"Ahh, that was good. I think you're the best cook ever, Brock."
"Well thanks, Ash. What do you think, Pikachu?"
"Pika!" (It was great!)
"It's unanimous! Brock is the best cook in the universe!" Dawn cheered.
"Piplup pip." (Not even I can complain.)
"Chu, pika." (Well, that's a first.) Everybody laughed and began cleaning up the dinner mess. The sun was just sinking below the horizon and the campfire illuminated the clearing that they had set up camp in. Ash Ketcham began laying out his sleeping bag and Dawn started to set up her tent. Brock laid his bag out kitty corner to Ash's and said
"I'll be right back. Nature calls." he turned and disappeared into the trees. Ash was just about to settle into his sleeping bag when there was a loud "Ow!" from Dawn.
"Pip!" (Dawn!) Ash glanced over to where she sat on the ground, sucking her right pointer finger.
"Hey Dawn, what happened?" he asked,
"Ow..." she said again. "I missed the stake, and hit my finger..." she took it out of her mouth to show him. It looked pretty painful, red and swollen. Ash hurried over to her.
"Let me see." he said, gently taking her hand. Dawn stared up at him, and Ash was startled to see tears forming in the corner of her indigo eyes. He inspected the injury for a moment, then said "Hold on, and I'll go get some ointment for you." He jogged over to his backpack and rummaged through it. Finding the tiny tube of medicine, he went back over to Dawn and knelt next to her. She was glaring at Piplup and Pikachu, who had both started laughing at her grudging admission. They ran past Ash, still chuckling silently, as he squeezed a small drop of the medicine onto Dawn's finger. He rubbed it in gingerly, not wanting to cause her more pain, and the swelling started to go down almost at once.
"Thanks, Ash. I really appreciate it." Dawn told him quietly "It doesn't hurt anymore."
"No problem." Ash replied, grinning at her crookedly "Anything for a friend." to his surprise, tears filled her eyes again, and she sprang to her feet and fled into the tent. "Dawn? What..." he trailed off, and stood staring at the tent. Piplup glared at Ash as he entered his trainer's tent, and Ash was very confused as he headed back to his sleeping bag. He stopped when he saw Brock watching him. "What?" he asked, defensively.
"Nothing." Brock said. "Good night." he got into his own sleeping bag, and Ash laid down in his, staring up at the night sky and listening to the faint sobs that issued from the orange tent.
"Brock..." he said, hesitating a bit "What did I say to cause that?" Brock was silent for a second, then replied sleepily
"You know Ash, sometimes you're denser than Forretresses' shell. We've been traveling together for a few months now, you've taught her to be a great Coordinator, and just now you took care of her with more tenderness than I thought you could manage. Then you had to go and use the 'F' word..."
"Friend?" Ash asked "Why would that-"
"Because Dawn really likes you." Brock said simply "She obviously thinks more of you than just a friend, but you don't like her back, and that was a real blow to her heart." Ash thought about that for a long time, gazing up at the unfamiliar Sinnoh constellations. He opened his mouth to ask Brock for more advice, but a loud snore stopped him. Brock had fallen asleep... Ash turned on his side to watch the dying embers of their fire. So Dawn "really liked" him?
"How do I feel about her?" He wondered. Most of his time was taken with training and battling. He had never really considered any of that mushy stuff. Ash drifted off to sleep, still pondering the strange ways of emotions and women.
Breakfast the next morning was strained. Brock tried to make conversation with his two human friends, but neither Ash nor Dawn seemed to want to talk much. Dawn's eyes were still slightly red, and Ash's had a faraway look. Brock sighed and glanced at the storm clouds gathering overhead. Today seemed determined to be gloomy. Even the normally cheerful Pikachu could sense that his human had a lot on his mind, and so stayed silent. Piplup kept throwing anxious glances at Dawn, Ash, and the electric mouse. He opened his beak to say something, but Pikachu shook his head warningly. The penguin Pokemon sighed, and began picking at his food again. As selfish as he usually was, he didn't like seeing his human so depressed. He placed a consoling fin on Dawn's knee, and she smiled faintly.
"Thanks, Piplup." she picked him up, hugging him tightly. He returned the embrace the best he could. Ash watched them, and couldn't help smiling gently at the touching sight. Pikachu punched Ash in the shin and gestured at them. Ash nodded and went over hesitantly, standing a few feet away.
"Um, Dawn?" he said. She looked over at him questioningly. "I'm... sorry, if I hurt your feelings last night. I know I can be dumb sometimes..." he trailed off as she grinned and winked
"Don't you mean all the time?" she asked in mock innocence. Brock and Pikachu chuckled and Ash laughed ruefully.
"Yeah, pretty much. I tend to get so focused on training and food, that I don't really see the deeper things."
"Apology accepted." Dawn informed him. "Now how about we get back on the road to Veilstone?" Ash nodded and Brock said.
"Okay, let's go. It's still fifteen miles to Veilstone City." Piplup put out the fire and the friends headed off as thunder pealed in the distance.
Half an hour later, they found themselves in some foothills as the thunder arrived, bringing with it an intense downpour. Lightening illuminated the forest path as Dawn shouted
"How much farther to the city, Brock?" Brock consulted his guidebook and replied
"Too far! We'll have to find a shelter before the lightening gets here." Ash glanced around and saw a dark mass rising out of the forest to the north.
"Look! A small mountain! Maybe it'll have a cave." Brock followed Ash's pointing finger and nodded.
"Last one there is a rotten Exeggcute!" Dawn yelled, running off onto a small game path. The two boys followed at a run, eager to get out of the rain. As they cleared some trees, Ash saw Dawn up ahead and watched as lightening illuminated her long steel blue hair. Suddenly, she shrieked in pain and fell to the ground.
"Dawn!" Ash yelled, skidding to a halt at her side. He bent down and helped her sit up, noticing that she clutched her ankle. "Are you okay?" he asked.
"I think my ankle's broken!" She whimpered, tears beginning to mingle with the rain that ran down her cheeks. Brock caught up and knelt to check it, causing Dawn to cry out in pain as he touched it gingerly.
"It's twisted pretty badly, but I don't think it's broken." Brock told them. Pikachu and Ash sighed in relief, but Dawn started whimpering again. Ash gently put her left arm around his neck and helped her to stand. She smiled tremulously at him, and winced as her foot met the ground briefly.
"I'll help Dawn, you and Pikachu go find us some shelter." Ash told Brock. Brock nodded, and he and the electric mouse took off down the path. Ash and Dawn continued after them, Dawn limping slowly and crying out softly every time her ankle throbbed. Ash felt bad for her, but wasn't sure what else he could do. Dawn just looked so small and helpless, her indigo eyes echoing her pain. Suddenly Ash wanted to protect her from that pain, wanted nothing more that to help rid her of it. He stopped, turning towards her, and picked her up. Dawn squeaked as she was lifted off the ground, a faint blush blooming on her face. Ash smiled at her reassuringly, then continued along the path.
"Ash... is... holding me!" Dawn thought, the emotion and pain causing dizziness. "It feels so good... and that smile of his..."
"Wow, she's a lot lighter that I figured she'd be." Ash thought. He glanced down and saw the blush. Suddenly, his face warmed too. "I'm holding Dawn... and it feels... good." a slight tingle ran up his spine and his stomach began fluttering. He steeled himself and kept walking, until Dawn whispered
"Thanks Ash. I... really appreciate it."
"No problem." he said, grinning at her lopsidedly. "Anything for-"
"A friend?" Dawn asked in resignation.
"No. Anything for you, Dawn." Ash replied seriously. He gazed at her in a strangely exciting way, and she felt herself blush harder. Ash chuckled and said "Heh, your face matches your scarf."
"Oh hush." Dawn retorted. She snuggled against him, and was about to say something when Pikachu ran down the path towards them. She silently cursed the little rat, but Ash said
"Come on, he and Brock found a cave." They followed Pikachu in silence, both awkwardly aware of the other's racing heart. "Holy Tauros, she's hugging me." Ash thought. "I feel great! Strong as a Machamp and light as a Gastly." They arrived at the cave, where Brock was waiting anxiously, having spread out his sleeping bag and formed a fire pit with rocks. Ash set Dawn down on the soft blanket, and couldn't help sighing in disappointment. Dawn looked somewhat put out as well, until Brock said
"I'm going to see if I can find some dry wood. Be back in a sec." He disappeared into the deluge and Ash released Chimchar to give them some light and warmth. He sat next to Dawn and asked
"How are you?"
"Pretty good, aside from my throbbing ankle." she replied, winking at him. He laughed and said
"Well, let me get my medicine out and see if that helps." he pulled it out of his pocket and gingerly rubbed it into the ankle. Dawn let out a sigh of relief and said
"Thanks Ash. That helped a lot."
"Well, like I said, anything for you, Dawn." Ash replied. They stared at each other and Dawn asked
"You really mean that, Ash?" Ash hesitated before responding.
"Yes. Look, Brock told me why my 'friend' comment hurt your feelings. I've been thinking about it a lot, and..." he trailed off, somewhat embarrassed and uncertain. "I really like you, too. I think I have for a while, but like I said, I've just been training so much..." he trailed off as Dawn's eyes filled with tears again. But this time, they were tears of joy.
"Oh Ash!" she cried, flinging her arms around him "I hoped so much that this day would come!" Ash returned the embrace for a minute, then they broke apart slightly, brown eyes gazing deep into indigo ones. They leaned slowly forward, and their lips met, tenuously at first, then with more certainty and passion. After what seemed like forever, they broke apart for air. Pikachu and Chimchar cheered and laughed as the two teens blushed furiously. "Should we tell Brock?" Dawn asked, a little breathless. Ash shook his head, and Dawn looked relieved and grateful. Then the breeder returned with an armful of firewood and dumped it into the ring of stones he had constructed. Chimchar spit a small ember in and soon the cave was illuminated by merrily dancing flames. Dawn and Ash watched the fire, both remembering the kiss. Dawn leaned against Ash, laying her head on his shoulder and the two watched as Brock called Happiny out for a grooming. She turned her head, grinning up at Ash. "Good call." Ash nodded agreement. "I love you, Ash Ketcham." Dawn said softly, so only he (and the sharp eared Pikachu) could hear.
"I l-love you too, Dawn." he stammered quietly. The realization of what he had just said hit him like a Snorlax's Body Slam. He DID love her! He finally had a name for the emotion the very sight of her kindled in him! "Yes, I love you." he said. Dawn smiled again, and was soon fast asleep against him. Ash's last thought as he, too, drifted off was "Time to start a whole new journey... this is gonna be fun!"
Holy crap! I wrote a Pearlshipper! ... I pause for your shouts of outrage. I've been wanting to do this since the 10th movie came out. It just seems so plausible now.
R&R!
Dragonlord Daoka