Hi guys, here is my new fic. Hope you like it. Um... not really any warnings I don't think. This fic basically follows Pokemon X/Y but with extra plots and things. Some language, some shipping, but not in this chapter, and nothing above a T rating. Constructive criticism is always welcome. Other than that, enjoy.

I do not own Pokemon.

Chapter 1: Princess Serena

"But Papa, I'm ready!" Princess Serena Gabena protested, following her father, holding up her skirt as she walked. She bit back her other protest but you promised!

Because that sounded childish, she was eighteen years old! Too old for something so immature.

And too old for her parents to use 'you're too young' as an excuse to stop her from going on her own Pokemon journey.

She was eighteen! Most kids went on their Pokemon journeys when they were twelve-fourteen! Some went as young as ten!

"I'll take Dame with me if that will make you feel any better," she wheedled, her father's fully evolved Delphox behind her trilled in agreement.

"My answer is still no Serena," her father said firmly, "you're my only heir and my baby girl, if something happened to you how would I go on living?"

Serena's heart softened, her father just cared for her too much, how could she be upset with him?

However... "I can't be your baby girl forever," Serena said gently, she stopped walking, "I'm going to have to grow up sometime."

Her father sighed and stopped too, turning to face her, "I know sweetie," he said in an equally soft voice, "but just not right now, maybe next year, wait until you're nineteen, it's a good age to go on a Pokemon journey."

Maybe next year!? Serena's anger returned full force and she nearly wept with frustration, he'd been saying that since she was ten years old! First it was "no ten is too young, eleven is a better age to go on a Pokemon journey." Which Serena hadn't liked but had understood and accepted, then it was, "no, eleven is too young, twelve is a better age." Then thirteen, then fourteen, then fifteen, sixteen, seventeen, eighteen now nineteen!

Serena ground her teeth together. She glared at her mother furiously for saying nothing even though Serena knew her mother was on her side, Grace had been winning Ryhorn racing competitions since she was Serena's age, it was how she and Serena's father had met. Serena had once wanted to take after her mother and be a Ryhorn racer but that dream had been squashed by her father when she was thirteen and had first been old enough to compete, he said it was too dangerous for a Princess.

But in return he had promised she would be allowed to go on her Pokemon journey when she turned fourteen! Obviously that had never happened. But this time Serena was done with broken promises!

"You said I could go on my journey once we settled into our new castle," Serena reminded her father, careful to keep her raging emotions out of her voice.

Guilt flashed across her father's face, "yes I know what I said Serena, but now I wish for you to listen to what I am saying now."

"You said that after you refused to allow me to leave when I was fourteen," said Serena, her voice trembled as she spoke, she took a deep breath before continuing, "you promised me then too!" Ugh, no good, her voice was rising, she hadn't meant to shout.

She could see even more guilt in her father's eyes, sadness too, Serena bit her lower lip, she didn't want to make her father sad!

"Serena! We just got this lovely Palace, why not enjoy the beautiful warmer months here with us and leave in the autumn when it's cooler? We can pick up this conversation then," Queen Grace interjected, seeing the distress in both of her most important people's faces.

Yeah, they'd pulled that one on her too, remembered Serena, the year before last when she'd been sixteen her mother had begged her to remain in the palace for the warmer seasons too, then when autumn had finally rolled round she and Serena's father had insisted that it was now to close to winter to go anywhere and she could not leave until the weather was warmer.

"I've heard that before!"

Her voice trembling Serena excused herself and walked away, she sat down on a stone bench and breathed deeply, trying to compose herself, crying won't get you anywhere, crying won't get you anywhere, crying won't get you anywhere, she chanted to herself, trying to stop herself from shaking.

Serena ran her hand over her face and sighed, what could she do? She might be eighteen but they were her parents, no meant no. Even though she was legally able to do as she liked they were still her parents, she would still be their daughter, she didn't want to fight with them.

But while she was legally be able to go on a Pokemon journey without their consent she was also be able to take the throne which her father wanted her to do once she was married. Serena's plan had been to find a nice man and marry so her line was secure as soon as she was eighteen, but she'd planned for all of this to happen after she'd been on her Pokemon journey.

But what could she do? It wasn't like she could just run away.

While the idea was appealing, she couldn't consider it, if something happened to Serena her father would be left without an heir, the King could not produce any more children, the nobility of the country would tear itself apart trying to take the throne, this wasn't just about her, this was about the people who were her responsibility.

Not to mention the terror she'd put her parents through.

But... How could Serena become a good Queen, the sort of Queen she wanted to be, if she just stayed inside her castle all day every day and never went out at all ever?

Once she was actually Queen it would be too late, she would never be able to leave for the amount of time it took. The amount of time needed to grow a bond with Pokemon and understand the creatures who shared this land with her people. The amount of time it took to visit each and every town and place. The amount of time it took to meet the people who would one day be her subjects and to see them, see what they needed as opposed to being a figurehead who stayed inside her castle all day with reports written on paper.

Serena chewed her lip thoughtfully.

Her father was not that well liked of a King, he never visited his people, he had never gone on a Pokemon journey and shown he had the compassion and brains necessary for that kind of undertaking. The people weren't sure they could depend on him, Serena wasn't stupid, she heard the whispers and she did not want the same things said about her.

She had to go, she had to. But not just for the people and Pokemon, for herself too.

But she was going to have to be careful about this, she could not let anything happen to her, for her country's sake, if not her own. I'll just be travelling around Kalos with Pokemon to protect me. What's the worst that could happen? She thought logically. Grimly Serena nodded and stood from the bench, okay, running away it was.

This, as Serena had thought earlier, had the potential to go very, very wrong. Heck, it was very, very wrong now, it would scare the life out of her parents and left open the possibility that she would be hurt, kidnapped or killed. This would definitely rank highest on the list of most selfish things Serena had ever done, but to her it also ranked highest on things she needed to do if she wanted to live with herself.

Serena waited patiently until after dinner, before the meal she was busy packing. She kept herself away from her parents, let them think she was still angry (which wasn't entirely untrue) but let herself be seen wandering the gardens and playing with the Pokemon who lived around court. These were things she normally did and Serena knew it was important to let herself be seen doing them so she did not arouse her parents' suspicion by immediately secluding herself in her room after their fight.

After dinner Serena actually did seclude herself in her room, she primly told her parents that she was tired and had a headache (emotional stress quite often gave Serena headaches as her parents well knew) and that she wished to retire early. Timidly her parents wished her a goodnight and Serena returned the wish hugging them both longer than usual, trying to pour every ounce of her love into the hugs. She would miss them, but it wasn't like it would be forever. Then she walked off towards her rooms, her father's Delphox in tow.

"I'm counting on you Dame," she whispered, handing the Pokemon a wig that looked remarkably like her own hair once Serena had freed it from the tie she wrapped around its ends.

Dame the Delphox trilled in agreement, taking the wig between her almost human-like hands. She might be the King's Pokemon but she was Serena's guardian, protector and friend for all her life and would do anything the young blonde asked of her.

Serena helped the Delphox climb into her bed and then settled the wig and sheets around her. Under the covers the Delfox looked enough like Serena's sleeping form that no one's suspicions would be aroused. Serena had absolutely no doubt her parents would send someone to check on her to make sure she was sleeping like she said she was and not doing exactly what she was really doing, but none of them would dare interrupt the Princess's sleep so Dame would be able to fool them for her.

She patted the Delphox's shoulder, "just until someone comes to check on me, okay?" She whispered. Dame trilled in agreement again but did it quietly. Serena smiled and kissed her furry cheek, "thank you. I love you and I'm going to miss you." Her throat closed slightly, she really was going to miss her parents too and already regretted the terror she would put them through. But she left a note with Dame and would write to them as she left each town to let them know she was okay.

Serena left.

The days were longer in these warm summer months and Serena had hoped to be well on her way to the neighbouring Aquacorde Town before it even began to get dark but as she walked through the streets of Vaniville Town she walked past a boy her own age with dark hair talking to a girl with pigtails her age or a year younger, the girl seemed to be complaining that they were 'one person short.'

"And I don't think there are any other kids who are interested in Vaniville!" The girl finished, her voice reaching a high-pitched whine.

The boy's eyes fell on Serena, "what about her? I don't remember you asking her."

The girl brightened, "I've never seen her before, maybe she doesn't live here. Or maybe she's new," she headed over to Serena.

The boy sighed, "Shauna I was not actually suggesting you walk up to a total stranger and ask them," he called after the pigtailed girl (who was apparently named Shauna), following her anyway, lacing his hands behind his head.

"Hiya!" The girl said, and Serena tensed involuntarily before remembering she had never been to Vaniville Town before and her father didn't allow paparazzi to take photos of the royal family, these two would never recognize her.

She relaxed, "hi."

"I haven't seen you here before, are you new?" Shauna asked, Serena wasn't short but she wasn't particularly tall either (5 feet, 7 inches) but this girl was at least seven inches shorter and peered up at her with huge grey eyes.

"Y-yes," stammered Serena, feeling briefly guilty for lying but hey, what had she expected? And what else could she do?

Besides, she was new here, that wasn't a lie.

The boy smiled, "then welcome to Vaniville Town! My name's Xavier, but everyone calls me X. That's my house there," he pointed at the house closest to the palace.

Huh, he was her neighbour. When he started talking his voice drew Serena's attention away from Shauna for the first time and she looked at him.

He was handsome, very handsome, actually. With dark hair that swung to his chin and was cut scruffily across his forehead. He was taller than Serena, maybe 5'9 or 5'10 and had gorgeous brown eyes darker than his hair.

Oh wow, Serena couldn't help but think. Then she mentally shook herself.

Shauna jumped slight drawing X and Serena's attention back to herself, "and I'm Shauna! Great to meet you~!" Her voice ended in a singing-like tune.

"N-nice to meet you too, I'm... Yvonne," not a lie either. Her middle name was Yvonne. Serena said shyly, smiling at Shauna and at X, she'd been staring at him, she realized, blushing slightly, she hoped he didn't notice. But, he'd been staring at her too. So it was okay.

Then again, maybe he'd been staring at her wondering why she was staring at him like a loon. Her cheeks pinked.

Shauna hesitated for a second before wondering if she was moving too quickly but didn't see any way to ask this in a more causal way.

"So, Yvonne, have you ever been on a Pokemon journey?" Shauna asked, her eyes bright and interested.

"N-no," said Serena, still shy and unsure of how to talk to people her own age, she hefted her bag, "I'm hoping to go now."

Serena thought Shauna's smile would split her face, "great! Us too!" She hesitated for a split second, "X and I are starting a journey at the same time as a couple of other friends, and the two of us are getting a Pokemon from Professor Sycamore, you know who that is?"

"Who doesn't?" Said Serena, intrigued by the mention of Kalos's greatest scientist -she'd heard he was handsome too- "that sounds great."

"But," Shauna bit her lip, her eyes and whole face were very expressive and Serena saw clearly when she filled with worry. "We're taking these Pokemon partly as a favour to the professor. We're supposed to raise them and document their progress on the Pokedexes he was going to give us but, we can't just take two Pokemon and leave the third behind. And we're not experienced enough to take two at once," X nodded, "so we need a third person." Shauna finished, "so... I know we barely know you but... would you consider taking the third Pokemon? You don't really have to do anything, you just need to raise the Pokemon the best you can, so... whaddaya say?" She finished in a rush.

Serena considered, she had planned on staying out of the spotlight and going on a Pokemon journey with a Pokedex and Pokemon from a famed professor was not staying under the radar. But... Serena hesitated, she really didn't want to let these two down, and... why not? She didn't have any Pokemon, it would be nice to start off with one.

"Please." Said X quietly.

Oh what the heck? Serena smiled, "sure."

Her adventure began.

Hope you enjoyed guys. Bye!