Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon.

Now that the disclaimer is over and done with it's time to say a few words in greeting. This is my first ever Pokemon fanfiction, so I'm hoping it's good. Wish me luck! Now for the shippings…

Ikarishipping – DawnxPaul

Hoennshipping – MayxBrendan

Gymshipping – BrockxMisty

Leagueshipping - AshxRichie

The main focus is going to be Ikarishipping, thus you won't be seeing a lot of the other listed shippings. I will include them sometimes, but not all the time.

Now then… time to get this show on the road.

It was finally the day she had been waiting for, the day she would go out on her own adventure and spread her wings. A smile grew across her face as the sun greeted her. The sounds of the city around her brought her back into reality. She remembered that she was currently in a dirty hotel room, her clothes thrown about everywhere, and she had one hour to clean it up and leave. She promised to meet up with Ash one more time before she left for Johto.

Dawn sat up and pulled the cream colored blankets off her sleepy form and threw them back. It was cool in the room, forcing her body to shiver slightly. She swung her petite ivory legs over the side of the bed and stood up slowly. She walked over in her slightly groggy state to her bag, grabbing out the outfit she had set aside the night before. The one good thing about being in Heathome City was the shops. She had spent the entire night looking for the perfect outfit to wear.

She ended up buying a pleated navy mini-skirt and a white tank with a black box on the front. Within the box were the words 'Sinclair', the brand name being what made it a must have. Next she had bought a bright blue scarf and fingerless gloves which matched the skirt and scarf. The next part was a pair of matching hair bows, replacing her old, pink hat. Finally, to finish the look she purchased a pair of black and blue boots. She had to give some credit to Ash's friend Misty though. If it weren't for her, Dawn would still be the little girl in pink.

Dawn had become friends with Misty after about a month of traveling with her. She remembered the day Ash had called Misty and about all of the jealous over Dawn. Misty had declared that she would be traveling with them to make sure 'no funny stuff' happened. Luckily for Misty, there had been nothing between Ash and Dawn, thus making the entire trip much easier.

With her new outfit on, Dawn set out to fix her hair. It wasn't as bad a usually, but still nothing she wanted to have seen in public. Running a brush through it did nothing, so it was time for plan B. Walking back over to her bag, she took out her belt and grabbed the first pokeball. Expanding it, she whispered 'Prinplup', so as not to awake the others who were still sleeping in the surrounding rooms. The large penguin pokemon came out, yawning as he did so, and turned to his training, already knowing what she was going to command. Dawn turned and smiled at her partner and waited for the water to run through her hair.

Prinplup blew out numerous bubbles, wetting down Dawn's hair just enough to fix it. She quickly began to blush through the tangled locks, going as quickly as possible. She added in the two bows and slipped on the two clunky boots. She zipped them up and quickly threw her old clothes into her bag, along with old accessories and the likes. With that she sighed and walked towards the door of the hotel room. She sighed and closed the door as quietly as possible. With that, her grin grew from ear to ear and she bounced up and down slightly before letting her voice fill the halls.

"Good bye Sinnoh, hello Johto!"

Ash and company sat outside of a small café known as 'Café Sol'. Everyone was a little glum, yet excited all the same. Dawn had been there traveling companion for quite sometime, and to see her go off on her own would be sad. Ash sipped on a small hot chocolate, Misty a strawberry smoothie, and Brock held an espresso in his rock hard grasp. Everyone waited nervously for Dawn to arrive, all trying to figure out just what to say to her.

"I hope we're doing the right thing. Letting her take off on her own and all…" Misty said, slight sadness laced through her voice. She looked up towards the two males across from her.

"Dawn'll do just fine." Ash stated matter-of-factly. "Besides, I'm sure she'll bump into someone there who she can travel with."

"I know but just letting her go off into a big city she's never been to before isn't safe!" The red-head fumed. She knew Dawn would find someone to travel with, since she was an outgoing person it wouldn't be a shock if she had a friend by the time she arrived in Goldenrod City. But what scared her most was the fact that her friend could travel with the wrong crowd. Then by the next time they saw Dawn she might have her entire body tattooed and fifty body piercings. She pushed the image away and listened to what Brock and Ash were saying.

"I bet Dawn will be just fine. She's got a good head on her shoulders, after all." Brock stated in a firm voice.

"And besides, what's the worst that could possibly happen? She's got her Prinplup to help her out." Ash said, lightly placing a fist on the table, ending the conversation then. Another five minutes in silence and finally they would hear pants and gasps behind them. They looked up and saw the dark-haired girl they had been waiting for. She picked up her head and walked over to the last open seat at the table, between Misty and Brock. Everyone's frowns suddenly disappeared and looks of joy were aimed at Dawn.

"Congratulations Dawn." Misty said; a wide grin on her face.

"You'll do great in Johto, so no worries!" Ash said; excitement in his voice. He remembered his journey in Johto and all the fun he had.

"Yeah… you'll be fine Dawn…" Brock added; sadness still in his voice. Even thought there was a slight age difference, Brock and Dawn had at one point been a couple. But as soon as Dawn decided to go to Johto she told Brock they needed to split. Since then he never seemed happy around her. Yet Dawn knew they would have never made it in the long run, since Brock still looked at other women and talked about 'pretty girls' all the time. Plus Ash had told her about Brock and Lucy's 'friendship'.

"Thanks guys, I know I'll do great." Dawn smiled and looked up at Misty. "Make sure these two don't get into any trouble while I'm away."

"Okay, I can handle that." Misty laughed and both boys glared at Dawn.

After an hour of talking and relaxing Dawn looked down at her poketch, noting that her train would arrive in less than an hour. She stood and slung her bag over her shoulder and told her friends she had to leave. They hugged, said there partings, and watched as Dawn began her own journey. It would be different for them while Dawn was away, but they knew that this would be a good experience for the friend.

Finally, after twenty minutes in a taxi, Dawn was at the Magnet Train station. So far she hadn't seen anyone she recognized, which didn't really shock her in the least. She went up to the ticket booth and ordered her ticket. A woman behind the counter stamped the ticket and slid it over to Dawn. She thanked the woman, bowed, and turned to face the train. What she saw left her stunned.

It was the largest vehicle she had ever seen. It was made of steel and had hundreds of windows lining the side. A red painted line had the words 'Steelix Express' written above it. Hundreds of people came off when it had finally stopped, and hundreds shoved there way on. Little children clung to there mother's for safety, shady characters pushed others down and walked aboard, and then there were trainers, like herself.

Dawn pushed her way onto the train, and she was on right as ther doors began to close. She sighed in relief and began to scope out a seat. Everywhere she went was over run with people cramming into seats. She was now in the very back of the train and all but one seat had been taken. A cute little blonde girl seat alone, looking out the window, watching the people wave family and friends good-bye. Her amber eyes showed boredom, which wasn't a shock since she was alone. Dawn cleared her throat and the girl looked up.

"Do you mind if I sit here?" Dawn asked, her voice hardly able to be heard over the voices surrounding her.

"Yeah, sure, I don't mind." The younger girl smiled and slid over slightly. "My name is Riri, by the way."

"Hi, my name is Dawn." Dawn gave Riri a pearly smile and then silenced herself. After a few minutes of silence Riri finally broke it.

"So… what brings you to Johto miss Dawn?" She sung her hair out of her face, hair that Dawn couldn't help but envy.

"Oh, well, I'm a coordinator and I finished all of the Sinnoh contests. So I guess it was time to pack up and hit the road alone. Once I get to Goldenrod City I can quickly register and rush to the first contest!" Dawn could hear the excitement in her voice. It had been a year since she had been in her last contest. Since then she had stayed with her mother, trying to decide what to do next. A friend of Ash's had called him to tell him about the new contests coming up, news which was passed along to Dawn. She quickly packed up and hit the road, getting to Heathome City as fast as humanly possible.

When she had first gotten to Heathome City she had a month to waste, so she trained her pokemon for contests once again. She made her Prinplup burst his bubblebeams with a stunning metal claw attach, had Buneary learn boton pass and shot it around so fast it looked like a ghost, and finally, she made her newest pokemon, Espeon, have the greatest confusion and swift combo possible. She knew, or at least, hoped she was ready.

"Cool, I'm going to Johto to search for a friend of mine. He disappeared a few years ago. He left saying he was going to become a Pokemon Master." Slight sadness was in her eyes, but it was quickly dismissed. "We should travel together, since I'm not even sure where he is. It's always nice to travel with someone."

"That'd be awesome! I could have someone to cheer for me at my contests and I could help you search out this boy you're looking for!" Dawn clapped her hands together and the two started to talk. Dawn had learned a few things about Riri. She played guitar for fun, as a child she model for large chain stores, and had no skill with pokemon battles. She enjoyed playing music, although she didn't want it to be her future career, instead she wanted to become a Breeder.

Finally the train stopped and people began to flow out. The station in Goldenrod City was a replica of the station in Heathome City. People were once again filling the train, so Dawn and Riri quickly exited before being crushed against random bodies. Once they had gotten above ground the girls gasped. This city was even larger than Heathome, about twice the size even. The streets were lined with people of all ages, shapes, and gender. Men and women conversed with an odd accent. There vowels held tons of emotions and words beginning with an R had a V slipped in. Needless to say it did intrigue the two.

First stop was the pokemon center to get Dawn signed up for the contest. Taking out her Poke'tch, Dawn quickly scrolled to the map and zoomed in on Goldenrod. Luckily, it showed that the center was only about a block away. The two slug there bag over there backs and began walking to the center.

As Dawn was registering, Riri had gone off to the bathroom to change out of her Train clothes, which consisted of sweat pans and a white tank-top. She slipped on a cherry colored mini-skirt and added a red belt with black stars. Next she pulled a new black tank-top over her head and an azure button-up jacket with red stars. She quickly fixed the buttons and clipped on a choker necklace with a giant, fake magenta rose. She threw on a matching hat that at one point could have belonged to someone in the army. To finish off her outfit she pulled on a pair of knee-high, ruby boots. With that she picked up her bag and walked back out and towards Dawn who was on the phone.

"Yeah Misty, Johto is great so far! Goldenrod is so big and exciting!" Dawn looked to the side and smiled at Riri before continuing. "It turns out my first contest is in Ecruteak City where some old tower use to be."

"I bet it's the Brass Tower that was burned down after some great war." Misty shrugged and a laugh could be heard. From what Dawn had been told Ash's friend Richie had come to Sinnoh and found Ash. Long story short: They were hanging out. "So, find anyone to travel with yet?"

"Yeah, her name is Riri. She's pretty cool." She nodded as if to confirm what she said. Since she didn't really know Riri yet she didn't have an opinion one way or another. "Anyways, I've gotta rush off and make it to Ecruteak City by next week or else I won't be able to compete. I can't miss my first ever Johto contest!"

Misty laughed at Dawn's frustration and anxiety. They said there goodbyes and Dawn sighed. She already missed her friends and she had just left them. How was she ever going to get by alone? She did have Riri to talk to and have fun with, but they would part ways soon, so she couldn't get too attached to the blonde girl. Dawn felt a tap on her shoulder and she spun around on her heals. Rir smiled at her and Dawn nodded. Once again she was going to be on the road.

Dawn and Riri had hit the large shopping center before heading out. They stocked up on Super potions, full heals, and some pokemon food. Luckily, for the few contests Dawn had won, and her mother's kind heart, she had enough money for shopping. They were finally on the out skirts of town when Dawn caught a small glance of purple flash before her eyes. It was right by the forest, but it moved fast enough that she couldn't see quite what it was. Finally a pair of fingers snapped before her eyes.

"Miss Dawn, are you there?" Riri asked in her usual childish voice. Even though she was twelve she sounded as if she were only nine or ten. Dawn blinked and nodded.

"Yeah, I'm just fine!" She laughed awkwardly before she continued. "Oh, and you don't need to call me 'Miss' Dawn. It's just Dawn, okay?"

"Sure, 'Dawn'". It sounded as if she were testing out a name from some foreign land. She smiled and shrugged before tailing along after Dawn. They had decided on bypassing the Park for now, they could go some other time, and just take the forest path to Ecruteak. By now it was growing dark and the two girls knew that soon they would be forced to set up camp. They came to a very small clearing in the forest which they decided to stop at. Dawn rolled out a bright blue sleeping bag and a navy blue tent. She had always refused to sleep under the stars, finding it gross to lie on the ground.

Fortunately for her, Riri had the same though. She rolled out a Red camping set and began to set everything up. Once they had the tents propped up they both crept into Dawns tent and flicked on an electric lantern. They gave each other a slight grin and then turned away from each other to change. Dawn wore a soft blue colored night gown and a pair of slippers. Riri wore her sweat pants and tank-top.

"So, Dawn, if you don't mind me asking… Have you had any boyfriends?" Riri's eyes glittered in wonder, making Dawn feel slightly awkward.

"Well… There was this one guy named Brock I guess." Dawn tried to think up a good place to start her story. Finally she found the right place. "You see, I started my journey over in Sinnoh, as you know. I met Ash and Brock when I was just starting out. Every night, after Ash had fallen asleep, Brock and I would sit around a talk. Usually it would end up with him flirting and me giggling. So, one thing led to another and we started dating."

"Well, what happened after? Did you guys break up?" Riri slapped a hand over her mouth, knowing she had gone too far. Dawn sighed loudly and decided to continue.

"Yeah, see, he was friends with 'Pike Queen' Lucy, or something like that. One night Ash told me that Brock was on the phone with her in the nearby Pokemon Center, so I went to find out what was going on." Dawn paused for a moment, ready to feel the slight hurt come on. "He was telling her how much he loved her and how he couldn't wait to see her again. So I broke up with him the next morning."

"Oh… I'm really sorry." Riri placed a hand on Dawn's back to comfort her. Dawn flashed Riri a small smile and turned towards the ground. "Well, if it makes you feel any better, the guy I'm following is my boyfriend. Most would think after losing contact with him for a year you'd just forget about him. But he was my best friend so I guess I couldn't do that. His name was… Michael. He was always so nice to pokemon and he said they were his life. He was so dedicated. In fact, he was the one who caught me my first pokemon!"

At this Dawn looked up. "Wait, you have pokemon?"

Riri nodded and reached into her bag and pulled out a pokeball. She expanded it andlet out a small, yellow sheep. Upon it's a small 'marrrreep' could be heard from the small lamb. Riri held it close and cuddled it. "This is my Mareep that Michael caught for me. He gave it to me one week before he left."

Mareep was sent back into her pokeball and then Riri grabbed her bag. She said her partings and went to her own tent, leaving Dawn alone. She unzipped her tent and grabbed her three pokeballs. With that she snuck off into the wood, lantern and balls in hand. She needed a moment with her pokemon, just to recollect her thoughts. So much had happened all in one day, and she need familiar faces to help her. Once she thought she was far enough away she called out Prinplup, Espeon, and Buneary, each one over joyed to be able to stretch there legs.

Buneary hopped up onto Dawn's shoulder, Espeon sitting at her trainer's feet. Prinplu stood across from Dawn, like an equal. Dawn sunk to the ground beside her Espeon and a few tears escaped her eyes. She really missed Ash, Misty, and even Brock. They were her friends and now she was in a new place with nobody to tell her problems to. Thus began her cries to her pokemon.

After twenty minutes of sobbing Dawn heard a stick crack. She turned her head to quickly and made herself dizzy. When she finally recovered she called out.

"Who's there? Show yourself you freak!" Fake bravery was heard in her little voice. Finally the purple from earlier revealed it's self. It was a man, no, a teenaged boy with purple hair and electric eyes. Suddenly Dawn was filled with joy. She jumped up and ran towards the familiar boy. She tapped his nose to make sure it wasn't an illusion. Unfortunately she heard a growl growing within him and stepped away. But her smile was still there.

"Is that really you Paul?"

Woo-Hoo! First chapter done and it's 3000+ words!

Anyways, R&R.

And in your review, please tell me if I should keep Riri in the story for a prolonged period of time. I'm not to sure I like her that much. But the reader's opinion is what truly matters. And I already have a way to write her off for now if need be.

ALSO! I'm looking for three beta-readers. I know most people only get one, but I figure the more the merrier, right?