Hello. Salvador Rider here. Another chaptered fiction, for my seventh submission. This is an AppealShipping fiction. Hope you like it.
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters mentioned.
Zoey's Dilemma.
Zoey lay in her sleeping bag, tossing and turning in sleepless discomfort. This was physical discomfort, just emotional. There was one particular thought that was plaguing her mind lately. As lately as… from the turn of this month. It was nearing the end of July, and August was sneaking its way into the Sinnoh region. The night was pleasantly warm, but Zoey felt cold and lonely. She'd been travelling alone for a good 3 years, now, after Ash competed in the Unova region last year. He was now retrying his hand at the Indigo League back in Kanto. Zoey was very close friends with Ash, and that good-looking chap he travelled with; Brock. But there was someone she was missing much more than them. And that was their female companion; Dawn. She was such a sweet, and innocent, little thing, from the first time they met at the Jubilife Pokémon Contest. She was so nervous, and jittery, and klutzy. And yet… and yet… Zoey felt an immediate connection with the beautiful bluenette. When she returned the choker she found to be Dawn's to her, and helped her brush her hair in the changing room, Zoey felt a surge of electric happiness race through her body when she was near the stammering sweetie.
She picked up her Pokétch, which was in her backpack's front pocket, and checked the time. It was 3:00 in the flipping morning. 'Bugger.' She cursed, inwardly. She knew, for a fact, that she had gone to bed at 9 in the evening, and was trying to get to sleep for hours on end ever since. Frustrated, she threw her sleeping bag off herself, giving up on sleep entirely. She got dressed, rolled her sleeping bag up, and stuffed it back in her bag. She, very carefully, removed a long, black velvet-covered, box from the side pocket of her bag. She opened the box, to reveal a beautiful little necklace. It was made of a Gabite bone, coated with specially treated platinum, so it was tarnish-proof. On one end of the bone was embedded a 2 carat, 8.2mm diamond, and on the other, was a pearl of the same size. She slipped the necklace over her head, and round her neck. Letting the bone rest against the crook in her neck, Zoey picked up the note that remained in the box. It was printed on a piece of specially pressed Mareep wool silk-paper. It's one of the most expensive types of paper known to man, in the world. Printed, in fine ink (and exquisite handwriting), on the paper was a message. The message read thusly;
'My dear Zoey,
I hope this gift finds you in good health. I hope you're still competing in plenty of contests. I can't believe it's been a year since we last met. Buneary and I are having a wonderful time in the modelling industry. She reminds me, very much, of you, you know? You're good at showing your style, and take pride in what you do. She's had several offers of dates with all sorts of Pokémon, from Aipom to Beheeyem. But she's declined each and every one of them. She seems to still have a crush on Ash's Pikachu, bless her.
The necklace I've sent you is to help you through your travels. The bone is from a Gabite, defeated in battle, only by one rival, after many years of undefeated victories in its natural habitat, in the mountain ranges around Mt. Coronet. It died of natural causes, and wasn't poached, so there's no need to worry about that. It's to symbolise the strength you have, and that you may need on your journeys ahead. It's been coated in tarnish-proof platinum, to show endurance and shimmering beauty, both of which you show in bucket loads while competing. The diamond symbolises how sturdy you are as an individual, and how strong you are, no matter what the odds. And the pearl shows mystery and splendour, which you always display, every time I see your face. I hope you like it. I had it specially made just for you.
Anyway, I have to go, now. Buneary has another photo shoot in a short while. If you're ever near Hearthome City, please drop by the Pokéfashion Studios. I'd love to catch up with you. Hope to see you soon.
With love, Dawn Berlitz.'
The necklace had been sent to Zoey two years ago for Christmas, and it was the best gift she'd ever received. She wore it in the Grand Festival tournament the following year, as a memento to herself, and to urge herself to win for Dawn. And she won. She did it. She won the Grand Festival with the most style, poise and grace than Mr. Contesta had ever seen in his life, so he told her. She carried that necklace with her every day after that. She wiped a tear from her eyes, and straightened herself to stand.
"I think I may just have to take you up on that offer, Dawn." She said out loud, as if the girl was standing in front of her. She slung her bag over her shoulders, and marched off in the direction of Hearthome City, and the girl who, so sweetly, sent her this wonderful gift.
