Hi there, everyone! This is IvanAipom93 talking. I guess some of you came from the well-known Facebook PearlShipping page. Before reading my fanfiction, here are some tips. First of all, it was originally written in Italian; I'm Italian and I actually learn English day-by-day, so this is, for me, a way to improve my English, too. If you notice any errors, grammar mistakes, not-correctly-used words... just tell me and give me advices about how to fix them. I'll be happy to do so! Second thing: this is originally meant to be a fan-episode (not a fanfiction), so it was without so many description in the Italian version. Even if I improved that (because I didn't find the idea so good nowadays), remember that's still a fan-episode! It's like a DP099,5 in the Diamond and Pearl Pokémon series, so between episode 99 and episode 100. My advise is to imagine everything that happens in the story, also the characters' voices: let them talk in your mind!
Also, bold sentences are title and narrator's words, while italic parts are thoughts (not spoken words).
Thanks everyone for the attention. I hope you like my stories,
-IvanAipom93
Chapter 1 – Welcome to the Roller Coaster!
«I would have never thought we could be THIS lucky, Dawn!»
«They say luck is blind, afterall! Looks like this time she saw us, Ash!»
«Sure, but winning two free tickets for the PokéPark means being really a lucky beggar!»
«Well... better!»
The journey of Ash, Dawn and Brock to Hearthome City just had a sudden interruption...
Ash and Dawn were walking side by side, holding Pikachu and Piplup, on a long boulevard surrounded by trees; they were heading to the amusement park sited at the end of the road.
«I'm kind of sad Brock isn't with us, but there are only two tickets!»
«Uhm, well, Ash... I think he's not so sad after all.»
«What do you mean?»
«I mean that probably he's having more fun with Nurse Joy at the reception!»
«Oh, yeah», he nodded, smiling. «You must be right!»
«But it's also bad that we can carry just our first Pokémon with us... I'd like to have all our Pokémon!»
«Well, maybe Buneary and the others will keep an eye on Brock!»
«I think he'll act the same as always...», the girl joked.
The two boys noticed the entrance to the park, directly pointing to it.
«Hey, Dawn... I acually have something to ask you!»
«Um, tell me?»
«Why are you dressed... like that?», the boy turned to the girl and stared at her for some moments, making her a little inapposite at the moment. Dawn didn't have her usual dress; instead, she was wearing a pair of pale-brown trousers and a blue t-shirt, with some colored decorations.
«It's normal, you know! We're going to an amusement park and I wanted to stay comfortable, because we'll go on several rides inside!», she stated, full-confident of herself.
«Oh, you're right...»
«Anyway, that's not the right thing to say to a girl! One does not simply say "dressed like that" because it sounds like an offense! But I'll forgive you because I know you're not impolite...»
«Oh, no, no, wait a minute!», Ash went very defensive, justifying himself. «I used wrong words, I didn't mean that; you're beautiful and always, and I could never say otherwise!»
"What... what Ash did just say!? Was that... a compliment?"
Dawn turned her blushing face to the other side, but was already too late, because Ash was insistently staring at her.
«W-well, t-thank you! B-but hey, wha-»
Ash approached her, holding her head with a hand and turning it to his side.
«Why is your face all red, Dawn? Something is wrong?»
«I-I'M NOT RED, OKAY!?»
«Oh, yes, you are! Are you sure you're okay?»
«N-no need to worry, I said! N-now please, g-go away!», she blushed. Dawn was trying to keep her eyes on everything but Ash; the boy was making her really embarassed.
«Okay, as you want...» Pikachu reacted with a mischievous smile, directed to his trainer. «Why are you so amused?», Ash answered, looking dense as always, not knowing what was going on. Piplup was a lot more mischievous however; he tapped her coordinator with his beak, then laughing the most he could. «STOP THERE, PIPLUP! YOU CAN'T MAKE FUN OF ME!"», Dawn replied angrily.
«Why Ash has to say such things? I really don't understand him!», she thought.
«Finally, here we are!», he said loudly as they reached the ticket office of the PokéPark. They validated their tickets, entering in a wonderful place. People were walking with wide smiles in every direction, happy music was playing all around that special park.
«This looks fantastic! Come on, Ash, let's go immediately somewhere!»
«Yeah, I have a map», he extracted a piece of paper from the pocket, unfolding it in a pair of moments. «Where to go, where to go...»
«Come on, come on, decide!», Dawn was really exicted.
«Um... what do you think of the roller coaster?»
The girl reacted a bit worried. «Wha... roller coaster? B-but... do they go really high?»
«For sure! Really really high! And there's a vertical loop, too! We'll be upside down! It must be the best of the best!»
«N-NO ASH, W-WAIT!»
«...huh?», he frowned as she seemed to hesitate. «Are you... afraid?»
«W-well I... I mean... w-why don't we start with a calmer one?», she said, stuttering. The reality looked so blatant.
«Procrastinating doesn't make any sense! Don't tell me you're afraid of a simple roller coaster!»
Dawn started to look down, joining her hands as she began to talk with a soft and a bit frightened voice. «I-I've n-never been on a r-roller coaster... I t-think t-that's too much f-for me...»
«Come on!», Ash reacted naturally. «You're with me, after all!»
«W-what do you mean?»
«There's no need to worry: you'll be perfectly fixed to your seat. This stuff is tested!»
«Y-yeah I know but...», the actual safety wasn't the deal. She pointed her hand to the roller coaster in front of them, where people were screaming as the ride went up and down. «T-that's too high for me...»
«Come on, don't be a coward!»
«HEY, I'M NOT A COWARD!», the girl replied proudly. But Ash knew she wasn't so sure after all. He approached her with a strange looking, staring at her with tender and loving eyes, then he held her hand, leading it in front of him. «You don't have to be scared», he said with a peculiar soft voice. Anybody in the world had never heard that before, too. «I'll be near to you the whole time!», he smiled widely.
Dawn was totally surprised as she noticed that unique romantic way of acting from Ash. He was staring at her eyes from and he was unusually close to her; this made her blush furiously, she left his hand in the throes of embarassment.
«Oh, Ash... o-okay... I'll c-come w-with you...», the girl felt so awkward, watching Ash.
«Let's go, now! I don't want to get stuck in a queue!», Ash was suddenly the same as always. What did just happen right before? Dawn was even more shocked from his abrupt change of attitude; she watched him running for some moments, then she decided to follow him.
«I'm coming, I'm coming!»
Some moments later, the two trainers found a little queue, just a matter of a few minutes.
«B-b-b-b-but A-a-a-a-ash, l-l-look t-there! That's sooooo high!», she pointed directly to highest part of the roller coaster, as she could see it from the outside. «A-are you sure I have to go... there?»
«You'll have fun!»
«B-bu-but how is it possible to have fun on a thing like THAT!?»
«Trust me, it is!»
A guy interrupted them. «It's your turn!», one of the several park assistants said. «The trainers go in the front sides. Yours are little Pokémon, so they can just sit on the back sides. Belt up!»
Ash, Dawn, Pikachu and Piplup followed the tips. The assistant told them to have fun, even if Dawn didn't seem so. When the ride started moving, she started shivering a lot.
«A-a-a-a-ash?»
«Are you still afraid, Dawn?»
«B-but are you sure nothing bad can happen?»
«Totally sure! If you're scared, hold me!»
«O...okay!»
The little machine went up and up, faster and faster. It was going to reach the top high in a little time. During the "tour", the entire, wonderful panorama of the PokéPark spreaded in front of the eyes of every guest.
«T-THIS IS SERIOUSLY GOING UP THERE? IT ISN'T, ASH?»
While Pikachu and Piplup seemed really exicted, Dawn was very frightened. She would have ran away in the sky, without the belts that were keeping her held at the seat.
«Yea, it is!», Ash said with a loud voice. He was really happy to be there. Every word was shout with great enthusiasm.
«N-NO P-PLEASE, L-LET ME GO OUT OF THIS!»
«Come on, relax, nothing is going to happen! Except fuUUUUUUUUUUUUUNNNN!», the ride went down just while he was screaming. Ash laughed at that.
«WAAAAAAHH!», Dawn changed expression. «THIS IS AWESOME!»
The ride continued with up-and-down fast movements, Pikachu and Piplup spreading her little arms in the air for the joy.
«NOW, WHAT DO YOU SAY?», screaming was the only way to let someone hear the voice.
«I ADMIT IT! THIS IS EXCITING! THIS IS GREEEEE-», the ride just had another climb slope. «-EEEEEEEEEAT!»
The two totally left themselves in the excitement. Every part of that event was highly enjoyable, expecially the upside-down part. Dawn totally forgot the fear that was holding her before she started. At the end of the path, the machine slowed down, moment by moment, then completely stopped.
«That was... seriously awesome! So full of adrenaline! So powerful!»
«Told you! How could you not trust me!», he replied, proud of himself. Pikachu and Piplup, just like Ash and Dawn, untied the secure belts, and came off of the ride holding one to another to avoid falling. Then Ash did the same, closing his eyes and staying still for some moments before walking off.
«You were totally right!», the girl said, totally taken by the excitement. «I could even do it again!», she fastly went off from there, standing up on the ground again.
«Wait, Dawn, slower! Come out slower!» Ash tried to advice his friend, but she didn't pay too much attention.
«What? Why?», that was just a matter of moments: Dawn totally lost her balance and fell down in dizzyness. «B-be caref-», Ash tried to hold her, but the girl fell on him and they hitted the ground together.
«Ouch...» he slowly touched his back to be sure he was still a one-pieced boy. Dawn didn't even understand she had felt down that way. «What... what did just happen!?»
«As I was saying...» - he continued, aching - «You could have probably had a vertigo!»
«Wha... a vertigo? But why in the world?»
«That happens often, when you finish a roller coaster...»
«Whe-» The girl suddenly noticed she actually was on Ash. Well, she took more time than one would usually do.
«W-WAIT, I-I FELL ON YOU! S-SORRY, ASH!», she screamed in sincere regret. But Ash didn't seem to mind that stuff, after all.
«Uh, don't worry... I'm... I'm okay...»
The Pallet Town boy was actually holding the Twinleaf girl in his arms. That happened as an accident, but at that moment the thing wasn't important. Dawn noticed Ash was staring at her eyes, with a curious child-like face, They remained in that position, Ash gently keeping Dawn in his arms, the two adorably watching in each other's eyes, for some more moments.
Then she got up in a twitch, waking up from that sort of trance she previously fell in. Ash was still watching her like a little child would see a raining day for the first time in his life.
«S-s-sorry Ash, d-did I hurt you?»
«No, nothing...», his voice sounded totally absent, like in another world.
She noticed that, temporarily forgetting the strange situation she was in. «Ash... are you okay?»
«Yeah, I'm okay...», he got up, possibly "waking up" too.
«Doesn't look so much! Are you sure you don't have a problem?»
«No, nothing... I just noticed one thing, but it's nothing...»
«Huh? What did you notice?»
«N-no, seriously, nothing important at all!»
«Oh, come on!», she kept acting a little childish, too. «Now you made me curious!»
«But it's nothing important! Are you sure you want to know?»
«Yeah!», she shouted with a wide smile. «I want to know!»
«Well, ehm... I noticed...
… I noticed you're so tiny!»
«... what?», the girl was completely stunned, watching the world with wide eyes.
«You're tiny!»
«But... but wha...», she clearly realized what she heard. «WHA... WHAT DID YOU SAY!?»
«Just what I noticed!», he answered, acting with total innocence. «When you fell on me, you stayed there for a while, and you were... tiny!»
«D-DO YOU EVEN REALIZE THIS ISN'T A THING TO SAY!?»
Dawn fastly went from astonishment to total embarassment. It didn't properly sound like a compliment, but was more a thing that girls normally hear from their boyfriends.
«But you asked me to say that!»
«T-this isn't a-a thing to say!», she started walking away, with a full red face, and Ash followed her keeping asking himself what he did to cause that reaction. Pikachu and Piplup, in the meanwhile, were following their trainers, while splitting their sides laughing.