Love in the Time of Tomorrow

Chapter 18: A Siege

Here begins the climax of this fic, and of the Ancienverse. There's a been a lot of work put into this one, so I hope you enjoy the riveting ride. Let's read Chapter 18!

Chapter 18

A Siege

Knock knock.

Serena jolted awake at the loud noise of knuckles rapping on the door. Sitting up abruptly and feeling the blood rush to her head, she realized that she'd hardly noticed herself having fallen asleep at all. There was the sound of water running in the room, that of a shower in the connected bathroom, and Serena rubbed at her temples. There was another knock at the door.

"Just a second!" the honey blonde called up, moving to stand and collect her blouse from the floor. Right next to them were Ash's pair of pants, something she also picked up and folded, bringing it over to the closed bathroom door and slipping them inside. That done, Serena slipped her blouse back on, making sure it didn't look too disheveled. As she strode back to the door, Serena's gaze slipped out of the window, high in the air and looking out over the city, the signs of preparatory activity and a mass exodus evident from sight. She sighed; it had been a long two days. Running a hand through her hair, Serena turned away from the window, smoothed her skirt and opened the door, revealing Astrid, hand raised, as if about to knock again.

"I was starting to wonder if you'd ever wake up," the blonde said, her tone stiff and rigid. Serena smiled apologetically as she let Astrid into the room. The water shut off.

"I fell asleep...must have needed the rest after the last two days of work," she told her friend. Astrid nodded, walking forward into the hotel room and staring out through the large window, herself. Serena made to join her, adjusting her clothes a little more.

When they reached the window, both of the women were silent, though Serena felt she could detect Astrid's sense of determination as the dawn rose over Ancien City. The honey blonde looked out, getting a glimpse of the large city that was before them. They had spent all of the last couple days, since their meeting at the League Hub, moving the civilians to the castle and the cellars beneath, per Aston's orders. On top of it, they also planned other protection measures, with the scientists putting their heads together to find a way to protect the castle, though struggling to find something peerless. Not to mention, people like Ash were taking the time to contact those who held their Pokémon, summoning them there for the battle in droves. In that time, numerous others had joined up, flocking to the city where the battle would take place, all sensing with anticipation what would drop that morning. The Champions and other battle experts had all begun to craft their plans and strategies, and while Serena had begun to know them all by heart, it still left her uneasy and on edge.

Thankfully, Diantha had given them twelve hours of leave. While some spent their time working on fortifying the city, like Clemont and Korrina, others sought to have a bit more fun, or train themselves up for the upcoming battle. Ash had done a bit of both, but the woman standing next to her had poured all of her time into preparing for the upcoming battle. It certainly made her prickly in the now early morning hours.

"Astrid, is everything all right?" Serena spoke, reaching out and touching her shoulder. The blonde didn't react, continuing to stare at the city before heaving a sigh.

"He won't be battling today," she exhaled out tiredly. Serena knew in seconds who she was talking about. "I'll do my part, then, and take out the one who prevented that. It just...scares me, a bit."

"Yes," Serena said. She wasn't sure what else to say. She hadn't been particularly close with Rocky, but the loss of him on Mount Chimney had no less palpable of an effect, especially among the members of Team Nova. Not that that was any surprise, especially given their current position of Ancien City. Even with little Thea remaining at the League Hub with some sitters (a fact Serena found amusing in an almost dark sense), Christopher and Bethany were prepared for battle here in the city. "We're all scared, because these people want to destroy everything we've worked so hard to build; everything Rocky sacrificed himself for. They're willing to do whatever they need to in order to make that happen."