Disclaimer: All characters are owned by Satoshi Tajiri and I do not claim ownership over them or of the world of Pokemon.
Awaited Journey
Chapter 1: A Faithful Decision
Beautiful sapphire eyes lazily opened up to the bright light that peaked through the window next to her bed. Starley's could be heard chirping away as she sat up on her bed and stretched her arms, letting out a satisfying yawn and rubbing her eyes. She then looked over to the foot of her bed and noticed that her loyal best friend, Piplup, had begun to stir awake. The small penguin Pokémon stretched his whole body in relaxation, knowing that the day has begun. He looked up at his trainer and smiled.
"Piplup!" he happily greeted.
"Good morning, Piplup!" Dawn said as she rubbed the blue Pokémon's head. "I can't believe we're finally home after everything that's happened. Crazy isn't it? We made it, Piplup!" The recent events brought a smile on her face as they played on her mind. She had finally conquered this year's Gran Festival, beating her rival, Ursula, in the final round. She was now known in both Hoenn and in Sinnoh for her creative combinations and strong willed character that gave her the title of Top Coordinator in both regions, naming her the Queen of Combinations. Although she had lost the Wallace Cup to May after leaving Unova, she still had high levels of determination. Leaving Unova brought much inspiration to the blue haired trainer who then managed to beat fierce competitors through all of the contests she participated in Hoenn. Though traveling alone wasn't her cup of tea, she often remembered that all of her friends were also facing hardships to reach their own dreams. It helped as a motivator to do so well while competing.
Brock had been studying as hard as ever since the travels through Sinnoh came to an end. The older male kept busy day and night, book after book, hoping to become the next Pokémon Doctor. He still managed to send her a letter congratulating her on the win, expressing how proud he was of her achievements.
In Johto, May had beat Drew and Harley in the Gran Festival and won against Drew in the finals, naming her Top Coordinator. She then decided to take a break from her travels and head back to Pertalburg City, bringing Drew along. Later, Dawn received the news that the two were now dating. It was quite a surprise for the naïve teen. How could you date your rival? She would shrug it off since she saw the couple cheering for her as she won the Gran Festival. Knowing that one of her friends was close by made her feel at ease.
Then there was Ash, the fierce battler and optimistic boy had made it to Top 8 in the Unova league, meaning he didn't do as good as he had when taking on the Sinnoh league. She was on a ferry heading back home after her work in Hoenn was done when she had seen his final match. She knew her best friend would soon head over to a new region and take on that league as well. Shortly after returning to Sinnoh, she decided to take on the whole circuit again. She had only lost one contest due to Kenny beating her by a line of points in the battle rounds, but breezed through all 5 ribbons giving her a spot to be a part of the Gran Festival that had been held in Sunyshore City. It had taken a lot of hard work and energy, but with trust and faith, her Pokémon and Dawn had done it.
The now Top Coordinator got up from her bed and made her way towards the bathroom, ready to get the day started. Piplup stayed back on the bed, drifting to a peaceful nap once again. A couple of minutes later, Dawn appeared entering her room once more fully clothed. Her midnight blue hair was still a little damp as she walked over to her hairdresser and began to run her brush along her blue locks. Turning on her blow dryer, Dawn directed its hot air to her hair and blew into the dampness. After a few moments, she started to fiddle with her hair and began the complex steps of her trademark look with Piplup eyeing her from the bed. Over the last two years, she had grown quite a bit. Her height was similarly the same, but her traits were maturing as time passed by. She then noticed how fuller and appealing she was. Rays of confidence beamed from her as she smiled at the reflection on the mirror. Straightening her pink skirt and adjusting her black tank top, she sighed in relief as she finalized her morning routine.
"And I'm done." Dawn said and looked over to Piplup with a grin. "Come on, let's go get some breakfast."
"Piplup pip!" he agreed as he jumped off the bed and followed his favorite human down to the kitchen. Johanna had been up for some time attending her household chores as she waited on her daughter to wake up and had even finished cooking up breakfast. The two figures coming down the stairs caught her attention and smiled.
"Good morning, sleepy heads." The middle aged woman beamed.
"Good mornin', mom!" Dawn replied giving her the same energy she received as she took her seat in the table. She eyed the plate of food before her and smiled. "Thank you for the food."
"Lup!" the small Pokémon greeted as well as he took his place on the floor and began to eat his food.
"You two are very welcome. I'm sure you're both so tired from recent travels though I do have to admit that I'm glad you're back. I'm truly proud of your achievements over the passed two years." Johanna started up a conversation as she smiled and looked over to the trophies and pictures mounted all over the wall. "You've done so much in such little time."
"I did bust my hip pretty bad while training, it was worth it, but it still hurt like I was beat by Mamoswine's Take Down." Dawn said shortly after swallowing her food. She then followed her mother's gaze and met with many unforgettable memories. Her two shiny Gran Festival trophies stood proudly with her 3 cases of 5 ribbons next to them along with pictures of all her wins. She also noted that there were taken out magazine articles from PokeChic about Dawn and her Pokémon framed. A wide smile then formed on her lips as she saw the last group picture that had been taken of Brock, Ash and Dawn along with all of their Pokémon way back then. They all had on the brightest smiles as they looked at the camera. "The guys and I had so much fun during our travels." She said with a hint of sadness.
"Pip…" Piplup sulked as he recalled his actions on the day of separating from his buddy, Pikachu. It was truly painful to part ways with someone who he had so grown close to. Their teamwork was the best of the best. Sure he had seen him while visiting Unova, but he missed traveling with the yellow rodent.
"It's only been a couple of years since you two last saw that duo. I'm sure you'll meet once more and create more memories." Johanna reassured the saddened duo. Upon noticing her failed efforts, a bulb lit up. "Hey, it wouldn't hurt to give them a call, you know? See what those two are up to."
Both of Dawn's and Piplup's eyes lit up after hearing the suggestion. "We should! I bet Ash is now training as hard as ever!" Dawn said as she took her last bite of food and jumped off her seat towards the video phone. Piplup quickly stood up and followed behind. Dawn then dialed Ash's home phone number into the digital phone and waited for an answer as Piplup jumped on her shoulder. Her eyes landed on the last picture that Ash and she had taken in Unova before parting ways once again. She smiled as she remembered the promise they had made to one another, to meet again, somewhere and anywhere, but to meet again.
Just then, Delia, Ash's mother, was seen on the monitor. The brown haired woman smiled upon seeing the coordinator. "Dawn, Piplup! Isn't this a surprise? I wasn't expecting a call from you anytime soon. It's so nice to see you after so long. How are you doing, honey?" Delia cheerfully asked with a smile, astonished to see her son's best friend. She had seen how close the two had grown and even heard of the close bond between them from Ash himself.
"Hi, Delia! It sure has been a while, huh? We're doing great, thank you for asking." Dawn replied with a wide smile.
"That's good to hear. Anything new since you departed from Unova?" Delia asked.
"Well, after parting ways with Ash, I went on to continue my Hoenn journey where I won the Gran Festival. After that win, I came back home with high hopes and took on the Sinnoh circuit once more and managed to win here too." Dawn informed with a grin.
"Oh my! What wonderful news, dear. Congratulations. You match Ash's determination when it comes to what you do best." Delia complimented as she put her hand on her face with admiration.
"Thank you! Ash and I were always sorta the same." Dawn chuckled at the thought of their similarities. "Speaking of Ash, how is he doing? Last I heard he got top 8 in the Unova league."
"He's out again, taking on the world. He's in the Kalos region doing his very best." Delia gave her a closed eyed smile. "He called me a couple of days ago mentioning how close the Kalos league was. He sounded very energetic, more than usual if I do say so myself."
"Wow, already taking on the next league, huh?" Dawn raised a brow and looked over to Piplup and shared a nod. Turning her attention back to the older woman, she smiled. "Would you happen to know where it's being held? I'd love to go out there and support him all the way through just like old times."
Delia giggled at the blue haired trainer and sighed in relief. "You never seize to amaze me. He should be in Lumiose City by now."
"Great! Thanks so much, Delia!"
"Pip piplup!" Piplup also thanked.
"No need to thank me, but Dawn?" Delia raised a brow and put her hands to her waist.
Taken aback, she grew worried. "What is it?"
"I see that you haven't changed your style since the last time I saw you. Don't you think it's time for something new?" Delia kindly suggested. "I'd be honored to make you a brand new outfit. One that would be comfortable enough to travel anywhere you'd like!"
"Now that you mention it, she sure does need to get rid of this old and overused look!" Johanna popped up next to Dawn, while the teen squinted her eyes at her. Overused!? "Hi there, Delia!"
"Hey, Johanna!" Delia sweetly saluted.
"You ladies sure greet each other very casually. Hasn't it been years since you last blurted a work to each other?"
"Well, Dawn, with both of our kids running from region to region, Johanna and I have become great friends. Talking about the past and sharing food recipes. She even put up on a show for since I've never seen one." Delia laughed a bit.
"I wasn't aware of this, but I'm glad that you both found a friend with each other." Dawn shrugged with a smile.
"It's nice to have a friend around to talk to. Now Delia, are you sure it wouldn't be a bother to make Dawn's new outfit?"
"No, of course not! Anything for Dawn since I do have a lot of free time on my hands." Delia reassured. She was excited to make something for a girl. She had always wanted to customize a girl's outfit. "Just send me her measurements and I'll have something for her tomorrow. Something very appealing and attractive, considering that Dawn is not a kid anymore."
"Thank you for being so thoughtful, Delia." Dawn said happily as the brunette also noticed how much she had grown.
"No worries, I'll talk to you two ladies later then!" Delia waved at them until the screen went black.
Dawn sighed in relief. "That went well, I wasn't expecting Delia to answer. It was nice to talk to her again."
"It sure was, now you two, why don't you prepare for tomorrow's trip? You have to make sure you got everything you need." Johanna ushered both Dawn and Piplup up the stairs.
"Okay, okay, we're going." Dawn giggled as she made her way to her room. She looked around her bedroom, gathering up supplies in her backpack and making notes on what she needed to restock on. She then noticed her belt with all of her Pokeballs and picked them up, heading out with Piplup to the battle ground in the back of her house. "Alright everyone come on out!" she cried as she tossed her 5 Pokeballs into the air, letting all of her Pokémon out.
While on her travels, she was sure to meet new Pokémon along the way, leading to a total of 3 new members of the family. When the bright flash took form it was revealed that she owned a Riolu, Luxray and a Leafeon, meaning that she had temporarily left Pachirisu, Mamoswine and Togekiss in the care of Professor Rowan.
The first new member to join in on their journey was a timid Eevee whom Piplup and Dawn encountered while going around Hoenn. She had been abandoned by her trainer in the rain, left to perish. Dawn then took the fragile Eevee to the Pokémon Center and restored her trust in humans and eventually joined Dawn's team. Later, while going through Eterna forest, Eevee evolved into Leafeon, proving how much she adored her new trainer. Although she was growing out of her shy phases, her timid nature prevented her from properly meeting new faces.
On the other hand, a Luxray with a rash nature had evolved from the sturdy and smart Shinx while going through Sinnoh. After befriending him by showing him the wonders of performing, Dawn was asked shyly by the Shinx to join her which Dawn happily complied to. It quickly evolved into Luxio after helping his trainer win her 3rd contest and later evolving into Luxray in the semi final battle against Nando and his Roserade. Ever since it was a Luxio, it had taken the part of an overprotective father figure to Pachirisu making sure she kept out of trouble.
Lastly, when a contest was said to be held in Veilstone City, eager to compete, Dawn rushed to the site. While in the city, she decided to stop and visit her old friend, Maylene. The two shared a wonderful evening, catching up on everything they had both done. After a lot of consideration, the fierce gym leader trusted Dawn with the care of Lucario's egg. The bluenette had once natured an egg, but this time is was because a close friend had trusted her to cherish and take care of it. After the contest, the egg had hatched and there appeared the tiny Riolu who had grown to be very jolly. She then learned how to communicate, with the help of Maylene, with her pup through aura and convinced the lad on taking on contests along with her. This later led to Riolu loving contests and showing true potential while still being a strong member of the family.
All of her Pokémon cried out their name vainly, striking a pose after being released. With Luxray in the far back, the smaller ones were all in the front. A very coordinated party indeed.
"Alright guys, are you all ready for a new journey?!" Dawn said closing a fist with persistence, receiving a loud round of cheerful cries. "Good because we're heading to the Kalos region to cheer on our old traveling companion, Ash. We want to make sure he wins this league once and for all."
Buneary's eyes lit up upon hearing the news of an anticipated reunion between her and Pikachu. "Bun bun!"
"I'm sure you're excited to see him again, Buneary." Dawn winked at her little rabbit. "For now we have to head over to Professor Rowan's lab to whip up the first team that will be headed to Kalos." To this, some of their heads dropped in discouragement. "No need to worry guys! I'll be making switches between all of you so you all get to experience Kalos. I'm sure the Professor wouldn't mind." Her Pokémon once again let out cries in joy as approval of their trainers plan. Dawn smiled and cupped her hands. "Mom, we're going over to Professor Rowan's lab. We'll be back in a couple of hours!"
"Alright dear, be safe!" Johanna's voice was heard from the inside of her house.
"Right, well let's get going then guys!" Dawn said as she picked up Riolu in her hands and Piplup took a spot in her shoulder while the rest followed the coordinator down Route 202.
"Yay, I don't get to walk!" Riolu happily said as he rode on Dawn's arms. She merely chuckled and laughed while giving her a kiss on the head. She adored her little girl.
The clear sky was no longer as bright as it began to grow cloudy with an enjoyable atmosphere. A light wind picked up as the gang reached the lab and walked through the automatic doors. The group then saw the other members of the team being fed and ran up to them. Dawn put down Riolu while Piplup jumped off her shoulder.
"You guys!" Dawn merrily made her way over to her Pokémon and gave each one a sweet and warm hug. "Pachirisu, Togekiss, Mamoswine! Look at how healthy and gorgeous you are!"
"Of course, we only give the best treatment here at the lab." Professor Rowan's voice was heard as he entered the room.
Dawn smiled as she laid eyes on the white haired man. "Professor, it's so nice to see you again after so long."
"I am pleased to see the talk of the year in person, nonetheless in my lab. You have come a long way since we first met." Rowan gave her a miniature smile and half chuckled. "Any future plans?"
"I sure have and yes, actually, that's why we came to visit." Dawn signaled over to her Pokémon. "I'm leaving to the Kalos region tomorrow and I'd like to gather the first team to join me on the journey and switch around them while I'm there to give them all the opportunity to see Kalos, if you wouldn't mind. I can see the struggle of having to send Pokémon and how much of a pain it can be."
"Hm, the Kalos region seems interesting." Rowan said as he rubbed his glorious stache. "I wouldn't mind at all and no Dawn, it isn't as bad as you make it seem. As a matter of fact, I have a surprise for you."
"A surprise? For me?"
"You see your friend O, contacted me a few days ago mentioning how Ambipom wanted to return now that her training was over." Rowan gave her a brief explanation as Dawn's speechless face formed teary eyes. "So, she was delivered a couple of hours ago and there she is." Rowan pointed over to the other room entrance and there appeared the long tailed Pokémon.
As soon as it laid eyes on Dawn, her eyes winded. She blinked a couple of times to make sure it was Dawn who she was seeing. Admitting to herself that it was her trainer, she softened her gaze and began to cry. "Ambi ambipom!" it ran to her arms and clung onto Dawn. The happiness inside her couldn't be described as she longed for their reunion.
"Oh, Ambipom." Dawn muttered as she held onto Ambipom. Holding in her own tears and trying to speak over the knot in her throat, she rubbed the sentimental Pokémon's back. "I've missed you so much!" Ambipom whined and sobbed as it embraced Dawn while the rest watched in bliss from seeing the charming reunion. She could feel Ambipom's tears soak her blouse as she held onto her, but she didn't mind. It had been a long time since she had last seen her. After a while, Ambipom's sobs shortly calmed down and gave Dawn a heartfelt smile. They let go of the embrace as every other Pokémon went up to their two tailed pal. Quilava, Riolu, Togekiss, Leafeon and Luxray watched as they all greeted her.
Noticing this, Dawn went over to the others. "I completely forgot that you have no idea who she is, so want you five to meet a very special member of our family. This is Ambipom. She was originally my friend, Ash's, Aipom, but since she was so infatuated with contests and my then Buizel was so passionate about battling, Ash and I made the hard decision and traded Pokémon. It wasn't a mistake or anything like that because she later evolved into Ambipom and helped me win many contests on our first journey while Buizel helped Ash breeze through his Gym Battles proving that battling was impaled deep in his heart. Sadly, after we won the Celestic Ribbon, we participated in the Ping Pong Tournament where Ambipom found another passion. It was her choice to pick whether she wanted to continue Pokémon Contests or play ping pong. She chose ping pong and went under the training of O in Kanto. It has been 3 years since we've last seen her so I guess this is why I'd like you all to understand why we're all so excited to have her back."
Her Pokémon nodded at their trainer with smiles on their faces as they went over to greet her as well.
I love meeting new friends! Riolu exclaimed as she went over to Ambipom and gave her a hug. She was known for being so loving, but she knew who she could actually approach since she had the ability to sense auras.
"Ambi?" Ambipom looked confused for a second but without hesitation, she returned the hug. She should've expected Dawn to get more friends.
"Now Dawn, you have 10 Pokémon in total, which means you'll have to leave 4 here and switch the team around." Rowan pointed out. "Do you have a team in mind?"
"Well with Ambipom back, I'm going to have to make adjustments to the party I already had in mind. Can everyone lineup please?" Dawn gleefully asked her companions and they did as told. Dawn eyed them and pouted. "This is tough; I wish I could take you all at the same time, but that damn rule about only 6 Pokémon at a time is aggravating. The run down is Piplup, Buneary, Pachirisu, Ambipom, Mamoswine, Togekiss, Riolu, Quilava, Luxray and Leafeon." Dawn stayed silent for a couple of minutes as she eyed all of her Pokémon, wondering who the best options were to take first.
She finally made a decision and smiled. "I don't want anyone to get offended, okay? It's going to be Piplup, Riolu, Buneary, Togekiss, Ambipom and Quilava to be the first team." The selected Pokémon let out a cheer while the rest nodded their head in acceptance.
"The remaining Pokémon will stay here in my lab or rotate with Johanna since she has a similar set up as mine. How does that sound, Dawn?" Rowan asked.
"I didn't know that was an option, but I'm totally okay with them staying over at my house if it's possible." Dawn nodded to her Pokémon as they cried in agreement.
"Very well then, they'll be transferred to your mother's house just call whenever you'll make a switch." Rowan gave her a small grin.
Dawn then returned the selected members into their Pokeballs and nodded. "Sure thing! Thank you again, Professor Rowan. I'll you guys later tonight!" She said to her Pokémon and then started for the door with Piplup and Riolu next to her.
"Take care and send in anything new you see!" Rowan called after her as he waved her off from his lab.
The sun had begun to set and was ready to hide behind the mountains as the moon began to rise from its slumber, ready to shine its magical light upon Dawn and her fellow companions finding themselves back at their house. Twinleaf Town looked so calm and bright. She was glad she was part of this great town.
"Twinleaf sure is precious, isn't it guys." Dawn said while they walked over to the Berlitz household.
"Piplup!" he agreed.
Mommy grew up in a very pretty place. Riolu noted as she took Dawn's hand.
"I sure did!" Dawn smiled widely. The trio soon reached their house and made their way in, finding Johanna giving dinner the finishing touches.
"You took much more than I thought you would." Johanna half chuckled. "Rowan sent in your Pokémon, they're over there. I'm guessing you made your first team. It must've been a hard choice to make from so many gifted Pokémon."
"Sorry, it was a long way and we needed some supplies before tomorrow." Dawn sheepishly smiled. "Oh good, I'll go take them out and yeah it was difficult, but they all know they'll have their own opportunity to see the new land. Rowan had a surprise for me!" Dawn then pulled out Ambipom's Pokeball from her belt and released her. "Look who's back!"
"Ambi!"
"It truly is a surprise!" Johanna smiled as she made her way towards the purple Pokémon. "It's so nice to see you again, Ambipom. You certainly missed a whole lot while training."
"Ambi?"
"Yeah, take a look." Dawn pointed at the Wall of Fame. Ambipom then headed to see the pictures and trophies. "I am now a Top Coordinator in both Hoenn and in Sinnoh. Isn't that great!?"
Ambipom looked at the achievements on the wall, feeling confused as to how she should feel. She saw a picture of her and Dawn winning the Celestic ribbon, she actually recognized a lot of things but grew a melancholy feeling inside upon seeing the other 12 pictures of celebrating won contests with the other Pokémon and two trophies. "Am ambi."
Noticing her change of mood, Dawn put a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "Hey, no need to worry! You went after your own ambitions and I couldn't hold you back from them. It's alright to miss a couple of events; it doesn't mean there won't be any more."
"Pip!" Piplup patted one of its tails with his flipper.
That's right. I'm sure we'll be doing much more in the future!" Riolu then took her other tail in her hand in order to give comfort.
Noting her friends' effort, her gaze lifted and rose a fist up in the air. She knew it would be her time to show what she was made of once more when the correct time came. "Ambipom!"
"That's the spirit, Ambipom, now how about you all enjoy a delicious meal. Tomorrow is an important day for all of you!" Johanna smiled as she moved aside to show the feast that awaited them. "Why don't you let all of your Pokémon out, Dawn."
"Sure, everyone come on out!" Dawn said as released her Pokémon. She then made her way to the cupboard and got her other Pokémon. "What about Mamoswine? He's too big, mom."
"Well why don't we move this feast outside then? We want everyone to enjoy it as much as they can." Johanna suggested while everyone agreed. The whole gang along with Johanna's Pokémon then helped set up two chairs and a table along with the transportation of all the food outside. Ambipom helped set up some lighting as it was already dark outside, but it was a very enjoyable night. The breeze was cool and calm and it created a relaxed environment. Everyone enjoyed the night as they all tried to get to know each other better.
After they were all done, they once again helped get the things back into the house and attended clean chores while Mamoswine stayed outside with Luxray to keep him company. You'd expect the ground type and eletric type to quarrel often, but they were pretty good partners. They were both seen as the protectors of the family.
"Thank you all for helping today. It made this day very special and we bonded even more with one another. That's how it should always be." Dawn said with a grin. All of her Pokémon sang in unison as they were glad to help out and had to admit they had fun. "For now, we should head to bed guys. Mamoswine you're going to have to go back to your Pokeball since you won't fit inside. Sorry big guy."
"Mamo." He whined but complied as he knew there was no way he would be able to fit inside. Dawn then took his Pokeball and returned him.
"Goodnight mom," Dawn called as she made her way up the stairs with her Pokémon following behind, all saying their goodnights. Dawn went over to the bathroom and changed into her nightgown and brushed her teeth. She made her way to her bed, where Piplup and Riolu had made themselves comfortable, and looked over her Pokémon. "Tomorrow we head away from home once again, so let's make this a good one guys."
Her companions then nodded and conceded her plans. In all honesty, they were so excited to head out on the road again. They all shared their goodnights and soon drifted off to sleep. The only one awake was Dawn. She was filled with excitement as the thought of traveling somewhere new came to her mind. A new journey and reunion was rising along the horizon and she was ready. The teen later fell in a deep slumber as she relaxed her muscles and her eyes grew heavy.
The next day, the fired up team was seen waking up from their sleep and heading down to the battle ground bright and early as they were all ready to take on the next challenge. Fresh air filled their lungs as they squeezed a little of time of their training session to practice on all the combinations and techniques Dawn had in mind. With so many moves and ideas, there was an endless amount of things she could do.
"Let's get this started! Leafeon get that Energy Ball to expand a little and then directed towards the sky and Piplup use Ice Beam on it and Ambipom you hit it with Double Hit! Mamoswine use Blizzard and Luxray use Thunderbolt on the Blizzard and Pachirisu you use Discharge. Quilava use Eruption, Buneary use Shadow Ball and aim it towards the center, Togekiss you use Air Slash and Riolu use Force Palm to finish it off!" She called out as she ordered 3 sets of combinations.
The energy ball was covered in a thin layer of ice as it was elevated off the ground and Ambipom hit it with her powerful Double Hit, breaking it into sparkling bits of different shades of green. The vigorous Blizzard was then started and then the combination of Luxray's yellow Thunderbolt and Pachirisu's blue Discharge hit it, creating a mildly cold and static environment filled with bright colors. Quilava's Eruption was blasted off while Buneary hit it with her Shadow Ball, creating a magenta flame that was cut into pieces by Togekiss's Air Slash, leaving Riolu the task of breaking it all with her powerful Force Palm. With a lot of pressure on the pup's back, her move broke the magenta flames and left behind a beautiful sunset in the background. All of her Pokemon finished the performance with a bow and allowed their creation to flow around them to bring out their unique features. Her Pokemon were indeed the main attraction.
Clapping could be heard from the side of the battle ground, catching everyone's attention. There stood Johanna, proud and tall. "That was gorgeous! A lot of strong moves were launched. I bet it took a lot of practice to use a necessary portion of Piplup's Ice Beam to freeze the sensitive Energy Ball."
"Thanks mom. We sure have worked a lot on that combination. The Energy Ball always managed to fall on Piplup for some reason and then he would begin to bicker with Leafeon. Overall, it just created a big mess." Dawn scratched her cheek as her Pokémon recalled the many times it took to perfect the move. She then looked at her team and raised her hands to her waist. "But since you're all so talented we pulled it off and I believe we need a well deserved break. How does that sound?"
"That sounds like a plan, now I'll set the Pokémon's food out here while you and I talk inside." Johanna explained. "Ambipom, Luxray and Leafeon, could you all help me move the food outside?" The two Pokémon then nodded and helped the middle aged woman take the food outside. Ambipom took 5 plates while Luxray took 3 and Leafeon took 2. "Thank you so much. Make sure you all enjoy the food."
Dawn entered her house and settled her gaze on a package that was on top of the coffee table. She moved towards the living room and saw a note "What's this mom?"
"Delia's package came in this morning. I'm supposing it's her outfit gifted to you." Johanna said as she sat on the couch with a cup of coffee in her hand while Glameow sat next to her.
Dawn got the note and read out loud.
Dear Dawn,
I sincerely hope you like this new outfit that I custom made. I went into deep thought about what you would like and I hope I hit the jackpot. Enjoy your travels and stay safe. Try to keep Ash out of trouble too, and make sure he's brushing his teeth. He tends to forget.
Love,
Delia.
"Delia is so sweet, let's see what she sent." Dawn let the note down on the table and opened the package, revealing her new look. A baby pink pleaded skirt and black buttons on the side with a hot pink stripe across the waistband, making it the star of the outfit. Then there was a black sleeveless cotton v-neck top, black spandex, a black scarf, black high knee socks, pink hair clips and a pair of black combat boots with pink laces and lastly, a new beanie with the Pokeball being the same color as the stripe that ran along the waistband of the skirt. "This is all so cute! She even equipped it with a new backpack! It's a crimson color and it's alomst the same as my old one!" Dawn cheered as she set down the backpack and bolted to the bathroom to change. Just then Piplup, Quilava, Leafeon, Pachirisu, Buneary and Riolu walked into the room.
"Delia has really good sense of style; you'll get to be the first to see it firsthand." Johanna mentioned to her daughters Pokémon as Glameow agreed with her longtime trainer.
Dawn then ran to the living room with her new attire and twirled around the room. "I'm so in love with this!" Her Pokémon's eyes lit with stars as they witnessed their trainer in a different look. "I don't recognize myself!"
"It looks lovely on you, Dawn." Johanna noted and smiled.
You look so beautiful, mommy! Riolu squealed in excitement.
"Thanks guys, but it's all thanks to Delia." Dawn smiled as she made a mental note to call her later.
"One would expect a PokeStylist to come up with her own designed outfits, you know?" The blue haired woman sipped on her cup of tea, receiving a giggle from all the Pokémon present.
"I was too busy coming up with designs for my Pokémon to stand out. I didn't have time for myself." Dawn pouted and poked her nose in the air.
"I know, I know." Johanna set her cup on the table and walked over to Dawn. "You've grown into such a wonderful woman."
"Come on, mom. I'm only 15." Dawn laughed and smiled at her Pokémon, who were all mesmerized by their trainer. "I think they really like this outfit."
Johanna then chuckled and then gave a sigh with a hint of sadness.
"What's wrong mom?"
"It's nothing, you know me, I'm not the emotional type, but this time around it just hit me how much you've grown since your first departure. It's hard to believe that you just came back and you're ready to leave again. I understand how Delia feels now." Johanna laughed.
"Aww, mom!" Touched by her mother's words, Dawn took her into an embrace. "Thank you for everything you've done for me to get this far."
"It's my job." The older woman said as rubbed her daughter's hair. She then let go of her younger and smiled. "You should get your things ready since your plane leaves in a couple of hours and it's already noon, you wouldn't want to miss it."
Dawn nodded as she emptied her backpack and put all of her supplies into the new one. Putting on her boots and tying the laces, she grabbed the beanie from the table and adjusted it so it sat perfectly on her head. She turned and gave her mom and Pokémon a smile. "I'm ready to leave then."
They walked outside to find her other Pokémon resting under a shade provided by an umbrella. "I believe you would all like to wish Dawn and the rest a good trip." Johanna said as everyone got up and ran towards Dawn, gripping her in an embrace.
"We're not going to be apart for so long, guys." Dawn said as she let go of them and admired the various Pokémon. "Now, Buneary, Togekiss, Quilava and Ambipom return!" She said as she pulled out their Pokeballs and a red flash returned them. She then looked up at the rest and smiled. "I'll call when I get to Lumiose City."
"Good luck, Dawn and I'll be waiting for your call." Johanna said as Glameow took her spot next to her. Dawn then took Piplup in her arms and Riolu jumped on her head.
"I will! Love you all and no need to worry!" She said as she walked away from her home with everyone waving goodbye.
Johanna gave a small smile and sweat dropped. "That's when I worry the most."
This is going to be such a memorable trip!" Riolu said happily as they walked away, to which the both agreed to.
The sun's rays of bright light shinned on Dawn, Piplup and Riolu as they made it to (I completely made this up!) Sandgem Town, and made their way to the airport where their plane would take off from.
They entered the building and sat down in the lobby, patiently waiting for their flight. "Flight 619 is now boarding its passengers who are on their way to Lumiose City in the Kalos region." The trio heard the speaker notify. Nodding at each other, they all walked over to their assigned gate, striking a confident grin.
"Next stop, Lumiose City!" Dawn marched into the plane with Riolu and Piplup trailing close behind. She was surprisingly nervous, but about what exactly? She shrugged off the feeling as they boarded the plane and took their assigned seats. Piplup has always enjoyed the window seat while Riolu wasn't so fond of being lifted from the ground.
This is always so scary for me," Riolu let out a little squeal as she snaked her way into Dawn's grasp.
Dawn couldn't help but to chuckle at the fearful Pokémon. "You'll be fine, Riolu." With that, Riolu grew more confident and she relaxed in her trainers hold. They were prepared for the awaited journey after all.
A couple of thousand miles from the blunette's current location, a raven haired trainer with a red cap along with his best friend peaked over a hill that gave them the perfect view of the far way Prism Tower in Lumoise City where his next conference would take place. Ash Ketchum, the 17 year-old male with high hopes and vigilant confidence was ready to take on this league and win it with the help of his longtime best friend, Pikachu.
"At this rate we should be in Lumoise City just in time for the league. It's so close yet so far!" Ash half whined. He then elevated a fist to eye level with determination and smiled. "I can already feel it though; our win is closer than we think." The boy then wore a blue and white jacket with a semi high collar, a black undershirt, dark blue jeans and high top red sneakers along with his trademark hat whose only difference was the white bill.
"Pika pi!" Pikachu matched his trainers' enthusiasm.
"You got that right, but first is the Gadget Festival which in on route 12 so we wouldn't detour for a long time." A voice with a joyous tone was heard as a blonde boy who wore a blue jumpsuit with yellow stripes made his way up the hill with a map on his hand and stood next to Ash's side.
"Sure Clemont, it's all good with me, how about you Bonnie?" Ash asked as a smaller version of Clemont as she made her way up the hill too. This young lady wore a dark brown blouse with a black ribbon on the chest, a white skirt, black shorts and pink Mary Jane flats and to wrap it all up she carried around a yellow satchel where she kept a Dedenne.
"Yeah that's okay. We wouldn't be able to stop brother either way." Bonnie sweat dropped and shrugged. "Is it a problem for you, Serena?"
Just then, a brunette who wore a light pink dress over a grayish-black tank-top with a white collar that was tied at the collar with a blue ribbon, a long red vest with large pockets over the dress, black high knee socks with brown boots and a well placed pink-red fedora took its place on her head. She sighed and nodded as she stretched her back. "It's fine, as long as we make it to Lumoise City. I can't wait to sleep in a bed! The ground is hurting my back more than helping it."
Ash gave her a nervous chuckle and nodded. "No need to worry, we'll be there in no time! And when we get there, I'll be ready for the league!" Ash exclaimed as he made his way down the hill.
"I just wish we could slow down a bit." Clemont whined as he dragged his feet, following Ash. To this, the girls giggled as they followed behind. Something new was on the way and neither of them was expecting to encounter what was in store for them.
Hey there you beautiful people. The cringy 13 year old, now 17, is back at sharing her love for pearlshipping. I started reading a lot of recent works featuring this lovely ship and I just had to jump on this wonderful world once again. I really really hope you enjoy my newly and improved work. It took a couple of days to actually write and publish this, but I'm very proud and confident that this will become a successful story. I'll always close off with my note at the end cause well, I rather you see what I have to say after you read. Anyways, enjoy it and don't forget to leave a review and follow the story! Add it to your favorites as well. It would help my confidence grow and make this a much better tale!
~Sw33tChick 3