"I want a pony!" Dawn stammered, in the break of tears. Johanna looked at her and then flashed a glance at the viewers, stopping to look and then whispering a sly remark in their companions ear. Johanna had no doubt it was about her, and the display Dawn was preforming was a little too over done, even for her.
"Alright, I'll try get you the pony!" Johanna sighed, fishing out spare change in her stuffed pocket. The younger blunette smiled and clapped her hands, acting like the average desperate five year old who wanted a toy. It was the Japanese festival, and both were wearing rather light blue japanese kimonos, with white spring blossoms patterns coming from the side.
Johanna approached the stall, and bought a turn. She had three goes, but being the weak woman she was, failed to gain the grand prize: the large robotic pony, that acted like the real thing and even had faint wings at it's side, which would flap ever so gently and cause the child to feel majestic. But of course, to gain something as next level as that, she would have to score three times in a row.
"I got you a small, stuffed pony?" Johanna said, giving a synthetic look. But Dawn wasn't going for anything else. She wanted the pony, since her friends would die for a turn and she'd be that little tot that was ever so popular in school. However, if someone else got their hands on it, surely they'd be from her neighbour hood and take her place as the popular tot.
"I want the PONY!"
Johanna sighed, and just took her by the hand and dragged her away. Dawn screamed and wailed, and everybody stopped and stared as Dawn screamed the same line again and again. But this time, Johanna was feeling rather weak to even care for what the viewers had in thought. Their quotes to the display was rather harsh, but she blocked it out and turned a blind eye to the looks of disgust some couples were giving.
Never again... Johanna told herself, looking down to her daughter.
The desperate blunette was loosing patience with the luck she today, and threw the given stuffed animal, targeting her mother, as she snatched the chance that her mother let go of her to react to this sudden attack, to bolt the other direction in search of some way to get her hands on the prize. Knowing that her mother would surely punish her for such a bad deed, she ran as far from her as possible until she knew she covered great distance.
"Now... for pony." Dawn smiled, coming towards the stall. The man recognized her, and gave a puzzled look as he saw no other looming figure beside her. Dawn explained vaguely, and then pointed to the grand prize with her index finger, puppy dog eyes emerging and her bottom lip quivering ever so slightly to give the cute effect.
"Sorry," the man apologized, pointing towards a sign. "Children under eight without a parent or guardian with them cannot participate in the game. And besides, do you have any money on you little girl?" he asked her, mimicking the puppy dog eyes as he took the mick out of her cute display. Dawn stepped back, and her faint smile withered to a frown.
"I... pony though." she sighed, about to walk away to find her mother.
"Hey, I'll give it a shot for you." a voice suggested calmly, and the once miserable blunette pricked up to see a gorgeous raven haired boy, appearance taking the age of thirteen or tops, looming towards her with a great big grin. She nodded quickly, and stepped aside as he slid the coin towards the man, grin fixed on his tanned face.
"How many hits for the pony?"
"All three. Try young chap, but it's rather impossible-"
"Did it." the brown-eyed teen declared, smiling with yet one ball still in his hand. Dawn was really astonished. The boy that had just offered to win her the most extreme prize, had knocked out two of the cans with only one ball, the other smacking down just one. The man stared at the targets, jaw dropped down, amazed at how such a young fellow had such amazing arm action.
"I believe I one that pony fair and square." the boy grinned, pointing towards the robotic toy. Still gobsmacked, he brought it down and handed it over to the tot, who was busy looking down at Dawn's grateful expression. He was rather shocked when she suddenly burst out with a hug, giving him a kiss on the cheek as he held his hand, trying to get onto the machine.
Blushing, he helped her on and then switched it on, guiding her to wherever she felt like going. For the first few minutes of their 'bonding time', they spent it looking around and admiring their gorgeous home and it's traditions. The pony made noises ever so often, and children trailed them with their eyes until they were only a speck in the distance.
"What's your name?" Dawn asked, after a few minutes of silence. Ash looked up to the sky, which was setting and loosing it's bright, warm colours. He sighed heavily, and then looked down at the young blunette who was still watching him, waiting patiently for his reply and reaction to her question. After a minute, he finally replied.
"My name is Satoshi. Satoshi Ash Ketchum." he answered calmly, looking forward as he replied. "And what's yours?"
"Hikari. Hikari Dawn Berlitz. But my nickname is Dawn." she answered, in a calm tone. The raven haired boy nodded and then escorted her to a stall selling various sorts of sweets, buying her a large swirly lollipop of all different various. She licked it in a cute manner, and people awed and some even asked if they were related. A big brother treating her little sister to a day out.
"No." Ash laughed. "It's a f~friends... little sister! Yeah! That's it! And since he's busy with his um... other mates, birthday bash thing-ma-jig. I kinda suggested I would take her out and stuff, to treat her to a day out." Ash lied, stammering a few times but convincing the gathering viewers who awed at the blunette, holding his hand ever so tightly.
"She's so cute!"
Ash chuckled, and then made his way through the thick crowd, still holding her hand tightly. After a few minutes of playing around, they strode into a little crowd and had to dig their way out of the human wave. Pushing through, Ash bit his lip as he was almost swept back by the in-coming crowd of running tourists. Dawn held his hand so tightly it slightly hurt. But he stayed firm and protected her, since he grew a liking for her he never realized.
"Hey, where do you wanna go next?"
"Um... that!" the blissful blunette pointed, to a show presenting next to the exit. The raven haired teen nodded gingerly and took her to the little show they were presenting with sock puppets, steady since the robotic toy was dying down and walking in a steadier pace. Dawn petted it's head, almost forgetting that the reason she met the boy was because of the toy.
"I like ponies... and you." she said nicely, and Ash laughed and smiled at her. He opened his mouth to thank her, when a voice yelled out her name and in a distance, a figure was darting towards them in full speed, only a darting blur to the human eye approaching them. Ash watched it come closer, and realized it was a woman that looked like an older version of the little girl.
"You are in SOO much trouble!" she snapped, snatching her away. Johanna rested her on her hip, leaving the little toy as he blanked the boy completely. Dawn squirmed in her grip, but she didn't let go and just began to walk to the exit, murmuring something under her breath as she ignored Dawn's wails. Ash looked at her, and then remembered the little pony and called out for the lady.
"Oh? And who are you?" she said sharply, inpatient since she was stressed and irritated.
"Your daughter. She was about to leave her robotic pony toy..." he replied, pushing the pink pony forward. Johanna stared down at it long and hard, and then snorted as she turned her back and kept on walking. At first Ash was slightly shocked to see such a display of rudeness, that the little bundle of joy hadn't adapted to in her years spent with her mother. But then he snapped back, and argued that she was being an awful mother.
People began staring.
"Whatever!" Johanna groaned, allowing Dawn to ride it. She smiled and then jumped off to give him a short hug, and then thank him.
"I hope to see you again."
"So do I Blue." Ash replied, warmly. "So do I."