DISCLAIMER: I do not own Pokemon, Fruits Basket, or any of the other anime/manga that I write about

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Pokemon, Fruits Basket, or any of the other anime/manga that I write about. However;I do own my ideas, so please don't steal! Now, on with the story! (Note: the song Max sings at the end is part of 'Message of the Wind'.)


A New Voice; A New Song

Max was leafing through the photos Ash had brought back from his trip to Sinnoh. He, May, Brock, and Misty had invited Ash and his new friend, Dawn, to a get-together at the Twinleaf Town Pokecenter.

The guests of honor were yet to arrive, so Max and his sister busied themselves with the completion of Ash's gift; a scrapbook of his life since he left Pallet Town.

Max looked through the pictures that Brock had brought from Sinnoh. "What's this?" he asked the older boy.

"That's Piplup, Dawn's First Pokemon," Brock answered.

"And who's this?" Max held up a picture of a girl, about his age, with blue hair and eyes, and wearing a white hat. She was posing with a Buneary.

"That's Dawn. She's the girl who's been traveling with us this whole time.

"Oh, so this is the Piplup's trainer," Max set the two pictures down on the last page and taped them down.

"There, done!" He looked over at his sister, who nodded her consent.

"It looks great, you guys! What is it?"

"Ahhh!" Max almost fell over, trying to hide the scrapbook from view.

"Daijōbu, it'll be alright. Ash isn't here just yet, Piplup and I ran ahead!"

Max looked up at the new voice for the first time. She was the picture, come to life!

Dawn tucked her hair behind her ear, and reached out to help Max to his feet. "So, is this a gift for Ash?"

"Uh, yea. Misty, May, and I have been working on it for a while. Do you think he'll like it?"

"I know I do. Ash should too!" Dawn smiled at the bespecticled boy.

Max blushed, and looked down at his feet, "It's not that good…"

The door to the Pokecenter opened, and Ash walked in, with Pikachu on one shoulder. "Hey guys! What's up?"

"Hey, Ash! Long time, no see!" Misty walked over to her old friend and presented the book to him. "May, Max, and I used the pictures Brock took to make this for you."

"Thanks you guys! Oh, and this is Dawn. She's been traveling with Brock and I through Sinnoh."

Everyone exchanged hellos, as Ash opened up the scrapbook.

"Oh, I remember this," he said, pointing at a photo of the Indigo Plateu.

"Yea! That was right before you entered the Pokemon Leauge. You were scared to death!" Misty smiled.

"I was not. I was just-"

"Hey what's this one of?" May asked, pointing to an almost-blank picture, with a Pikachu in one corner, and the rest filled with yellow light.

"Oh, that's when Ash first met Pikachu. Let's just say it was a shocking expierence-"

"That's enough about Kanto," Ash said glaring at Brock, "And enough with the lame puns. Let's show them some pictures from Sinnoh."

Misty flipped to the back of the book. The six friends leafed through pictures of Dawn's first contest, Ash's first Sinnoh gym battle, Proffessor Elm, Zoey, and all of their other Sinnoh friends.

"Wow! You guys have done so much! I wish we could come with you! Can we May?"

"No, we have things to do still back at home, remember?"

Max sighed, "Yea, you're right…I just wish we could see new places once in a while…"

The clock on the wall chimed that it was nine-thirty.

Misty yawned, "Well, it's been a long day. I'm off to bed."

"Me too," May said as she got up to follow the older girl. As she passed her little brother, she kneeled down next to him and whispered, "Maybe when you're older…," She stood up again, "'Night, everyone!"

0o0o0o0o0

When everyone had gone to bed, Ash pulled out his scrabook, again. He smiled, as he revisited memories of his friends. Then one picture caught his eye…

0o0o0o0o0

Max crept out of bed and down the hall. Moonlight filtered through the large windows of the foyer. He was gazing out over the silver lawn, when he felt someone walk up next to him.

"Hey Max, what are you doing up?"

"Oh, hi Dawn. I just…couldn't sleep," Max mumbled, looking down at his feet.

"Me neither," Dawn said, "It sure is beautiful here, isn't it?"

"Mmhmm," Max agreed still looking out the window.

"Maybe I could come back and visit sometime!" Max looked up to find Dawn smiling at him.

He blushed a light pink and managed to stammer, "Er, ya, that'd be great!" Regaining his composure, he added quickly, "Or maybe I could come to Sinnoh. May's not all for the idea, yet, but I think I could talk her into it. Then we could see one of your contests! I bet you do really well!"

This time, Dawn blushed, "Well, I'm not that good yet…But I'm working very hard!" The coordinator yawned, "Well, I guess it's time for bed for me! See ya in the morning!"

"Good night!" Max called, as Dawn walked down the hallway.

Once she was out of earshot, he started singing softly, to himself;

"A seed of courage is planted in my tiny heart

No matter the rain, the wind won't lose either

The huge sky spreads on forever

Further and further, the clouds pass through it, that's right"

He took a deep breath and continued;

"I'll become stronger and stronger

Things like magic spells

I don't need them"

"Run, run!

Quickly out of the wind

To the tip of this road

The bud that is our dreams is, hey, peeping out!"

A board creaked, and May stepped out of the shadows by the door.

Max started, "May! What are you doing up?"

"I could be asking you the same! I heard someone get out of bed, so I followed you out here. I would have confronted you earlier, but Dawn came out before I could."

"So…You heard everything?" Max inhaled, "Even the part about me going to Sinnoh?"

May nodded, "I heard."

Max looked at his feet, remembering his sister's previous reaction. "Oh," he said glumly.

May kneeled down next to Max, "But I have been wondering how good Dawn is in contests!"

The young boy looked up, an expression of disbelief on his face, "Really? You mean it?"

May nodded, "Now c'mon, we don't want to wake the others."


0o0o0o0o0

I'm not sure this is at an end yet. There might be another chapter coming!

Please read and review!