on the lips, but it was a start. Bad move. She missed him even more after that. She spent most of her free time now wondering if he remembered her, if he had gotten a girlfriend in Alola. But there were some other males that could take her mind off him.

Clemont had come to visit Bonnie and Max, both young, talented coordinators. He wasn't exactly happy that Bonnie had chosen coordinating, she guessed he wanted her to succeed him as gym leader one day. He'd only been for a short while, and Serena didn't even meet him, but she still missed him just as much as she missed Ash. 

And then there was Drew. Serena didn't like him at first. Drew was cocky and arrogant and the opposite of Ash, who was fiery but milder and much less teasing. Drew was the thrill of victory. The name Drew didn't suit him at all.

Drew had told her about his troubles with May. He would go on about how good she was, how sweet and adventurous and kind she was. How he loved her and she loved him, their hearts on fire. Maybe this was what burning love was like, Serena had thought.

"But then she had to leave. She had to tell me she loved Ash, and then when he rejected her her world fell apart." He'd say afterward. Serena wondered if Ash would reject her. She hoped she would stay strong.

"She wanted me to look after her; I said no. I was angry. I shouldn't've been. She left my house and went to Brendan's and now she's dating him. You've got no idea how big a mistake I made, Serena."

Serena wished she could empathise, but she'd never been in a relationship before, or even a crush love triangle. Unless you count Miette, but then she was all teasing. She was sassy and a little mean but she was proud of it, and she knew when to stop. Miette only used him to tease her, because she was so unpopular herself. She was in a different region now.

Stop dwelling on the past! She told herself, giving herself a shake and stood up from the steps leading to Drew's home. This was her present, her future. She would be a coordinator of Hoenn and she would live here forever. Kalos was in the past, and so were bright, colourful days spent under the sun with her crush, a sister-like little blonde girl and a certain blonde-haired inventor.

"Serena!" Drew called. The green-haired boy stood in the doorway, a mug in his hand. "It's getting cold. Come in."

It didn't take much persuasion for her to move, it felt like her fingers were freezing off. Serena shivered as the door closed, letting in a final whisper of the breeze. She sat down on a beanbag.

"So, are you still going?" Drew said. He sat next to her, cross-legged on the floor, countless issues of Coordinators' Weekly spread in front of him.

"What do you mean?" Serena replied, though she knew what he meant. She had been trying to avoid the subject all day.

"Are you still going to Unova?"

"Yes." she replied, hesitating a little. "I want to take a break from coordinating." She leaned back and rested her head on the edge of the sofa and looked up at the ceiling. Coordinating wasn't the only ting she needed (and wanted) to take a break from. There was Hoenn, with its wild waves and blazing sun. All this natural beauty, but being a Kalosian girl at heart she missed the big city. There was Bonnie, who had recently gone to Unova and she wanted to pay her a visit. And there was Drew, who was perfect in every living way and she wanted to love, but he already had a girlfriend. Maybe she should say she wanted to take a break from him. She couldn't bare seeing him with May.

"Serena? Are you ok?" Drew gave her a little shake.

"Y-yeah, I'm fine. I guess I just zoned out." She was so lucky, being near to such a gorgeous boy. Taken, too- but that never bothered her.

"You know, you can go if you want, Serena."

"Really?" Her heartbeat quickened, but only slightly.

"Really. Do what you want. I'm not your dad, or your, you know, b- I mean, it's not like I own you. You're just living in my house, right?" He fingered his hair, and a strand of it fell onto the pale carpeted floor.

"Right." She sighed, but her whole body was trembling with excitement. She was going to go to Unova. She was going to travel to a different region. She was going to see Bonnie. She was happy; she should be, this was her dream come true again- the first was Hoenn. But, for some reason she wasn't as excited as she would have been a month ago.