Hello again everyone ~ I'm back, this time, with Pokémon. Somethin' new. (I feel as if I'm betraying my beloved KH...)
Please R&R. No flames; constructive criticism. This is short and sweet, nothing much...
Disclaimer: No, I don't own Pokémon; if I did, this would actually happen. ^^
A bleak darkness was hinted among the mountains, interrupting the orange that was the sunset. It was just a smudge of black towards the horizon, but still was enough to catch the girl's attention.
"Almost night," she said shortly, and her male companion glanced at her before peering towards the mountains. Sure enough, he saw the bit of night.
The blue penguin that she gripped ever so tightly in her arms looked up at the sky as well. "Piplup," he agreed.
The boy nodded, his dark eyes glinting brown in amusement over the girl's sleepiness. Her own blue eyes were foggy, dim; her expression reminded him of death.
He quickly glanced away as soon as Pikachu, the little yellow mouse that always sat upon his shoulder, nudged him; had he been staring?
"Y-Yeah, maybe we should stop. Brock?" No reply. Hmm. The dark-haired boy tried again. "Hey, Brock?"
Brock himself was currently fawning over a photo, one that the boy assumed could only be of a certain nurse.
The girl next to him sighed. Usually bubbly, the blue-haired female was so tired she couldn't put up with Brock's antics at the moment; it was obvious by the way she narrowed her eyes. "Look, Officer Jenny," she said monotonously. That did it.
"What? Where?" Brock suddenly came to life and was trying to get a glimpse of the famous policewoman over the other two's heads.
The boy grinned, removing Brock's hand from his hat. "She lied. Time to stop and get some rest."
Brock's expression quickly dimmed. "Don't tease me like that. Anyway, I guess you're right. I think I see a clearing up ahead."
The three continued on in silence, the only sound audible their footsteps that stepped carelessly on the fallen leaves. The boy felt a strange sense of satisfaction from the crunching; the noise was almost soothing, like a lullaby…
A lullaby indeed. The girl was currently in the midst of catching herself drifting in and out of a half-slumber. C'mon, Dawn, get a hold of yourself. But the voice was muffled by the haze in her mind as a blackness, similar to that of the one on the horizon, began to creep into her vision...
"Dawn."
"Mmmphhrrrgg."
"Dawn, come on."
She felt an elbow nudge her in the side. Sleepily, she tilted her head towards the elbow's owner and patted him gently on the shoulder. "Five more minutes, Mom..." she mumbled.
The boy frowned. "It's Ash," he corrected.
"Yeah, thazwhudIsaid..."
Ash's frown deepened; "I don't get it. How can she walk-"
Ironically, at that moment the girl with the navy hair lost her balance, or simply stopped trying to maintain it, and almost fell onto the ground, with Piplup squawking in distress all the while. However, just in time as always, he was there to catch her, wrapping a hand around her waist and pulling her upwards.
She had no reaction. Lightly snoring, long lashes fluttering before closing abruptly again, the coordinator was fast asleep. Her arms fell to her sides and her penguin partner was dropped ungracefully. In traditional Piplup fashion, he was rather peeved, before he gradually accepted his fate and began to follow his owner on foot.
"Couldn't she have waited just a little longer..." Ash complained, but despite his objection, continued to drag her along…
Brock watched the scene unfold with an amused expression. "You want me to carry her...?" he asked, the smile obvious in his voice.
The boy, in traditional Ash fashion, was oblivious. "No, no, I got it."
"You sure?"
The black-haired boy turned to give the older one a glare. "Are you saying I can't-"
Again, Dawn's timing was impeccable, as she chose that moment to fling her arms around him theatrically. "Oh Piplup, you're the best..." she murmured, her head nuzzling Ash's shoulder.
Pikachu was knocked off Ash's shoulder by the girls' arms: "Pika-pi!" he cried, but eventually found himself with Piplup at the back. They exchanged a knowing glance; both were disgruntled that their trainers preferred each other over them.
Ash, meanwhile, turned a very bright shade of red and did his best to keep walking, despite the pretty girl that was, literally, all over him. Brock bit his lip, trying to conceal the laugher that threatened to burst out of him at any given moment.
"Y-you really sure?"
"Uh, well, m-maybe...here," he said, still blushing uncontrollably, stopping in his tracks. "See if you can take her."
"Oh, but do you really want me to get her off of you, Ash?"
The boy felt completely betrayed; now Brock was teasing him about his strictly platonic relationship with Dawn? "C'mon..." he grumbled, motioning for him to take her.
"Alright, I'm gonna try." Brock still sounded smiley and Ash wanted to punch him for it. Where was Croagunk when his Poison Jab was needed?
Ignoring the dark-haired boy's annoyance, Brock lifted Dawn off of him. She simply reached for Ash.
"Piplup, you're so warmandsnuggly," she slurred tiredly. Ash grinned, a little pleased with himself for being Dawn's preferred method of transportation. Wow. I'm an idiot.
"She clearly likes you better," Brock pointed out.
"Well, if she insists..."
Brock placed her back on Ash's back and Dawn wrapped her arms and legs around him, head buried in his hair, a slight smile gracing her lips. And of course Ash was struggling to appear as if he toted girls around all the time in such an… affectionate manner, which of course, was simply not true and everyone knew it.
And so off they went, Ash carrying Dawn piggyback style, his face still borderline tomato; Brock in the middle, smirking; and Pikachu and Piplup bringing up the back, both irritated… another day for our heroes. Simply just another day...