i really wanna write serena i love her and i hv like. a specific personality for her as well as her dynamic with the rest.
even as a kid, shes the quiet one where people unfortunately labelled her as the ice queen. shes not snobby but she does hv a default expression where ppl might see her as haughty and intimidating--in reality, she just rarely talks and is the one who rather listens. she loved fashion. she loved rhyhorn races. she loved battling even the moment she had her first battle.
so fast forward to the kalos gang. initially she hesitated but then warmed up thanks to shaunas friendly behaviour. tierno is second friendliest while trevor is kinda scared of her. calem isnt afraid of her but serena gets a firsthand annoyance at how insistent he was to battle her constantly. it didnt help that she kept winning so his dissatisfaction only irritated her.
serenas icy personality slowly melted as she bonded with the gang. she still rarely talked bt she enjoyed the stories from shauna and the rest. even trevor started to initiate a conversation with her when theyre alone during one of the journeys. in time, serena started to talk more and more much to their joy.
however, all that changed after the disaster
her body was filled with scars. her right arm up to her shoulder had jagged lines that resembled flames that licked her and fangs that pierced through her skin. the lobe of her left ear had its skin partially missing due to the violent battle she had with yveltal (she then hid her left ear with long hair). it took nearly 2 years for her to recover physically and even then she had to live with the scars.
but thats not all.
the gang lost her trust. she became colder. she became quieter. she couldnt bear to look at shauna. she grew withdrawn with the rest, even tierno and trevor.
as with calem, she didnt even want to see or feel his presence.
it was his fault, after all. allowing shauna to join, risking all their lives and making serena go through hell alone. for someone who valued friends, he sure didnt see her as one.
serena was 16 when she started her journey. she was almost 17 when she almost lost her life. at 18, through intense therapy, she decided to retrain herself and her team to finally defeat diantha and claim the champion title. months before she became 19, she started to slowly forgive her friends and allowed them in her life again.
shauna, tierno, and trevor never gave up, to be honest. all those years, they reached out to her, contacted her. they celebrated her birthdays, and every celebration like christmas and tanabata (the latter being an event loved by serena). even when serena ignored their invitations, they sent cards and updates but at the same time gave her space when they realized it was too much.
calem took the worst brunt of trying to apologize to her.
he loved her.
in the worst timing of all, he realized he was in love with her.
he was too late and it was eating him alive.
they were neighbours but calem didnt even come back home due to the horrifying guilt that poisoned him.
he hadnt talked to her for 3 years. the last time he did, they were at the hospital. calem tried to talk but all he heard from serena was a raspy, weak, "go away."
she looked the other way when he heard her.
calem knew serena was the champion now. the first time he finally heard her was the news of her new title. he saw her on the big screen in lumiose city. her eyes dulled slightly compared to how they first met. her cheeks seemed a bit hollow. her scars were a grim reminder of his selfish mistake. but her face now had more colour than before.
calem fell to the ground in the middle of the city at the intense relief, guilt, heartbreak, and grief that he felt all at once.
he missed her so much. he hated himself for what hes done.
fast forward, serena and calem were now 20.
serena started to build back her confidence. she hated talking too much but her beauty did attract a modelling gig instead. thanks to dianthas influence, serena became an up-and-coming Model Champion. she still hid her scars and missing earlobe part but she was getting more confident in showing her face and Giving Face.
she started to revive her love for fashion.
in interviews, serena was slowly able to talk more about herself while not touching on the subject of the disaster 4 years ago. diantha really helped her in bringing the best out of herself especially in front of the public eye.
shes a skilled trainer still. her pokemon were just as hardened as her. serenas still intimidating. if anything, shes far more now. however, shes now loved and awed and idolized by people especially teenagers and young women. she had the grace of a mega froslass; serena was utterly gorgeous and elegant but in battles, she could be ruthless and unforgiving.
and as the final month rolled by in her 20th year, serena finally had the heart to face and talk to calem.
they were alone in the park of vaniville town. serena reached out first. calem couldnt remember anythng besides rushing to her all the way from lumiose.
they talked--SHE mostly talked. all these years, serena actually did most of talking. the first time they met. his indifference to the gang and her. his persistence and annoyance towards her strength. her annoyance and discomfort towards him. his foolish request on that day. the consequences of his actions. everything was laid out like the night sky that witnessed the two.
calem only listened. he sat on a swing next to her and listened. his eyes blurred. his heart hurt. his fists clenched around the swing chains, readying the irrefutable desire of serena never wanting to have anything to do with him ever again.
"I forgive you."
when calem first heard that, he thought he had gone mad.
when he looked to the side, his breath hitched sharply.
finally. finally, his eyes got to see hers.
calem was glad he didnt fall off the swing. however, he was too overwhelmed to stop himself from crying pitifully and apologozing to her over and over and over.
they were now 21.
serena continued her modelling gig and practiced her champion duties. meanwhile, calem started a small training center for newcoming trainers and at the same time battling strong, veteran or ace trainers to polish his battling skills. he was happy to be friends with serena but he did still want to battle her. he missed those too.
but most of all, he missed her a lot.
he still had feelings for her. dearly. deeply. sickly.
but calem decided to tuck those feelings away first. serena did forgive him, after all. shes slowly opening up to him and now even talked a lot whenever they hang out. he wouldnt dare to ruin his precious he had with her. not again.
at the dawn of the new year in their 21 years of life, theyre friends again.
serena was growing more comfortable with him and trusted him to be her no-nonsense self. calem relished on the time they had together as his love for her echoed in his heart at every single beat.
serena was a beautiful, amazing, forgiving trainer.
that is, until she learned that lysandre was alive
