Serena (Pokémon the Series)

Serena (Japanese: セレナ) is the deuteragonist of Pokémon the Series: XY and XYZ. She is an aspiring Pokémon Performer and a former traveling companion to her childhood friend and crush, Ash Ketchum.
She is voiced by Mayuki Makiguchi in the Japanese version, and Haven Paschall in the English version of the anime.
==Appearance==
Serena has long honey hair (which she later cuts short) and blue eyes.
===XY003-XY060===
Serena's first main outfit in the anime consisted of a grayish-black tank-top with a white collar, a red double waist side buttons pleated skirt, a dark pink hat with a black bow and hatband, black stockings, and black shoes. However, unlike her game counterpart, she lacks the sunglasses, instead having the aforementioned bow on her hat, and the aforementioned collar is white instead of black as in the games.
===XY060-XYZ===
Serena's second main outfit in the anime consists of a light pink dress over a grayish-black tank-top with a white-collar. The dress is tied at the collar with a blue ribbon that Ash gave her in "Under the Pledging Tree!". Over her dress, she wears a long red vest with large pockets. She also wears black stockings and brown boots. On her head, she wears a pink-red fedora with a black hatband.
===Pokémon Journeys: The Series===
Serena's third and current main outfit so far in the anime consists of a sleeveless collared grayish-black shirt, a red skirt with white plaid lines, a gray hat with a black hatband, a red ribbon earring, a pink bracelet on her right wrist, black stockings, and long brown boots with a short heel. Her hair was tucked behind her ears.
It somewhat resembles her original outfit, except that her skirt is lower and she has a gray hat instead of the pink hat she had in the beginning of the XY series.
===Miscellaneous outfits===
*In Giving Chase at the Rhyhorn Race!, during her flashbacks that show her childhood with Ash, Serena wore a straw hat with a pink bow tied around it and a pink dress with pink shoes.
*In Battling at Full Volume!, Serena posed as Ash by wearing his clothing.
==Personality==
In the anime, during the first episode, Serena was very sassy and rebellious towards her own mother and formerly disliked Rhyhorn racing. However, she later proves herself to be very kind and polite, being able to get along with others pretty well and has shown concern for others (her friends).
Serena loves fashion and is particular about her appearance (she even adopted the habit of picking the outfit her mother won't choose) Serena is skilled in baking, making cookies or Poké Puffs for both her friends and the other Pokémon. She hates to get dirty, albeit wet or muddy.
One thing that shines about Serena's character is her deep affection towards Ash, ever since he helped her and guided her back to the campsite, even as the years passed since then, she still recognizes him (after watching him on television) and embarked on a journey to find him (returning the handkerchief) Serena admires his sense of determination and takes his advice to heart and often encourages him in his battles, she also blushes when looking at or talking to him. At the end of their journey before leaving for Hoenn, Serena ultimately musters up the courage to kiss Ash Ketchum while promising to become a more remarkable lady for him when they meet again.
Initially, Serena was uncertain of her goal but in Dreaming a Performer's Dream, she decided to become a top-class Pokémon Performer (with the title of Kalos Queen) and hoping to one day face-off against Aria (the current Kalos Queen).
== Overview ==
Serena is an aspiring Pokémon Performer and a former traveling companion to her childhood friend, Ash Ketchum.
She appears to have known Ash Ketchum before and have been childhood friends with him ever since. Serena met Ash at the time they attended Professor Oak's Pokémon summer camp in Pallet Town. During that time, she got lost in the middle of a forest while trying to find her group.
Just then, a wild Poliwag jumped out of the bushes and scared her, causing her to fall on the ground and hurt her knee. Scared and upset, she called out for her mother for help. But moments later, Ash came out of the bushes calling for Poliwag. He was also wondering through the forest looking for the same Poliwag. While he was looking for it, he stumbled upon the young and frightened girl. Seeing how incredibly hurt she is, he bandages her knee up with his clean, blue handkerchief.
Then, he lent her his hand, encouraging her to not give up till it's over, and helped her stand up on her feet. After that, he escorted her back to the campsite. Ever since their first encounter, Serena developed romantic feelings for him and she kept the handkerchief as a reminder of the day she first met Ash.
==Pokémon==
On Hand:
*Fennekin → Braixen → Delphox ♀.
*Pancham ♂.
*Eevee → Sylveon ♀.
Temporary:
*Rhyhorn (Diancie and the Cocoon of Destruction and A Race for Home!).
*Skiddo (A Race for Home!).
*Goomy (One for the Goomy!).
*Frogadier ♂ (So You're Having a Bad Day!).
*Chespin ♂ (So You're Having a Bad Day!).
*Mamoswine (Over the Mountain of Snow!).
*Pikachu ♂ (Battling at Full Volume!).
*Talonflame (Volcanion and the Mechanical Marvel).
Befriended:
*Fletchling
*Rhyhorn
==Trivia==
*Serena is the only female traveling companion to have a canonical crush on Ash, and also the first female companion to kiss Ash. Interestingly, she is the first one to know him before the start of the series. Whenever it has been openly discussed with her by another character, rather than attempting to deny it, Serena instead blushes and acts embarrassed.
**She is also the only female traveling companion who has never gotten into an argument with Ash on a regular basis and/or was easily irritated by his actions. 
***Misty, May and Iris have all been easily irritated by Ash's recklessness and have frequently argued with him during their respective travels. 
****Dawn can sometimes be irritated by Ash's recklessness and has argued with him as well. However, like Serena, Dawn also had extraordinary appreciation for Ash and is never judgmental of him. Thus (for the most part), Dawn tries her best to conceal her temper as opposed to showing it.
***The only time both Ash and Serena ever argued was in Seeing the Forest for the Trees!, but it was over a serious matter instead of childish matters. Furthermore, even when Serena angrily lashed back and threw a couple of snowballs at Ash in an attempt to knock some sense into him, her tone of voice was still more assertive than aggressive.
*Serena took the longest time to officially join the main cast since the start of the series, which is seven episodes.
*Serena shares some characteristics with Dawn from the Diamond and Pearl series:
**Their starter Pokémon defended them from wild Bug-type Pokémon (Piplup defended Dawn from Ariados and Fennekin defended Serena from Vespiquen).
**They both become renowned through media (The Wallace Cup for Dawn and PokéVision and Showcases for Serena).
**They both had a large number of rivals in their professions for the top spot.
**Since the beginning (especially when they first meet), they both had great admiration for Ash and his actions out of love for Pokémon (when Ash rescued Pikachu by climbing one of Team Rocket's mecha for Dawn and when he helped an agitated Garchomp on Prism Tower on live TV for Serena), and the two are never judgmental of and very kind to him, even going as far as always believing in Ash to win his battles.
***However, the only difference is that Serena has canonical romantic feelings for Ash while Dawn was simply good friends with him.
*Serena is the second main character in the anime series to keep her Japanese name, the first being Iris.
*Unlike Ash's other female-traveling companions, she was personally invited by him to join. She was also the only one to not get shocked by his Pikachu (nor does she own a bike).
*Serena's physical change later in the series reflects the Japanese tradition involving women cutting their hair short to signify their new-found resolve.
**It may also be a reference to how the XY games are the first-time players can customize their character.
*Serena's Pancham is the only Pokémon she has that is a male. Also, her Sylveon is the very first Pokémon owned by the main character to be a pure Fairy-Type (not counting Clemont's Dedenne which is a dual Fairy/Electric-type).
==External Links==
*Serena on the Pokémon Wiki
*Serena at Bulbapedia
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