Not Listening Has Its Advantages

Due to the great positive response that my FireredShipping (Ash/Zoey) one shot received, I have decided to make it a chaptered story. It will be (at least) ten chapters in all, and eventually, I will add a couple of other ships into the mix, as well. Enjoy chapter two, everybody!

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Pokemon, a creation of one Satoshi Tajiri, and is produced domestically (in the United States) by Pokemon USA/The Pokemon Company, and internationally by Shogakukan and OLM. I personally own nothing and make nothing by writing this. Please do not flame.

(Chapter 2- First Date: Part One)

Whether it is his nervousness or the weather tonight, Mother Nature decided to make what would have been a very cool November evening in more ways than one unseasonably warm. The temperature, which would usually be around the upper forties during the twilight, is almost seventy degrees and has been like this for the past three days. Either way, Ash Ketchum has been sweating most of the water out of his body for the past fifteen minutes as he awaits someone special this evening. It probably doesn't help matters given that he is wearing a suit, carrying a small box in his right hand and is very uncomfortable given the humidity outdoors.

While traveling with Brock and Dawn over the past couple of months, both of them have noticed several positive and refreshing changes with their buddy, Ash. One of the changes was in his temperament, and whenever he would get angry, instead of yelling out his frustrations to any of his friends or enemies, he would just walk away from the situation. Another change is Ash being more helpful in the camping and cooking of meals for their trio, including the pokemon. If they had to venture to guess what it was that sparked this turn for the pokemon master to be, they would answer using one simple name; Zoey.

Ash Ketchum would agree wholeheartedly.

Since he and Zoey got together during an otherwise embarrassing exchange at a local Pastoria City mall some months ago involving his Aipom, which now belongs to Dawn after a trade for Buizel, just about everything has changed for him. His head, while clear on most things like his training, capturing and battling methods is often complicated as far as the matters of love and the heart are concerned.

Admittedly, he has never felt this way about any other girl before in his life. Of course, he's found several girls before him to be attractive and what not, but not once with any of those girls did he ever feel as if he was on the same plane with them as he does with Zoey. He has grown over these past couple of months and even though he and his new girlfriend do not travel together, they have talked extensively through video phones and seen each other a couple of times since the aforementioned incident at the mall.

Conversations between the two young people over the past week have involved one subject in particular that Zoey brought up after a talk of theirs which lasted well over an hour. She realized that despite their many rendezvous since the change in their friendship, there is one thing that the two of them have not done that people in love do if for no other reason than because they love one another. It is the reason why he is outside a restaurant wearing a suit this Friday evening in Snowpoint City.

"My first date ever," Ash softly comprehends. To say that the young man is a ball of nerves does not do his emotions justice on this night. Ever since the day he and Zoey shared their first kiss, the trainer has just been winging it. Not a single pokemon battle with a gym leader, league conference or difficult capture of a pocket monster throughout his career could possibly compare to the arduous waiting game he is playing as he awaits the arrival of his girlfriend by pacing back and forth to kill some time. "I wonder what she'll wear?" he ponders. Smiling, he forms the conclusion "Well, whatever it is, I have a feeling that it will be great."

Wondering, wishing and waiting while wandering around the front of the four-star restaurant known as Icicle, he says a silent prayer that nothing goes wrong this evening. One would rightfully accuse him of worrying himself to the bone thinking that something is not as it should be, and that Zoey is running late for some reason. Had he chosen to get a poketch like his friend Dawn and his girlfriend, then he would know that Zoey is not even relatively late. In his effort to make everything right for the night, Ash came about forty-five minutes early just to confirm his reservation.

Checking the small bag in his hand one more time to make sure that the gift is inside, Ash sighs in relief as he finds the small red box in the bottom of the package. Given the fact that everything he is experiencing with Zoey is new and foreign to him, there are several things that he forgot throughout the dating process. For one, he knew that the place that he was going to tonight was a formal spot…but he neglected to get fitted with a tuxedo until that morning. Luckily, the shops were open and Brock fitted the bill as Ash spent whatever money he had on the cover charge for reservations to Icicle and the gift for Zoey.

Throughout the week, Ash has heard advice and suggestions from both of his friends, with Brock claiming that telling Zoey how beautiful she looks and pretending to listen to whatever she says will give him points. He also said that he would not have to do much talking tonight as Zoey will pull much of the weight in that department. Dawn would often counter most of Brock's so-called advice and take a more grounded approach on the matter. She made it clear to Ash that Zoey fell for him because he is himself and not someone else. She added that trying to be something he is not will catch him in a lie than anyone, boy or girl, will see right through. Ash said that he would consider each one's words, but sided with neither of them.

Around the middle of the week, Ash felt that he had everything in order, even though the problems with the tuxedo would arise on Friday morning to give him a rude awakening. Though what he did on Wednesday afternoon is not out of the ordinary for him, he has to admit that it is one of the most unique talks that he has ever had. It was not a long talk, but it was an important one that boosted the young man's confidence somewhat and covered a base he naturally forgot while mired in his other plans for Friday.

FLASHBACK

Patiently waiting for the person on the other end of the line to pick up the phone, Ash takes in the scene at the pokemon center in the outskirts of Snowpoint City. It's a mild day in the northern municipality compared to most and being inside the center, he feels no real difference between the phone room and outdoors. Having already called Zoey earlier in the morning to iron out the final details of their date in two days time, there is one other person who the trainer feels can give him some great advice before he enters uncharted territory.

Not quite ten seconds after dialing the number, he gets a glimpse of a woman in her mid thirties with a bandana over her medium brown hair and a sky blue blouse, which is all he can see at the moment.

"Ash, honey!" she speaks from the other line. The lady, until Zoey came along, stood alone as Ash's favorite woman in his life. That woman is, of course, his mother Delia.

"Hi, mom!" he replies. "Am I interrupting something?"

"Oh, no dear. I just did some housecleaning today. That's why I look so…different. So was there anything you wanted to talk to me about?"

"Mom, you're reading my mind," he says in a playful but scolding manner. "Yes, there is something that has been on my mind for the past several days. It has to do with Zoey."

"Oh, Zoey," she dreamily reiterates. "My son's first girlfriend. And to think it wasn't that long ago that you were taking about never falling in love. I know that you were only seven at the time and you and Gary had your journeys on your minds full time then, but I think that given everything you've done in your career, I wasn't sure. I never got this call before about you finding someone special, so…to hear this now is very nice. I know you're fourteen and you are doing a lot of growing up in a very short time. Just promise me that you'll take this slow."

"Mom, please!" Ash pleads with the woman. Delia notices him turning away from the screen a couple of times, likely due to the embarrassment of possibly facing a conversation tantamount to the birds and the bees, which he heard not that long after he first left home. "My goodness! That's the furthest thing from my mind right now, I guarantee you that. She's just hit twelve a couple of months ago, so…I can do without it mom. I will do without it. Besides, what would that say about Zoey and me?" Pausing to check the reaction of his mother, Ash is redeemed in his mind to see Delia nodding her head saying that her son is right and is making a great deal of sense. "You wouldn't be too pleased with me if we didn't take this slow given our age. I just have a girlfriend, mom, and I don't know if we could be doing this any slower, quite frankly. In fact, that's the reason why I called you."

"Come again, Ash?"

"Zoey and I are going to go on our first date very soon," he says, hesitation free.

"You haven't gone on a date yet with her?"

"Well yes…and no. As a couple, we haven't gone on a date, but before that, we did have an ice cream date that convinced me to ask her if she were interested in a relationship beyond just being friends. I've told you all of this and my feelings."

"Yeah, you liked her love for pokemon more than anything else and you liked her sincerity," Delia reminds her son. "It was very refreshing to hear that because I've had my share of boyfriends over the years. While it's nice for girls to hear that they have beautiful eyes, a great smile or anything physical like that, keep in mind, Ash, that it's important for any young girl or woman to know that they are more than just the way they look."

"I know that, mom. Believe me; I'm not with Zoey because she's a model type or anything of the sort. I just…I see a lot of herself in me. She aims for success in everything she does and that's admirable. She's got a great sense of humor, as I've come to learn, and she loves her family. What more could you possibly ask for, mom?"

"Those are all things that we look for in people," Delia affirms. "Great personalities, high moral standing and attention to detail…but I think we went off topic there for a second. You said that this would be your first actual date with Zoey as boyfriend and girlfriend."

"Yes, ma'am."

"May I rightfully assume that you called me looking for some advice for your date?"

"Well…yes, I did. I don't know how much help they can give me, but I asked Dawn and Brock and now, I want to know what you think about my date."

"Ash, you've come to the right place," she assures her son. "I'll tell you everything you need to know before your date on…when is it?"

"This Friday."

"Wow, then I don't have much time, do I?" she jokingly responds. "It seems like you'll just have to settle for the crash course. Okay are you listening, Ash?"

"Yes, ma'am. I'm all ears."

"Okay. Above everything else that you can do on your date, just have fun and be yourself. There's no blueprint for a perfect date and you shouldn't treat the date like a life or death situation if some things don't go as planned. Neither of you are experts on the subject as of yet, so don't get frazzled or intimidated by anything you might not expect. Go with the flow and, preferably, go at her pace. As clichéd as it might sound, you want to make her feel like a princess to your prince. Let her lead with conversation, but don't be afraid to interject at times."

"I get the feeling that I should be writing some of this down," Ash interrupts with concern laden in his voice and confusion in the midst of his mind.

His mother simply laughs and says, "Don't worry, son. You will be fine. I wanna hear you say it; you will be fine."

A few seconds of silence pass. In Delia's mind, she does not feel that her son is sharing the same confidence about his date. "Ash, please say it! It's not the end of the world, no matter what happens on Friday with your date. Zoey won't leave you because you happen to make mistakes in something new and different to you. You know that, right?"

"Yes," he says. Then, after mulling over his mother's words for a bit he adds, "You're right. Zoey doesn't have to have…the perfect date in order for Friday night to be great. I'll be fine. I just have to be there for her, and everything else will fall into place."

"That's the spirit! Like I said and like I'll continue to say, you'll be fine. And…this is something you might want to think about, but you have to do it unless you want to. Have you gotten Zoey a gift of some sort?"

"A…gift? No, I really didn't think about that."

Sighing for a second, Delia questions why she isn't surprised, but doesn't say any of this out loud. "Well, you ought to think about it, Ash. I'm not telling you that you need to break the bank, but you know your girlfriend. Get her something that…she'll like. Just remember to be creative with it and she won't be able to thank you enough times."

Nodding while taking every word in of his mother, the native of Pallet is convinced that once more, mother knows best. "Thank you, mom. You always know what I need to do. Why is that?"

"It's simple; I've been where you're going," she explains. "After much trial and error, I understand what it takes to succeed in many different areas. I'm your mother, but I'm also your guide, Ash. So…don't be afraid to come to me for advice on this and whatever else. I know you, son. I know that you are headstrong, stubborn and independent to a fault. From everything you've told me, Zoey is a lot like that, as well. I think it's just great that you found someone with the same qualities that you have." Pausing for a second to collect herself, Delia continues, "I really think that you should travel with her. Long distance relationships—now, don't get me wrong. I'm not trying to tell you that long distance relationships don't work. I just think that if you really wanted to get to know Zoey, you would be with her all the time."

Ash agrees with his mom. Among the many topics which he and Zoey have spoken about over the months was the possibility of coming together on a trek through the remainder of the Sinnoh region. Though the idea is something both like and would like to happen, they are not sure how to go about it. Over their many talks, they did not know if they wanted to go at it alone leaving Brock and Dawn behind or have Zoey come in and have a group of four just like when he made his rounds through Hoenn and Kanto. Their only problem is that they do not know what they want to do, which is why they have not made any decision or talked to anybody about it.

"I've thought about it, mom. Hey, I wanna let you know that…I'm gonna introduce you to Zoey very soon," Ash claims, dodging his mom's prior statement about traveling arrangements. "I'll bring her home and you'll get to see her for yourself."

"Okay," she says, conceding that she won't hear much about the matter for whatever reason. "Well, good luck on your date, Ash. Once you have time, tell me about it. Do we have a deal?"

"I'll talk to you then."

"Bye," Delia replies and both of them hang up their respective phones.

END FLASHBACK

The conversation with his mother, advice from his friends, buying a gift for Zoey and getting fitted for a tuxedo this morning has prepared Ash for his first date as best as he could. Feeling that it would be best to invest some money into a watch in the near future, he is turned from his current thoughts as he feels something resting on his shoulder.

Turning his head he sees an angel, or to put it more correctly, someone who wears the color white very well. Before him is the star of the evening in his mind. Zoey has come to him on this unusually warm evening in a tuxedo of her own. It contrasts Ash's perfectly as it is white with a white tie and a black handkerchief in the breast pocket of the suit. Below the suit, Zoey sports a black collared shirt and her hair, like her boyfriend's hair, remains as wild and unruly as ever, especially in the humidity and her eyes remain covered by her signature sunglasses.

"Hello, Zoey," Ash greets with the smile on his face never departing.

"Good evening, Ash," she answers back, taking off her sunglasses and giving her boyfriend a good look at her rustic brown eyes for the first time in several days.

Though both are familiar with each other, they both hesitate as they come together in a hug; their first hug in about three weeks. Whether it is the unique situation they find themselves in with a formal date or some other unmentioned factor, each partner appears more willing to take things slow as they share a light kiss on the lips while in the midst of their hug.

Releasing their hold on one another, Zoey asks a question that has been on her mind since meeting Ash outside of the restaurant entrance. "Why aren't you inside?"

"I wasn't sure if you wanted to sit inside the main room of the restaurant or outside on the lanai," he explains. "I didn't want to decide anything without talking with you first. I don't know if I've been in a restaurant this fancy in about three years or so. Usually, when I eat, I don't make it into much of a special occasion. I just eat. But…you're the one who suggested it and I want to make you happy by doing something that you wanted to do. That's why I'm here. And…I don't mind waiting for you out here. I see you sooner this way."

Leaning forward and giving the young teen a kiss on the cheek, Zoey comments, "Ash, that's very sweet of you. But I must warn you that if you stay out here too long, you'll sweat down to almost nothing." This latest quip from Zoey makes Ash laugh once more. Patting the trainer on his back, she says, "Come on. Let's go inside."

As the two walk hand in hand to the front door of Icicle, Zoey begins the first of many conversations between the two by talking about the restaurant's food. "I haven't been here since about a year ago with my family, but every time I come here, whatever I eat is fantastic. You like seafood?"

"I love it."

"Well, Icicle has been ranked as the best place for steak and seafood in the Sinnoh region four years in a row," she states before going up to the front desk, informing them, "Ketchum; party of two, please."

"Very well," the maitre d' says, as he asks them a question, "Would you like a seat in the dining hall or outside?"

Looking towards each other for the answer, Ash makes the first move. "It's your call, Zoey. Wherever you wanna eat is fine with me."

Truth be told, the decision was not a difficult one for the tomboy to make at all. Though she has no idea how much time her beau spent outside waiting for her, he looked like he just stepped out of the sauna of a local Snowpoint bathhouse. In Zoey's mind, perhaps heading inside will help Ash cool down some. "We'll eat inside, thank you."

Smiling back to the hometown girl, the man at the front desk says, "All right. Follow me." He leads the pair to a table off into one of the corners of the lightly-dimmed restaurant. As both Ash and Zoey meander through the many different sections of Icicle, they notice the great architecture including large statues of snowflakes, mountainous snow peaks and paintings of such landscapes with murals adorning the ceiling containing life-sized pictures reminiscent of many scenes of the winter season. They also notice the many modern perks of the swank eatery including the replacement of pillars to hold up portions of the building with large faux icicles that have the tips facing downward just like icicles that would form during a snowstorm. Candles on each table are clear blue and in a similar shape as the pillars. Music in the background gives off a feeling of coziness as the faint but noticeable sounds of wind during a blizzard are played for the paying guests.

As they walk, they notice more than the aesthetically pleasing atmosphere of Icicle. They come across more than their share of couples out to eat for dinner, fellow coordinators, trainers and families out on the town. While most of the women and girls are adorned in elegant gowns and stylized dresses for their meal, Zoey is the epitome of the exception to this unwritten rule. With her white tuxedo, she seems to stick out like a sore thumb compared to the other ladies whose beauty is only accentuated by their outerwear. The same would be said about Zoey, but few people call those who wear tuxedos 'beautiful'.

They look at her funny given that she is walking along with a male companion while wearing what is for all intents and purposes men's clothing, but the stares which she receives are no different than what she gets at some contests. She all but expected the attention and got it.

Dealing with the stares just like admiring the interior comes to a head, though, as both Ash and Zoey are led to their table for the evening situated near one of the restaurants windows, which gives a great view of the lanai and the people dining on it. Once seated, the maitre d' gives both partners a menu to check over and lets them know that their server will be coming in just a couple of minutes to get their drink orders and leaves the two alone. Ash sits his bag next to his chair on the floor not sure what to think about the fact that the girl across from her has not mentioned it at all or even asked about its contents.

While Zoey opens the menu to look for something eye-catching, her counterpart thinks it would be a good idea to start some conversation. "This is a great looking place. I tell you, if the food is half as good as the building, I'm in for something special."

"Oh, you are," she says, scanning the menu for something that will grab her attention.

"Did you notice those people…staring when we walked to our table?"

"Ash, it is hard to not notice the stares. But that's what I get for being myself. If you haven't already figured it out, I'm not a girly-girl. I haven't owned a dress since I was probably…six years old. Luckily, the dress code is formal and I get to wear what I like."

"I feel like I'm watching you at your best, though," Ash compliments. "Do you know what I'm trying to say? You've got class and you can obviously see that on the outside, but over these last few months, I've been real blessed to see that class on the inside as well. It shouldn't matter how you dress. Clothes don't make the person."

"Wow! That was awfully nice of you to say, Ash. I know I'm not the most endearing person out there, but believe me when I say I try."

"What to do you mean, 'not endearing'?" he asks, his interest peaked.

"Well…I read the newspapers and magazines. It helps to pass the time while I'm out on the road," Zoey explains. "They don't pull any punches whatsoever. I see forum posts on coordinating and it's the same thing, only they are harsher in their language. I've been called…every name in the book, and it's mostly because I'm not afraid to speak my mind."

"That's not right," Ash says, taking everything in that his girlfriend is telling her. "I read some of those things myself. I even see the news."

Putting her right hand to her forehead, Zoey exclaims, "Oh, God! Don't even get me started on the news!"

"They aren't kind to me, either. They call me names like 'dense' and 'foolish' and Paul's favorite word, 'pathetic'. Eventually, I just stopped reading and listening to them. If you know that they aren't true, then they're garbage. Don't get caught up in garbage. Those people staring at you? It's just more garbage. You obviously have something that others can't understand."

The voice of a cheerful young blonde in her early twenties with a dark blue, knee-length skirt and a sky blue buttoned-down blouse coming to their table, saying "Good evening you two!" takes the two young lovers away from their talk for that moment. Arriving to the table with a glass pitcher of water filled about a fifth of the way with ice, she, without missing a beat, she fills two tall glasses of water belonging to both of them and introduces herself. "Welcome to Icicle. My name is Erin, and I'll be your server for the evening." Pausing to hear greetings from both Zoey and Ash, she continues, "Now aside from the water that I just poured for you, is there anything else that you'd like to drink?"

Looking at the different items available for each of them to drink before their meal and appetizers and hearing suggestions of the Icicle specials including a numerous spread of flavored cream sodas and floats, Ash makes the first selection, letting Erin know, "Those cream sodas look interesting. Have you had the…chocolate cream before?"

"It's great, I promise you," she answers. "I have it myself all the time."

"Okay. I'll have that."

"And I'll have my own personal favorite; strawberry cream."

"Strawberry. Kind of like your hair," she compliments. The comment did its job by relaxing the two of them at the table as they shared a small laugh with Erin for a few seconds. Recapping, Erin says, "So that's one strawberry cream and one chocolate cream for the two of you. Now, I know it's early, but would you both like an appetizer before deciding on the main meal? Our specialties of the evening in soup include clam and crab chowder, fried dumplings in gravy, ramen in broth and fifteen bean. As far as salads, the specialties for those are Caesar and garden. Our most popular appetizer is the seafood sampler, which can be served either steamed or fried. We also have fried mozzarella scallops and chips with crab dip. What do you guys think?"

"The…appetizers sound really good," Ash remarks as he looks at the rest of the selection. "I didn't really plan on having soup and salad with that, though. Zoey, do you know what you want?"

"Well, funny that I didn't really plan on having an appetizer," she counters.

"Are you two together? I mean, of course you are here together eating, but are you guys dating?" Erin asks. Both of them answer yes, confirming her suspicions. "You guys look great in your tuxedos! This is great to see young people in love doing more than just going out to of age hangouts for their dates."

"It's our first one," Ash explains, "and Zoey here wanted to do something special for the first date. This is her hometown and she is competing in the contest tomorrow and afterwards, we plan on spending some time with her family so that they can get to know me and vice versa."

"Wait a minute? You're name is Zoey as in Zoey Aiken, the pokemon coordinator?" Erin questions.

Smiling while holding up her right hand, she declares herself "Guilty as charged."

"Wow, my niece was just on the phone with me the other day talking about how incredible you are. In fact, my sister-in-law says that you're all that she talks about, period."

"Well, I'm glad that I can be such an influence to kids out there. That's what it's all about, Erin." As she reaches into one of the pockets of her pants, she asks the server, "Say, what's your niece's name?"

"Alexandria, but we all call her Alex."

"Okay," she replies as she puts a small index card on the table along with a pen. While writing a message on the card, she asks a few more questions and finds out that Alex lives in Goldenrod City and is eight years old. As Zoey finishes, she has an instruction for Erin, telling her, "Make sure that your niece gets this and tell her that I said thanks for her support."

Gasping, Erin has to catch her breath. Zoey just signed an autograph for a fan without even batting an eye or making a scene or objection. Taking the index card in her hand, Erin takes a couple of seconds to look over the autograph. The stylish coordinator put more than just her calligraphy on the paper—she also added a message to Alex, which stated 'To Alex, from Zoey. Thank you for being a fan!'

"Oh my," she speaks. Taking the hand of the young girl, she says, "Thank you so much for this, Zoey. My niece is gonna love me for getting this! She's not gonna believe it! You're gonna be the talk…for a very long time!"

"No problem. I'll do anything for a real fan."

"Hey, Zoey. What you just did right now is exactly what I was talking about earlier," Ash reminds her. "You have class on the inside. What you wear doesn't matter in the least bit. What you do is what makes you who you are and is the reason why I can say I love you."

"Thank you, Ash," Zoey says, her voice breaking in the middle of her speaking. "I want you to know that means a lot to me. I've got critics like everyone else, but…it's nice to just hear that.

"I mean it, Zoey. I've never met anyone like you and that has to say something about all the girls that I've known over the years compared to you. Think about it."

"Oh, my goodness! Forgive me, you two!" Erin said, regaining control of the conversation. "In all of this…great talking that I hear from you two, I forgot the appetizers, soups and salads. I just…the things I'm hearing here are very refreshing. You can't help but get caught up!"

"That's okay, Erin," Ash insists. "We're kind of guilty for it. We started the talk, after all. Umm…just a suggestion, Zoey, but does the seafood sampler sound good to you?"

"Okay, that's fine," Zoey concedes.

"All right, and would you two like that sampler fried or steamed?"

Looking in one another's direction once again, the two young people silently determine which one of the two types of appetizers that they want. As Erin patiently watches the scene with pen and pad in her right hand and the autograph in her skirt pocket, she sees Zoey nod to Ash for a brief moment; not even half of a second in length. "Fried?" she asks the young man across from her.

"Sounds good to me," he answers. Jotting everything down, Erin lets both of them know that their drinks will be arriving to their tables soon and leaves them alone once more.

Once he is certain that their server is out of ear sight and eyesight, Ash makes the comment to Zoey, "She's gonna get a nice tip when this night is over."

"Yeah, I like her. She'll make this night a lot looser if we can't do it ourselves. So, have you decided on what you're gonna eat tonight?"

"Well, I like steak…a lot. Seeing all of the different types, I thought that the large steak with Kobe beef would be good, and then I saw the combinations of steak and shrimp and said, there's the best of both worlds right there. So I'm still trying to figure out…"

Ash continues to explain the minor dilemma he faces to his girlfriend. Meanwhile, several tables away from the couple are another couple. One is wearing a blue hat, which provides covering over much of her face, including the top of her head. She also sports a blue blazer and skirt combination. The male she is with is much older, and has over his body a suit similar to the one Ash is wearing, but with a patterned tie in the place of Ash's solid tie, which he is wearing at the moment. Another feature of note is that his hair is tied back into a ponytail and that he is wearing glasses.

"Can you see anything, Dawn?" he asks the girl.

"It's difficult, Brock," Dawn replies back to her older guide of sorts. "I can hear them faintly. Ash is talking about his meal, I think. Their waitress was at their table a long time. Who knows what Zoey or Ash could have said then? Brock, I really don't know if we're gonna get any answers tonight. Maybe we should just be patient and hope that they don't decide to just leave us behind if they choose to go through Sinnoh together."

Hearing the faint sound of 'pika' from under the table, Dawn looks under the cloth, and whispers to the bag, "And you be patient too, pikachu. I'm sure the restaurant has bottles of ketchup and won't mind sparing some for you. Just wait and you'll get what you want."

Sticking her head back up from underneath the table, Dawn comes face to face with a young male waiter pouring cold water into a tall glass. "Are you and the table having a nice conversation?" he asks Dawn.

Not missing a beat, Dawn replies, "Yes, in fact, it told me that you guys haven't dusted underneath him for quite some time. He feels neglected."

Caring very little for the coordinator's tone at the moment, Brock and Dawn's waiter leaves in a huff, without even refilling Brock's glass. Saying nothing, he gives the young girl a high five for putting their arrogant server in his place.

Brock never knew hanging out with a girl he didn't go crazy over could be so much fun.

A/N: After much personal debating, wondering, waiting and everything else, chapter two of this story is finally up! I want to use this opportunity to thank all the people who left a review for this story (all of them positive) and waited out me admittedly losing some interest in the idea of continuing, and becoming frustrated when I had an idea ready for the next chapter several months ago, but lost it when I lost my first system. No more excuses, though! I'm looking to update at least once or twice a month. Again, I go where the story takes me and the next chapter goes deeper into the first date and Brock and Dawn's spying on said date.

Until next time, it's been Rave!