Chapter Text
Dec 3rd, 2025
To reach the pinnacle of perfection as a performer, you must sacrifice what it means to be authentically seen. You must become an object to be designed and dissected based on whatever society craves of you in the moment. And you must abandon control over your narrative to embody the character the world needs you to play. Otherwise, nothing of the core of you remains truly yours. Separating the public from the private is quintessential to surviving the trauma and loneliness that come with achieving greatness, as this is the ultimate price that one must pay to become the absolute best.
Nobody understood this sacrifice more than Serena D’Amour, the 25-year-old history-making Pokémon Performer from the tiny town of Vaniville in Southern Kalos.
Serena played the role of Serena D’Amour impeccably and with the precision of a surgeon. After all, she had well over a decade of experience existing within the public eye. Her public image and personality were expertly crafted and meticulously performed, allowing her to have the level of self-detachment that was required to be able to get whatever she needed to get done, done.
Serena had weaponised this lethal skillset as the managing co-founder of the Kalosian Entertainment and Research Academy (KERA). Under her direct tutelage, influence and power, the academy had become the most prestigious non-battling Pokémon academy in the entire world. Of all her personal achievements, this was the one that mattered to her the most.
Standing in front of the mirror, Serena felt an unbridled sense of satisfaction. Her luscious yet slender figure was draped in an immaculately tailored chocolate peplum coat, with the pop of a burgundy turtleneck peeking through the chest, and a stylish pair of navy blue dress pants with a Sylveon-themed accent pulling it all together. It was an outfit impeccably targeted to appeal to the specific tastes of the woman that she would be swindling this afternoon. Additionally, it was the perfect balance of refined, sexy, and weather appropriate, as Kalos headed into the winter season.
“And… finished!” Serena allowed herself to bask cheekily in her predetermined success. “Sylvie! What do you think? Am I looking fabulous or what?!”
Her beloved Sylveon, nestled on the velvet Kalosian canapé along her bedroom windowsill, cooed with approval as she wrapped her ribbons around Lolo, Serena’s Lopunny. Lopunny gave Serena a smug look that very much implied that she could not care less about Serena’s outfit. Lopunny had been a gift from her close friend and colleague Clemont Fontaine for maintaining her Kalos Queen title for three consecutive challenges. The Pokémon had no interest in Serena, but Sylvie adored her, so Serena figured if Sylvie was happy, that was all that mattered.
“Sylvie, stay snuggled with Lolo for now. I’ll be back later in the evening. Kiki, please be a doll and teleport me about 250 m from the academy's front driveway. I have a bonus to make,” Serena commanded.
Kirlia, Serena’s teleportation Pokémon, popped out of her Pokéball promptly, grabbing Serena’s hand as the two of them swiftly teleported out of her apartment and to the designated spot. Serena thanked the maiden Pokémon as she swiftly returned to her Pokéball. Serena always allowed herself a small walk to reach her victims. It gave her a chance to rerun the logistics of her operation and to make it look like she had made a substantial effort to meet them. Every little detail makes a difference to the KERA bottom line, and Serena was never someone who gave in halves.
As she paced down the driveway, she ran through the details of today’s guest of honour, Marianne Delacore. The purpose of Marianne’s visit to KERA was to establish whether KERA would be prestigious enough for her little poppets, twins Jerome and Isabella, who are currently 9 years old and ripe for enrolment in 2-3 years' time. She would have flown into Kalos via private jet from her lavish penthouse off the West Coast of Johto. She worked on behalf of her husband, who was the CEO of Johto’s largest telecommunications company, Delacorp. And most of all, Marianne belonged to the aristocracy of the upper echelon social classes, which meant that she was going to be an insufferable, apathetic bitch of a woman.
“Aaaaaah, Serena darling,” Marianne called out, as Serena glided over and embraced her target like an ethereal angel.
“That’s me!” Serena replied. “Welcome to KERA! It’s so lovely to finally meet you. We really appreciate you flying over.”
“Oh, it was nothing, but thank you!” Marriane replied as her eyes glazed down Serena’s body and took in the details of her outfit. “Your coat…” she pondered, “is it made of luxury Mareep from Johto?”
Serena locked in on Marianne, knowing she had picked this coat for this very reason. “You bet! I have all my clothing custom tailored.”
Marianne purred with approval before Serena continued. “The collar and cuffs have been added. They’re hand-reared Mamoswine fur from the Alps off Snowbelle City. I also had the silhouette changed over to a peplum to, you know, really accentuate the figure.”
“Brilliant design choices, I must say,” Marianne declared, giving Serena the tick of approval. This was a great early win. Serena now knew that egotistical flattery struck the right chord. She could comfortably play the card she was about to play.
“Yes, well, when you’re the only performer in history to have ever held the Kalos Queen and Top Coordinator titles at the same time, you have to look the part.”
“Of course, my dear... Of course!” Marianne responded with approval at Serena’s gloating.
“And you two must be Jerome and Isabella!” Serena beamed with a playful, childlike cadence as she introduced herself. “My name is Serena, and I’m very excited to show you around my academy this afternoon.” The children, feeling curious but sceptical, tucked themselves behind Marianne to use their mum as a personal shield.
“They’re a bit shy,” Marianne quietly said, stroking Jerome’s hair.
“Oh, it’s no problem,” Serena reassured. “New faces are always a little timid when they first get here. They’ll perk up in no time once they see what their future looks like.”
“Yes, well, I certainly hope so. KERA has a very prestigious reputation in our circles.”
Serena remained unfazed and confident. “I’m sure we do; now let me show you why…”
As they wandered towards the beating heart of KERA, Serena took the opportunity to gain an understanding of Marianne’s temperament, with a particular focus on her level of apathy. It was important for her to know which buttons to press, which to hold back, and whether Marianne had any sensitivities around the horrific beginnings that gave Serena the opportunity to become a co-founder of KERA in the first place. Luckily, Jerome and Isabella were running slightly ahead, likely to keep to their own company and not be a nuisance.
“Before we arrive on campus, I’ll give you a quick context refresher on our foundations. I’m sure you are across most of this, but it’s customary to fill in our guests on the weight behind the ethos of our operations,” Serena formally noted as she walked beside Marianne, who simply nodded in acknowledgement for Serena to continue. “It’s pretty simple. Back in the day, when the children of our world turned 10 years old, they hit up their local Pokémon lab, obtained a Pokémon licence and ventured off into the world to have a Pokémon adventure. Life was pretty great; kids and adults were independent, the money flowed, and everyone was fed and sheltered.”
“A much simpler time,” sighed Marianne.
“Very much so,” Serena stated in agreement. “Alas, nothing lasts forever. On Dec 10, 2019, our world was irrevocably changed forever, and this peaceful, stress-free world of ours vanished. Giratina, in a fit of confusion, broke free from the distortion world, creating a reality rift that unleashed mass economic, natural and scientific ramifications unlike anything the world had ever experienced. This resulted in the deaths of tens of thousands of children who got caught out by the changes to our reality.”
“Truly morbid stuff,” said Marianne, gazing out towards her children as they ran with their arms outstretched, taking in the fresh winter air.
“It was,” Serena replied, as she caught Marianne's eye and explained, “It’s not like we didn’t try to fix it. Even now, with the 6th Anniversary looming over us next week, no one has been able to work out exactly what happened. The Elite Special Forces were able to close the rift and banish Giratina, but the impact was immediately felt with deadly consequences. It forced all the regions to join together to a) work out exactly what elements of our reality were changed and b) rewrite all of our laws, scientific understandings, and core societal and monetary structures based on the new facts of reality.”
Serena took a moment to allow Marianne to take the information in. She herself hated talking about the day of The Rift, but it was an essential part of her role as a highly influential person who had to embody strength at all times.
“Unfortunately, rebuilding society takes time. So, as the governments tried to figure things out, citizens fell into mass hysteria, causing an upswing in violence, looting and unnecessary death until things were brought back in order.”
“Ahh yes, well at least we didn’t have to deal with any of that rubbish in our circles, living in an exclusive gated community and all,” Marianne replied, completely unbothered.
Serena felt her body stiffen with rage. She placed her hands behind her back as she walked along, shifting all of her focus into the sharp twitches as she pinched herself until the rage subsided. It was vital that Serena stayed in control of her authentic emotions around people like Marianne unless the removal of control was in order to force an apology down the line.
“That’s very fortunate for you,” she acknowledged, layering her tone with the perfect balance of sweetness and sarcasm to allow her disgust to only subconsciously sting.
“We did get the migraines though; god, they were awful!” Marianne complained before continuing with a level of tone deafness that Serena did not believe could be possible. “You know, Serena, my husband and I used to be able to pick up our favourite croissants from Lumiose City in the late afternoon and fly via private jet to the Alolan Archipelago to watch the sun set. Now, the trip takes nearly 5 hours, so it's not worth it!”
Comments like these were why Serena had no issues psychologically toying with these people and rorting them of as much money as possible.
“That must have been really hard for you,” Serena deadpanned with her signature smile so as to dampen its inflection.
“Did the world really change that much?” Young Jerome had overheard the conversation and decided to pipe up. Serena took a moment to adjust her tone and shift her language to his level.
“Yes, it really did, and not just with how you and I feel time goes by. The worst part was that all the boys and girls on Pokémon journeys lost all of their money, food and the things that they relied on. We tried to get to them, to save them, but time moved too slowly, and so they suffered the most. That is why we call this time in our history the Season of Suffering. To remind us that we must always prepare our children for the possibilities of the future.”
Isabella, eavesdropping beside Jerome, responded with an air of confusion that only a child who had not been old enough or poor enough to be impacted by the Season of Suffering would have. “I don’t get why they didn’t just pack the things they needed and take money with them?”
Serena could tell that she genuinely was curious. These kids were sheltered and privileged, so of course it wouldn't make sense to them.
“Because, Isabella,” she answered, “before the day of The Rift, if a boy or girl was on a Pokémon adventure and they needed something to eat, something to eat would appear. If they needed a picnic table, they could think of a picnic table, and it would be in front of them. And if they wanted to buy a treat, they would put their hand in their pocket, and the money needed to buy it would appear.”
The group wandered in silence, Marianne bored of the conversation, and the kids contemplating Serena’s words. Suddenly, Jerome turned and jumped in front of Serena excitedly.
“I get it!” he squealed, bouncing on his toes. “It’s like when I used to watch Daddy fishing. He would just have to stand at the water and… poof! A fishing rod would appear!”
“Exactly! But the world doesn’t work like that anymore, does it?” she softly replied. Jerome hesitated a moment before shaking his head in understanding. “So now we have to show boys and girls how to prepare for these things. How to make money to pay their way and how to take care of themselves when they travel so that they don’t have to suffer the same fate as the children before them.”
Isabella suddenly approached, and once both children were in front of her, she continued her explanation.
“That takes time now, doesn’t it? So the government changed the age that boys and girls can go on a Pokémon adventure to 16 instead of 10.” Serena shifted herself upright as the group arrived in front of a beautiful Kalosian building.
“That’s why your mum has brought you here, to plan and prepare you for your future so that when you turn 16, you will get to go on a Pokémon adventure.”
This seemed to perk the kids right up, as they raced into the KERA Rotunda, known by the students as the Centreway. Serena explained to Marianne the brief history of the initial design of KERA. The entire academy was constructed around this rotunda, a heritage-listed treasure of Kalos which once played host to a Kalosian archaeology university over 150 years ago. Serena had personally purchased this building and all the surrounding land alongside fellow KERA co-founders Aria LaRue and Palermo Dubé as part of a co-investment deal between the three of them and the Kalosian Government. Palermo already owned a chateau to the west of the rotunda, so it made sense to jump at the opportunity. The Kalosian government advised that they would approve all of their building permits, so long as the external aesthetics of any new buildings were in line with Kalosian heritage.
The Rotunda itself had an outer lining of classrooms used for theoretical coursework. These classrooms framed the central communal heart that held two separate levels: a ground-floor library full of books, laptops, desks and study areas, and the dining hall on the upper floor that held the main dining on campus. Isabella and Jerome begged Marianne to explore, and, to Serena’s relief, Marianne was happy for them to flounce about so long as they stayed within her view.
Serena wandered alongside Marianne as they explored the lower level. She observed Marianne gasp as her hand ran along one of the space's exquisite pillars, the golden filigree of fossil Pokémon dancing on her fingers. When Marianne was approached by one of the academy’s Abras, Serena explained that this squad of psychic Pokémon were chosen to be the masters of the educational rotunda so that students could receive assistance with their compulsory coursework via telekinesis. She made sure to highlight that KERA was unique in its approach to the Life Survival Efficiency and Financial Literacy e-learning units that are now required before obtaining a Pokémon license. Unlike other schools, KERA allowed students the individual ability to tailorise the e-learning amongst the 12 diplomas that KERA offers. This left Marianne highly impressed, as she had no interest in giving her precious children a template education that others could easily access.
Students stopped them to greet Serena and introduce themselves to Marianne, excited to be working on their business goals and diploma courses in the new year. She never chastised them for interrupting, as she wanted to show Marianne that she was admired, well known and competent in her presence and support. Wandering back towards a large marble staircase, Serena suddenly felt a tug on her coat.
“Serena, did I hear that there’s a chocolate fountain upstairs?” questioned Jerome, a look of delighted gluttony sprawling across his cheeks. Serena laughed, latching onto his enthusiasm to confirm that he was about to be a very happy boy.
“There sure is! Marianne, let’s head upstairs to the dining hall before Jerome bursts from overenthusiasm.”
No more information was needed. Jerome bolted towards the stairs with urgency as Marianne quickly scoured the library, spotting Isabella and signalling her prompt return.
Upon arrival, Serena nudged Jerome towards the chocolate fountain that served as the centrepiece of the buffet of snacks and refreshments along the back wall of the hall. Isabella beelined for a Slurpuff that was setting up cutlery along the tables to say hello. Like expected, Marianne was completely enamoured with the watercolour stained-glass dome ceiling of the dining hall.
“Heritage glasswork from the golden sands of Alola,” Serena charmed, “the stained patterning really adds a pop of elegance to the space.”
Marianne observed with delight, cooing and ahhing at the sheer elegance of the hall, the centre lined with rows of provincial dining chairs of emerald upholstery, tucked underneath lengthy Kalosian mahogany tables. Serena explained that the dining hall has the capacity to host up to 720 students at any given time, which is a smidge above the current student attendance, resulting in the space feeling cosy but not cramped. Students received lunch daily at 12pm, and there were ample snacks and treats available throughout the day for pick-me-ups. She was in the middle of deep diving into the international boarding student system when Marianne suddenly stopped dead in her tracks.
“Oh my goodness, it cannot be…” She gasped as Serena began to grin.
“Is your head chef… James Yamamoto?!”
The head chef bustling away in front of them, flanked by a wide range of expertly trained Kitchenmons, was, in fact, James Yamamoto. To Marianne, James Yamamoto was a prestigious master chef that was world-renowned for his unique spin on classic dishes and his uncanny ability to balance decadence and playfulness in his desserts. To Serena, he was a former member of the criminal organisation Team Rocket that chased her and her childhood friends around Kalos. Serena had raised quite a few eyebrows from the KERA academia faculty and staff who knew James in this particular light. She didn't care. She had three extremely valid reasons as to why he was essential for the Head Chef role, and over the past 4 years, all of them had been proven to make James worth his weight in cold hard cash.
First of all, Serena is a thorough believer in second chances. So when Jessilia, formerly known as Jessie of Team Rocket, approached Serena on the sly about work opportunities and mentioned that James had become a very renowned chef, Serena decided that the duo deserved an opportunity to redeem themselves.
The second reason was that James makes the most incredible desserts on the planet, and nothing motivates students more than a sweet treat at 3pm in the afternoon. She knew this because she attended Professor Sycamore's Summer Pokémon Camp when she was a kid, and James, in the middle of yet another ridiculous Team Rocket scheme, was working as the head chef in disguise. The desserts she ate at that camp were some of the best she’s ever eaten in her life. That alone was enough to hire him.
But the third reason is where he really made his coin at the academy, and that reason was simple: sexually unsatisfied middle-aged mothers. Anytime Serena did a tour of KERA for an investor that happened to be a middle-aged woman, they frothed harder over James than any other single thing in the place. They all knew the same legendary tale: a prolific socialite from the wealthiest gated community in Hoenn hired James for an exorbitant sum. He was to be her personal chef for two glorious weeks during her post-divorce summer vacation. Euphoric after tasting the most decadent white chocolate mousse of her life, the socialite found herself wandering into his sleeping quarters in nothing but her panties, discovering that the chef had a penchant for tasting all sorts of sweet treats both in and out of the kitchen. The result of this recipe of events: James delivering her the single most pleasurable and exhausting night of her life. James vehemently denies this tale any time the academia faculty bring it up (which they do… a lot), but that hasn’t stopped it from spreading to every female investor looking for a bit of action on the side of their marriage. Alas, whilst others see this tale as merely a joke, Serena saw a very useful opportunity laid out for her to utilise.
“Yes, that is the one and only James Yamamoto.” Serena gloated, watching Marianne move closer and closer to the glass panel separating the two spaces.
“How on earth did you manage to snag one of the world's most exclusive chefs to be a student chef of all things?” Marianne asked, completely enamoured.
“Oh, James and I go wayyy back. I sent him an offer that he couldn’t refuse,” said Serena seductively, encouraging the woman to lean into her infatuation.
Marianne lusciously drawled, “And you have a viewing window… my gosh… I could just watch him work all day…”
James looked up from his prep work, observing the two women in front of him. Marianne stood in a trance, frothing over his broad shoulders that were beautifully framed by his custom silk chef's coat. The plum colouring perfectly paired with his long, lilac hair and his otherworldly cerulean green eyes. He was fit, relatively tall, and carried the Kantonian genetics of youth, barely looking a day past 35 despite being in his early 40s. He turned his gaze directly onto Serena, who wasted no time commanding him with the subtlest of smirks.
You know what to do.
James gave a subtle nod towards Serena and, as instructed, proceeded to knead Marianne’s hormones like a ball of cookie dough. He began by rolling his head to stretch his neck upwards before arching his back to open up his chest and highlight his muscular torso. He then ran one hand through his hair slowly whilst he teased the other along the top of his chest and neck until his index finger found its way into his mouth. Once he was primed and in position, he swiftly pulled his hair out of its ponytail, giving it a light tussle, before rolling his tongue around his finger with the delicacy and sensuality of foreplay. Marianne, completely transfixed within the fantasy, was slightly moaning, her hands slowly rolling down her chest, oblivious to the extent of her arousal on display. Serena had to give it to him… he was very good.
Serena figured she should probably pull Marianne back into the land of the living before she slipped over herself. Placing a hand lightly on her shoulder, she whispered delectably into the thirsty woman's ear, “James is used to investors stopping by, Marianne. It’s part of the charm for him to have an audience. But we really should let him get back to work... After all, we can’t have our head chef distracted by two beautiful women for too long now, can we...?”
Marianne was so far gone in her lustful thoughts that it took her a good few seconds for her to realise that she had zoned out. She quickly regained her composure as she highlighted that yes, they should get going, especially given the kids were around. Serena steered her back the way they came as Marianne muttered amorously to herself about how much of a catch James was… for the school, of course. All of her neighbours would be hearing about this. Serena turned back around to find James laughing at the two of them. She cocked her head to the side and rolled her eyes.
You enjoyed that way too much…
He shrugged his shoulders, claiming innocence.
Did I?
She raised her eyebrows. He caved, letting out a small, cheeky smile.
Maybe a little…
They both quietly chuckled before Serena's expression turned bossy as she commanded him once again.
Get back to work.
He just continued to laugh at her, tying his hair back up and proceeding with his food prep, knowing that she would find a way to compensate him for his contributions to the academy bottom line later.
By the time she got back to Marianne and the kids, Marianne was still fawning. She contemplated whether she should just ask Marianne for the money and endorsement now and be done with it, but where would be the fun in that?
The next stop on their grand tour was to a unique building called the Creative Castle. It was a few minutes east of the Centreway and played host to the Pokévision Dance Atelier, the Photography Studios, and the Seamstress Sunroom. Designed to mimic a gothic Kalosian manoir from the 19th century, the Creative Castle exuded a magical charm and seductive whimsy.
“OK!” Serena excitedly flagged to the kids once they reached the castle, “We have 15 minutes per level to scoop out this super groovy castle. On the lower level is everything to do with dancing, filming and editing Pokévision videos. The middle level is all things photography – so think portrait studios, dark rooms, and all that cool stuff. Then the top floor is all about fashion, where Pokémon and designers work together to make super awesome clothing lines. So go nuts, and your mum and I will come and find you when it’s time to go!”
Jerome and Isabella’s brains were on fire at the announcement of these activities as they beelined into the castle, joyous and full of energy. Marianne had a few questions for Serena about Pokévision as they wandered the lower floor, which Serena explained in great technical detail. She was in the middle of showing Marianne one of the circular editing suites when a tall, grandiose bundle of joy bounced in and hung his arm over Serena’s shoulders.
“Yo! Sup, girly pop!” Tierno teased, “So cute of you to visit me.”
Serena pressed her heel into his left foot, turned away from Marianne’s eyeline and plastered the most passive-aggressive grin she could muster. “Tierno, this is Marianne, a potential investor that I’m showing around.”
Tierno laughed and took his arm off Serena’s shoulder as he turned towards Marianne to introduce himself. “I jest! You must be Jerome’s mum. I’m Monsieur Tierno Leroy, the department head here at the Pokévision Atelier. Jerome’s having a ripper time in the dance studio hanging with the Studiomons if you wanna check ‘em out.”
Marianne thanked Tierno, advising that she should probably keep an eye on Jerome, whilst giving the two of them a very curious look as she headed off.
“Girly pop… really?” Serena flamed, shooting her eyebrows up in disapproval, “You’re something else, Tee…”
“You bet I am! Nini’s been staying with me all week, and when you have a beautiful girl to wake up next to, everything is just… golden,” he divulged, making Serena roll her eyes.
Serena has been friends with Tierno for quite some time. They met as children and reconnected in their late teens when they were both high-status celebrities, often relying on each other to get through insufferable soirees. He was creative and warm and brought out her inner sass, so he sat nicely towards the upper middle of her complex hierarchy around friendship.
“Seems like things are going very well with you two then? I’m sure I’ll hear all about it tonight at girls' night,” she mentioned off the cuff as they began to wander back towards the hip hop rehearsals at the end of the castle.
“Remind me, why did we pair girls' night and boys' night together again?” he complained.
Serena gave him a suspicious look, sensing he might be up to trouble. “What’s interesting, Tee, is how you have never shown an iota of interest in girls' night until your girlfriend was invited.”
Tierno looked around to make sure no one was in earshot.
“If she says anything about my umm… performance, you’ll come and let me know, right? I wanna make sure she’s happy,” he whispered.
Typical Tee, always thinking about one thing and one thing only.
“Honestly, I’ll just be smashing down pechabrew shots and minding my own business,” she quipped, “but sure, if she drops any inside scoops in that department, I’ll give you some pointers.”
“You’re a real one! Thanks, Serena!” he said as he gave her a warm hug and headed back over to make sure the students were hitting their marks.
Serena hadn’t seen Marianne around, so she figured she would duck up to the Photography Studios. She wandered down the hallways past the various empty portrait setups, portfolio rooms and collaborative areas to find Marianne staring up at a massive photo of a shiny Litleo sunbathing in the Poké Pelago. A warm hand landed on her shoulder as a gorgeous man with diamond grey eyes, long flaming hair and a sage green tailored suit beamed towards her. She nodded with approval before he walked up and stood beside Marianne.
“I see you’ve found a personal favourite in my shining stars collection… Hello! I’m Monsieur Trevor Vanderbilt, the department head of the Photography Studio.”
“Oh, Trevor, my goodness!” Marianne gushed with excitement, “I… I am a massive fan of your work! My husband has 3 pieces from your Safari Zone collection in his grand salon.”
Serena observed as Trevor delighted Marianne with immense wit and charm, seeing her slip straight back into her thirsty trance.
Trevor and Serena originally met as kids. When she became Kalos Queen, he took a photo of her mid-competition that was so beautiful that she asked if he would work for her as her personal editorial photographer, and the rest was history. For Serena, there was no other suitable candidate to take the helm of the Photography Studios other than Trevor, as no one could capture the raw, sparkling essence of a person or Pokémon quite like he could.
“Serena darling!” Trevor called out, approaching her as if she were a brand new addition to the room, “I am going to steal this divine woman off your hands if you don’t mind. The studio is nice and quiet today as the students are all out on their final assessment fieldwork, so I’d love to have a chance to get to know Marianne and see how we can help her little ones with their futures.”
Marianne, blushing profusely in the background, gave Serena a stern nod, advising her to leave the two of them alone to kindle. Serena smiled as she wished them well, quickly mentioning to Trevor on the side that he should show Marianne the Eeveelution collection, as she had remembered that he had a spare Sylveon portrait lying around. He gave her a wink of understanding.
I’m getting 10%, right?
Serena shot him a cute smile, then immediately paired it with ironclad eyes.
I adore you, but you’re only getting 5%.
He chuckled, placing an arm around Marianne's waist. Poor Marianne, so thirsty, so unaware that she was not remotely Trevor's type.
Serena took this moment of solitude to herself to mentally jot down the pieces she had set up, the key points left in the tour, and the unfortunate, inevitable conversation that she was expecting to arise soon.
She arrived on the top level of the castle as the fashion students dashed around the Seamstress Sunroom in an absolute flurry, preparing their runway lines and costumes for the performance assessments tomorrow. The Seamstress Sunroom was quite possibly the most colourful and chaotic department of the whole academy. Visual references, fabric drapings and mannequins scattered all over the place. Scores of Pokémon were fluttering about, assisting their designer partners and volunteering as mannequins for collections. She noticed Madame Valerie Abadie kneeling at the end of a faux runway, rapidly fixing up the neckline of a contest dress for a Gothita. Walking towards the beauty, Serena spotted Isabella next to her out of the corner of her eye, snuggled into Valerie’s Sylveon whilst eagerly exploring fabrics. Isabella must have informed Valerie of Serena’s arrival, as the elegant beauty looked up, her eyes gleaming as she landed her gaze on Serena’s dress pants.
“You’re pants! Aren’t they from our very first collaborative collection all the way back in 2014?” Valerie exclaimed. Of course Valerie would pick this detail up. She was the best designer in all of Kalos for a reason.
“You have a good eye,” Serena professed. “Isabella here is obsessed with Sylveon, so I thought they were most appropriate for the occasion.”
Valerie’s eyes sparkled as the pieces clicked, giving Serena a small, approving smirk.
“That’s a nice touch, Serena.”
“Thanks, Val! You know me too well. How are the collections for the runway assessments tomorrow?”
Valerie quickly ushered a student over to collect the Gothita she was working on before hopping up, placing a hand on her hip, and staring out at the madness of the workspace. “It’s been a very strong year – we’re going to have some serious competition with this crop of grads,” she stated, walking Serena through the chaos of fittings and last-minute adjustments. “They’re seriously good designers.”
As the women found themselves chit-chatting about Valerie’s excitement to return to her Laverre City Studio over the winter break, Serena felt a little hand tugging hers with enthusiasm.
“Check it out, Serena, I got to make a bow!” gushed the little girl, elated with her impromptu DIY project.
“Isabella! How cute! You are matching with my Sylveon pants now,” replied Serena, as she watched the young girl finally connect the dots and beam at the revelation. Noticing Marianne across the hallway clearly ready to head to their next destination, Serena placed the bow in Isabella’s hair before ushering her over to her mum, making sure to blow Valerie a kiss goodbye on her way out.
The KERA rose gardens spread vast and beautiful along the northern pathway between the Creative Castle and the Science and Research Facility. Adorned with a range of ornate hedgework and rose varieties, the gardens were lovingly tended by Groundskeeper Ramos’ flock of Sunflora. The kids were completely invigorated by their time in the castle, so it was the ideal pathway to give them a chance to burn a bit of extra energy.
“Well, Serena,” Marianne began, “we aren’t even halfway through yet, and it’s so obvious that so much thought has been put into the academia department heads.”
“Yes, well,” Serena comfortably gloated, “Every person here is someone that I have connected with across my career, either in a professional or personal manner. And we kept it relatively regional to Kalos so that people didn’t have to move too far away from their families, with a few exceptions, of course.”
Marianne nodded. “All the academia department heads live on campus, correct?”
“Yes,” Serena stated. "You see, the Academia Faculty Living Quarters are down the southern end of the academy. It’s a complex that I personally designed. Our apartments themselves are custom-built bedrooms, ensuites and creative spaces, and then the complex has multiple communal chests. These chests all contain a kitchen, lounge spaces, an outdoor terrace, bathroom facilities and a dining room.”
Marianne wandered over to a Sunflora trimming the hedgeline, giving the creature a light pet as it cooed. “It’s a very interesting concept…” she mulled with an air of suspicion.
Serena immediately sensed that Marianne had something bubbling under the surface that she was dying to bring up, and she had a gut feeling she knew exactly where this train of questioning was heading.
“It works well,” she highlighted with her usual enthusiastic charm. “You have your own space, but you always feel connected and part of the community. The only academia faculty that don’t live in the complex are the Stones, who came on the condition that they had their own private residence in the east; Aria, who has a private cottage in the south-east as she’s rarely on campus; James, who resides in the Kitchen Apartments that were designed for the head chef to have easy access to the kitchen quarters; and Palermo, who has her private chateau to the west.”
“Fascinating...” leered Marianne as she picked a blood-red rose off the hedge, exploring its perfume whilst looking up at Serena with smugness.
It became clear to Serena that she was about to, once again, participate in a game of wits. It did not matter who, or when, or where; no one could pass up the opportunity to dig their claws into the private inner workings of Serena D’Amour.
“I must say, Serena, your choice of staffing has me intrigued. One must wonder, have you connected all of these incredible talents together for the purpose of academics, or because every single one of them seems to be connected in some fashion to your beloved Lost Monarch…?”