My first fanfic ever is up on YAY! -does happy dance- ahem! So this is the triadic tale of Ash and Dawn's downfall. This is actually going to be a 3-shot story or a trilogy if you will. Ash is about 14-16 years old in this and Dawn is his first real relationship. Don't ask why a young teenager has his own apartment and is sharing it with an older male. If you ask that then I'll ask you what's a 10 year old doing traveling on his own with 2 strangers? It's just the pokeverse, best not to question. Anyway lyrics are at the bottom. Have fun with it. I know I had fun writing it.

Song: Anybody by Jesse McCartney

She left me hangin' by a thread again
I stood there waiting like a fool for her
I never dreamed that I'd be in this place
But here I am all alone
It's not the first time that she's walked away
Changed all our plans within the blink of an eye
And looking back it's always been the same
But I refused to see it all for what it was

[Chorus:]
Has anybody ever felt this way
Has anybody been ripped apart
Anybody give everything to the one they love
Am I the only one left behind
Am I the only one who hates goodbyes
God I know this can't go on forever

I wonder if she ever thinks of me
And all the promises she swore to keep
Some nights I lay in bed just burning up
'Cause I know that she's out with someone else

[Chorus]

I was the one who gave up everything for her
When no one would listen I heard every word, oh
It took me so long to see that maybe I am better off alone

[Chorus X2]

God I know this can't go on
All I wanna do is just move on
God I know this can't go on forever
Yeah I know this won't go on forever
God I know this can't go on forever

Author's note: I do not own Pokemon, Pikachu, Misty, Ash, Brock, May or Dawn. It and they belong to their respected owners and all that. If I owned this Misty would have never left and Ash would be at least 16 by now.

"Ash I don't get why you're so worried. So I didn't tell my ex you were my boyfriend," Dawn paced the living room, fiddling with her hair as she did so. Ash lay sprawled out on the couch, the two had been arguing all night and he wished it would just end but, his mouth just wouldn't shut up. "He knew what I meant besides, the way you hovered around me should have said something," He could have stopped the argument now, admitted she was right and the two could have gone to bed, forgetting this whole thing. If only his brain worked faster then his mouth, "This isn't the first time that's happened Dawn. Every time we run into on of your exes, you treat me like I'm just your friend. After nearly a year I thought I meant more to you then that but, it seems like you're ashamed of me," he yelled.

Her scowl made the young trainer want to eat his words, "I'm not ashamed of you Ash," the coordinator spat, "It's just that I don't feel the need to flaunt our relationship to the world,"

"Seems like you only have a problem 'flaunting' our relationship around your exes," he mumbled. Dawn's eyes turned into thin slits but, before she could answer Brock slumped through on his way to the kitchen. "Dawn are you still here? Can I get you something to eat?" he said with a yawn. The couples fighting had woken him up but he'd never admit it. "No thank you, I'm going home," she grabbed her backpack and headed out the door before Ash could protest.

Brock flopped on the couch beside a now sulking Ash. The breeder was wide awake by the time Dawn slammed the door behind her, "Okay, what happened this time?" he asked, resting a comforting hand on his friend's shoulder. Ash sighed, "Same as always. Another ex comes by and suddenly I'm demoted to 'friend' status. Sometimes I think she takes me for granted. I know I'm not the best choice for a boyfriend but I'd like to think I'm not bottom of the barrel," he ran his hands through his hair, "I just wish she could see that," Brock held his chin, taking a moment to think before he spread his age old wisdom upon his old friend. "Well Ash why don't you just tell her that?" he asked. Ash frowned, "You don't think I've tried that? She doesn't listen! It just feels hopeless," Ash sat back on the couch.

More tired then ever, he closed his eyes and hoped for a solution to pop out of thin air, though he knew it never would. "Well I'm sorry to say Ash but when all else fails, sometimes the best thing is to just leave," Brock said. He tried to be unbiased but, in the last six months the breeder along with their friend Misty had heard Ash cry one to many times over the blue haired girl. Ash sighed, "She's the first girl I ever got the nerve to ask out. I don't want to leave her," Brock rolled his eyes, Ash was to naive for his own good sometimes, "If she's the first, I'm sure she won't be the last. You need to talk with her, she can't keep treating you like this," Brock stood up and started back for his room, "Get some sleep for tonight buddy," He said. Ash slumped farther down into the couch, letting his body usher him to sleep.

The next day Ash decided to call Dawn and have her meet him at town square. With Pikachu on his shoulder, he felt a little more confident about talking with the blue haired girl. He sat on a bench, rubbing his faithful friend's cheeks and listening to the cooing chaa the little electric mouse made. Dawn was late, they were supposed to meet at noon for lunch yet the sun's position in the sky told the trainer it was near 2:00. Ash sighed, "Not again," he said to himself. Pikachu nuzzled his trainer, "Don't worry Ash," the pokemon peeped. Inside Pikachu was thinking of 1001 ways to shock his best friend's girlfriend without the boy finding out.

As Ash stood up to leave, a pair of aqua green eyes caught his attention, "Misty?" He said in surprise. The young water pokemon trainer had been sentenced to taking over for her sisters in Cerulean city gym over a year ago. She hugged Ash, "My sisters are back and decided to give me a break. So I figure I'd come see my favorite guys. How are you? What's the matter?" she asked. No one knew Ash like Misty did and so, he knew any attempts he may have made to seem happy were useless the second he saw her, "Dawn," was all he said and all he needed to say. Misty sat him down, Pikachu leaping on her shoulder. "She was supposed to meet you here wasn't she?" Misty asked. Ash nodded, Misty rolled her eyes. For a moment she debated what she should tell Ash, "She keeps doing this to you! I don't get why you're with her Ash, you deserve someone who's more reliable, who treats you better," she said.

Ash grumbled, "You don't know her Misty, she's not a bad person. She probably just forgot," Misty frowned, this wasn't the first time she heard that line from her best friend, "A good girlfriend doesn't just 'forget' someone she cares about. You made a date and it looks like she didn't have the decency to call you! How much can she care about you?" Ash got up, snatching Pikachu from his friend, "You don't know what you're talking about," he said as he walked off. Headed for Dawn's apartment.

Along the way he realized how right Misty may have been. Dawn was known for her disappearing acts when things got tough. While as Ash would rather talk (or scream) things out, Dawn seemed to avoid them completely. He sighed, when he got back home he'd call Misty and apologize. For now he had to talk to Dawn in person.

The last thing Ash expected to see as he walked through Dawn's door, -using the key from under the mat- was a half nude man in her living room. Ash was furious, he had guessed that Dawn may be cheating but, never like this. Not blowing him off so she could sleep with some seemingly random guy. Ash clenched his hands making a fist, "Get out!" he commanded. The guy sat, chest showing with a cocky grin on his face, "Excuse me? Look man I don't know who you are but Dawn invited me here and I'm not leaving until she says otherwise," Ash growled.

Tears formed in his eyes as Dawn came into view. He took her by the arm as calmly as he could and lead her to the bedroom. "Dawn what the hell is this? We get into one fight and you feel the need to jump into bed with some random guy?" he voice tore through the walls, Ash wasn't used to being so angry. Pikachu who sat outside the door, jumped in surprise, "Is this what you do after we have a fight? Answer me!" he screamed. In his mind he replayed all the arguments they'd had, he began to wounder how many times she'd done this and with how many guys.

"Not...every time," Dawn said, her eyes searching the floor for anything that wasn't Ash, "Just, for the big fights," Ash rolled his eyes, the longer he stayed there the more turbulent his emotions became. He wanted to leave before he did something he'd regret, "Oh and that makes it better," he said. The boy pinched the bridge of his nose, "Look I don't have time for this, I've gotta go. Have fun with your date," Ash opened the door and picked up Pikachu, his heart breaking as he left the house.

...

May, Misty and Brock sat in the living room of Ash's apartment. They hadn't seen him in days. He was held up in his room distraught over the breakup. Every few hours Brock would send in Pikachu with another home cooked meal for Ash. Misty paced the apartment, "I can't take it any more. He's been locked up in his room for over a week. I have to see if he's okay," Misty took a plate of food from the fridge, she warmed it in the microwave. "Mind if I came with you?" May asked,

"Not at all, maybe you could help me cheer him up," Brock shook his head in disapproval, "I don't think this is a good idea, Ash had his heart ripped out. Don't you guys figure you'll just make it worse?"

"We have to try Brock, I hate seeing him like this. Don't you miss the silly, playful Ash?" Misty said

"Yeah besides, at most we might be able to get out of his room. I bet he looks terrible," May agreed. Brock still seemed unsure about the plan, but he went along anyway, making them a chocolate dessert to go with Ash's favorite lunch. He wished the girls good luck as they headed into the boys room.

"I was the one who gave up everything for her. When no one would listen I heard every word, oh. It took me so long to see that maybe I am better off alone," Ash sang along with his MP3 player. Misty and May did a double take as they walked in. He'd never sang in front of anyone before, both girls were stunned and a little amazed at how well he belted out the words to a Jesse McCartney song. "Ash?" Misty whispered, his back was to her as he lay in bed. He flinched at the sound of his name, "We brought you some food," May piped. Ash turned to face the wall, "Not hungry," he mumbled. When he wouldn't meet the girls eyes, Misty and May sat on either side of him, resting his meal on the desk beside his bed. "Ash we're worried about you, You haven't been out of your room in over a week, we just want to make sure you're okay," Misty said, her hand rubbing his back in a comforting manner.

The pokemon master rolled on his back and looked at the celling, "You guys don't understand what she meant to me. How can I just forget about her? She was my first love," he shuddered, holding back tears that threatened to spill from his eyes, "When people made fun of her, called stupid for her ideas I was the only one who had her back, for her to do this...Why did she do this?" May grabbed his hand, she knew all to well what it was like to be cheated on. After her ex boyfriend Drew had been found in bed with another girl she thought she'd never get over it. To see it happen all over again and with her dear friend, angered her deeply. "Ash you can't beat yourself up over this. Listen to me," she said so sternly that Ash had no choice but to meet her eyes, "Dawn did what she did because she was selfish and weak. If she couldn't come and speak to you like an adult, like she should have then she didn't deserve you. She doesn't deserve you." Ash stared into her eyes, clinging to the girls' every word."If she really cared for you then she wouldn't never have looked for someone else to comfort her. It's up to you to decided what to do now. I know it sounds hard but, if you hide from your problems you'll only make them worse," She said. Ash frowned,never had he seen such fire in May's heart, it amazed him. Still resting on the bed beside him, Misty was speechless and as for May, she was hoping that her little speech was sinking in. The raven haired trainer sat up, "I think you're right," he said.

"What?" May asked in disbelief, it was rare she heard people saying that and so it stunned her when someone actually did. "I said I think you're right," Ash repeated. "If I stay in this room for the rest of my life it won't accomplish anything. She'll move on and I'll still be stuck here...Know what?" Ash addressed his question to both girls who'd been smiling since they saw him stand up and grab for the chocolate treat Brock made him. The boy had lost so much weight in the past week he looked about ready to collapse. "Where's Pikachu? I feel like a good old battle," he flashed them both a more somber version of his normal cocky smile but both girls excepted it. They both rushed him into a hug shouting their praise for the trainer's strength.

It was later that night and under the full moon that a tired young, raven hair trainer and his auburn haired friend rested under the moonlight. Their rushed whispers blocked out by the whistling wind as they both shared stories of lost loves. The connection brought them closer in away that the two would never understand, at least not tonight. Though it was easy to see that love was in the air, however invisible it might have been to them.