"I'm sooo hungry…are we there yet?" came May's whining voice.
"How could you still be hungry?!" Dawn cried out in awe. "You ate like thirty of those Fire Cakes!"
At the mention of the spicy, yet sweet treat, May's mouth started watering again as a look of content covered her face. "They were sooooo gooood."
Misty chuckled as she shook her head. "We're almost to the Ho' Alu' Le'. You should have plenty to eat once we can get through the crowd."
The Ho' Alu' Le' was a gazebo of sorts, only much larger and made out of carved stone. It was a ceremonial place for the natives of Shamouti, and the annual choosing of the Chosen One took place under its roof. Misty had asked Rudy all about it, and was a little relieved to learn not very many people attended. Mostly it was tourists looking to be the Chosen One for the current year, as the locals had grown somewhat complacent with their legends over time. Limitless food would be served, which Misty knew would make most of her group excited. And when she was told you could rent a portion of the area out for special occasions, she immediately did so.
"Well if that isn't a trouble patrol, then I'm as much a Mankey as Ash."
The snarky voice stopped Misty in her tracks, and she spotted spiky auburn hair making its way through the thinning crowd of people. It had been some time since she'd seen the man, and he offered her a smug smile when he was within a few feet.
"Gary!" Misty greeted him warmly. "I'm glad you could make it."
"I wouldn't miss a chance to visit a tropical Island," Gary told her. "You just happened to give me the perfect excuse."
Misty puffed out her cheeks, and Gary laughed.
"Relax, Red," he waved her down. "The truth is Gramps blackmailed me into coming."
"Like that's any better?!" Misty barked.
Dawn leaned over to the fuming red head and whispered loud enough for all to hear. "He's just trying to rile you up, Misty. We all know Gary has a little man complex."
Without skipping a beat, Gary patted himself on the crotch and said, "Last I measured it was eight inches, so I don't know where you get your facts, Blue."
Both Dawn and May made an odd choking sound in their chests and turned a bright red, while Misty simply smirked, placed a hand on her hip, and asked, "That's all?"
"Ouch, way to keep attacking a man's pride," Gary quipped, folding his arms. "Shouldn't the bride to be, be in a happy-go-lucky mood?"
Misty laughed. "We'll see about that once we get to dinner. Speaking of, we're going to be late."
"Then what are you standing around for?" Gary asked. "Geeze, Red. You'll be late to your own funeral."
Misty pointedly ignored him and moved to continue walking. Gary cast Dawn and May a smug smirk at seeing they were still beat red, and then he followed Misty. The two girls fell in line behind Misty and Gary, and while Gary struck up another conversation with Misty, May frowned.
"Hey, Dawn," she whispered, poking her friend in the upper arm.
Dawn acknowledged May with a soft grunt.
"Remember when Gary said he had a thing for someone, but they were into someone else?"
"Yeah?"
"Do you think he meant Misty?"
Dawn hadn't thought of that. She mimicked May's frown and turned her blue eyes to the back of Gary's head.
"I don't know," she shrugged to May. "Maybe?"
"Do you think he'd make a move so close to the wedding?"
"Gary? Nah," Dawn shook her head. "He might act cocky and self centered, but he's a decent person. He wouldn't do something like that."
"Guess we'll see," May said a little too melodramatic for Dawn's liking.
"I told Ash a thousand times to pay more attention to the time," Delia scolded to no one in particular.
She was sitting at a stone table, tapping her fingers against its top impatiently. Across from her sat Professor Oak, and beside him were Bonnie and Clemont.
"They were right behind us, Mrs. Ketchum," Clemont said to her. "I'm sure they'll be along any minute now."
"Besides, Delia," Professor Oak broke in, using his gentle voice to calm the Mother. "Misty isn't even hear yet, so we can't be too hard on poor Ash."
Delia cast her gaze around the stone gazebo. The dozens of tables were carved straight out of the stone floor, much like the pillars holding up the roof. It was all one giant space carved from a monstrous stone hundreds of years ago. Most of the tables sat families and friends Delia didn't know. The four near her own were crowded with people she'd met over the last few days, and people she'd known a very long time.
At Rudy's table sat the Groom himself. Along with his little sister, his Mother, Carol, and a few more of their family members. To the table beside them were most of the bridesmaids and groomsmen. Tracey talked amongst them, and Delia noticed Dawn and May were missing also. The table on the opposite side sat Misty's family. Her sisters and a few cousins who lived far away from Cerulean City. Delia had met them all, but had yet to properly learn their names.
"Gary's late as well," Professor Oak tried one more time. "As is Brock. Those two make it a duty to be on time. I'm sure Ash will be with one of them."
Delia let out a sigh. "You're right, Professor. I suppose I shouldn't worry."
"Worry about what?" came Ash's voice, from just behind Clemont.
The lemon blonde nearly rocketed from his seat with fear. Coming down with an over dramatic sigh.
"Sorry, Clemont," Ash apologized with a chuckle, sliding himself into the seat beside his friend.
"Oh, my baby made it on time," Delia cooed as Brock and Serena scooted themselves into the stone table as well. "What a remarkable rarity."
"Mom?!" Ash exclaimed, turning a pinkish color.
"Ash has almost missed a few battles because he was distracted," Serena teased him, giving his ribcage a nudge with her elbow.
"Pika Pikachu," the little mouse agreed, jumping into the table.
"Not you too," Ash moaned, collapsing onto the tabletop.
"Cheer up, Ash," Professor Oak said. "Gary hasn't arrived yet. I think this marks the first time you've arrived before him."
Upon hearing this tidbit of info, Ash immediately perked up. "Really? I beat Gary?"
"Whoa, let's not get carried away now, Ashy-boy."
Part of Ash immediately deflated, but another part of him was excited Gary had made it. He craned his neck back to see, and was immediately blinded by a flash of orange. Something slim and petite crashed into his back, wrapping thin yet strong arms around him as he yelped and nearly fell against the stone table.
"Ash!" Came a female voice directly beside his ear. "It's so good to see you! I'm happy you could make it!"
Dawning covered Ash's expression as he recognized the familiar voice and he lit up with a bright smile. "Misty?!"
"PikachuPi!" Pikachu squealed with delight and soared past Ash's head.
Misty let go of Ash to catch the mouse and pulled him into a tight squeeze. "Hello, Pikachu!" She greeted with a laugh. "You look great! I guess Ash figured out how to train you properly."
"I've always trained him properly," Ash defended sharply as he turned to finally lay eyes on his long time friend. "Pikachu has-"
Whatever Ash was about to say was lost upon him as Misty's bright smile greeted his vision. Her hair was deeply saturated under the firelight, which also caused her aquamarine eyes to sparkle. Perfect skin seemed to radiate the brilliant yellowish-orange glow, making her stand out from the three other people she was with. Ash barely noticed Gary, Dawn, and May.
"Always trained properly?" Misty repeated, missing the hiccup in his speech. "I remember a time when you'd procrastinate for days."
"Ash? Procrastinate?" Bonnie asked puzzled. "He was always the first one up with us."
"Nenne," Dedenne agreed from her lap.
Misty looked at Bonnie a little curiously before realization dawned on her face. "Oh! You must be one of Ash's friends from Kalos!"
"That's right!" Bonnie nodded excitedly, lifting Dedenne up. "I'm Bonnie, and this is Dedenne."
Dedenne squeaked another greeting, while Clemont motioned to Misty with a smile. "My name's Clemont."
Misty greeted the three of them, and then turned to Serena. Her own smile faltered a little upon seeing that the honey blonde appeared slightly put off by Misty's presence. When Serena didn't greet Misty right away, Ash turned his attention to her and saw her cast him a quick glance before hiding her strange expression behind a bright smile.
"I'm Serena! It's so good to finally meet you. You must be Misty?"
"That's me!" Misty confirmed with a chuckle, thinking maybe she'd imagined Serena's strange behavior. She handed Pikachu back to Ash as she added, "I can only imagine what kind of terrible things Ash has said about me."
"All kinds of amazing things!" Bonnie replied first. "That your a really nice person, and that you care a whole lot about Pokémon. You're also a Gym Leader, and a really strong one too!"
Misty blushed beneath Bonnie's praise, and found herself shrinking for some reason. Ash had really said all that?
"Well, I forgot to mention she has an attitude like a Gyarados."
Whack!
"Ow!"
"What was that Ash Ketchum?!"
"See what I mean?" Ash whimpered as he rubbed his arm where Misty struck him.
"I do not have an attitude like a Gyarados!"
"Do too!"
"Do not!"
"Do too!"
"Do not!"
"Do-"
"Now you two," Delia broke in with her Motherly voice that clearly said 'behave'.
Like they'd rehearsed, both Ash and Misty stiffened and ceased bickering immediately.
Sweatdrops formed on the Kalos natives' heads as they watched the scene in confusion. Gary shook his head and leaned over to speak to Clemont. "These two have been flirting since day one. You get used to it."
"Want to say that a little louder, Gary?" Misty threatened, her cheeks turning red.
Dawn and May both placed a hand on Misty's shoulders and chuckled lightly. "Dinner's about to start!" Dawn proclaimed.
"Yeah, let's take a seat," May suggested, and the pair drug Misty away before another word could be said between her and the others.
The group watched them join Rudy's table with a mixture of confused, entertained, and bewildered looks. Misty cast them one last look, and gave Delia a smile before sticking her tongue out at Ash. Then she sat down beside Rudy and he greeted her with a kiss to her cheek.
Something inside of Ash roared, loudly. And he nearly flinched from the sudden sensation. What on earth was that about? He was starting to get hot. His…his blood was pumping? Why?
"Well…She was quite a character," Serena finally said.
"I liked her!" Bonnie exclaimed. "She reminded me of Ash in a way."
"Huh?" Ash questioned, turning back to his table. "Me?"
"She was stubborn, but I could see she's a very nice person," Bonnie replied as if it was the simplest thing in the world. "Like you."
"I'm not stubborn," Ash defended himself, and immediately recoiled as each person around him cast him smug stares. "Okay, Okay. Maybe a little…"
"You're the most stubborn person I know," Brock added.
"PikaPi," Pikachu nodded.
"Aren't you supposed to be in my side?!"
"I don't think being stubborn is a bad thing, Ash," Serena offered to him with a gentle smile.
Gary shuffled into a seat beside his Grandfather and said, "You wouldn't be saying that if you weren't trying to get into his pants."
Many things happened simultaneously. Both Serena and Ash's entire body exploded into the brightest red any of them had ever seen, Professor Oak gave his grandson a stern look, Brock stifled a laugh, Clemont gasped and slapped his hands over Bonnie's ears, and Delia sighed while shaking her head.
"Gary-" Professor Oak began to say, but a loud horn cut him off.
From seemingly no where, waiters and waitresses appeared. Each carrying a large tray with various plates of food. Ash barely had time to fight off his blush before their table had been set with dishes of all sorts. He saw pork, beef, beens, oranges, bananas, pineapple, and the list just went on! Whatever embarrassment he'd felt a second ago was gone, crushed by his never settled appetite.
"Enjoy!" The lady who'd sat down the last tray beamed at them, and Ash was the first one to react.
"Alright!" He snatched the nearest empty plate that had been sat by him and immediately shoveled morsel after morsel onto it.
Distracted by the delicious smells before them, the group forgot about Gary's comment and joined Ash in their feast. Random topics broke out, ranging from Pokémon Battles to Performances. From Professor Oak's recent findings to Brock's schooling. Ash didn't join in any one topic for long, too busy stuffing his face with bite after bite.
A sharp laugh caught his attention, and he turned to the source. Misty was holding a palm over her mouth to stifle the sounds, apparently finding something that Dawn and May were talking about hilarious. Rudy poked her side, making her squirm and whack his arm. She giggled at him, and Ash felt the food he'd devoured churn. The banana he'd been about to scarf down dropped to his plate as his arm lowered.
"Whoa, you alright, Ash?" Brock's voice reached him. He looked up as Brock continued, "You look a little green?"
"I've told you a thousand times to slow down when you're eating," Delia scolded, noticing Ash did indeed look a little sick.
"I'm fine," Ash brushed them off, not wanting to draw attention to the odd situation. He wasn't even sure why he'd suddenly gotten sick. Something about the way Misty had looked at Rudy caused a great deal of turmoil inside his chest.
"Are you sure?" Serena asked worriedly.
Ash forced himself to smile, which brought some color back to his face. "Yeah, just needed to let my stomach settle for a moment."
"Who would've thought Ash had a food limit," Bonnie teased as she smugly smirked and stuffed a pineapple into her mouth. Immediately she choked, and made a panicked expression before spitting it back out. "What was that?!"
"Bonnie!" Clemont exclaimed. "Table manners! You don't spit food back out!"
"But it was really gross," she whined.
Clemont continued to scold her while Ash's eyes traveled back over to Misty's table. Her and Dawn were now in a discussion, and Dawn's eyes met Ash's. She offered him a warm smile, to which he returned, then she turned back to Misty.
Ash took this moment to scan the rest of the crowd, seeing if there was anyone else present that he knew. He spotted Tracey in a conversation with his fellow groomsman and Rudy. Misty's sisters were among those he recognized, as well as Mahri. He also spotted the woman they'd met earlier…Carol? Yeah, that was her name. Other than those few people, however, there wasn't anyone else he recognized. Guess that was to be expected.
Ears perked all around as a soft, melodic tune wafted through the crowd. Pikachu and Ash mirrored each other as they sat up straighter and turned towards the source. One by one, every pair of eyes swiveled to the girl who'd appeared onstage. She wore a silky white dress, that was embroidered with a red hem. Her bangs from her long brown hair were held up by a large orange ribbon tied around her head, while the rest of her hair curled down her back. Held to her lips was an Ocarina, which she was using to play the song soothing Ash's inner confusions.
Her blue eyes scanned across the crowd, coming to a rest when she locked eyes Ash. He could swear she held back a smile, and then her eyes closed as she swayed to the tune of her Ocarina. The sound was relaxing, lulling Ash into an almost dreamlike trance as he watched her dress dance with her movements.
"Ash," Brock whispered to him. "That's the girl we met earlier."
"Melody," Serena added, recalling her name.
"Melody," Ash repeatedly slowly.
A nagging sensation told him someone was watching him, and for some reason his first suspicion was Serena. Being careful not to draw attention, Ash snuck a glance at the honey blonde beside him. Her eyes were locked on the young woman dancing onstage, and Ash wrinkled his brow. If it wasn't her, then who was it?
He looked at all of his table companions before casting his gaze over to the next table. Aquamarine eyes narrowed at him for a split second, and then were torn away. Ash could almost hear the 'hmph' he'd heard a thousand times before come from Misty as she turned. Her gaze might now be watching Melody onstage, but her nose was in the air and he could clearly recognize the 'I'm irritated with Ash Ketchum' face.
For a moment he pondered what he'd done, but then he brushed it off. After all, almost every female he'd conversed with since he'd arrived had been acting odd anyway. Apparently he'd been wrong when he assumed Misty would be an exception to all the strange behavior.
The tune stopped, and the audience broke into applause, pulling Ash from his thoughts. Melody took a few bows, beaming and waving to her cheering crowd, then she hopped down from the stage and sprinted through the tables with far more grace than Ash possessed. She came to a stop by his table, raising her hands into the air. "Hear ye all," she spoke, twirling in place. "From the Trio of Islands, ancient spheres shall you take, for between life, and death, all the difference you'll make."
Melody crouched down beside Ash, and before he could react, she snatched his hands up in hers. He jumped back, but not enough to dislodge her grip. Serena made a small huff that only Ash seemed to hear.
"Oh, Chosen One," Melody continued, either unaware of, or ignoring Ash's startled expression. "You must climb to the Shrine to right what is wrong, and the world will be healed by the Guardian's song!"
Why was Melody talking so funny? Did she hit her head when he wasn't looking? And she had called him Chosen One?…
"WHAAA?" Ash's jaw practically hit the floor. He recalled Brock telling him that a Chosen One was selected every year to 'save' the world. Melody had chosen him?! Excitement fluttered through his veins, and the familiar spark of adventure ignited deep inside him.
Melody giggled and gave him a broad smile, "So, what do you say, Chosen One? Will you fulfill the Prophecy and save our world?"
Behind him, Ash faintly heard Bonnie ask Clemont if the Prophecy was the text he'd tried to decipher on the Shrine, but he wasn't paying much attention. All he could concentrate on was that he was getting to play a large part in Shamouti's traditions. No amount of weird girl actions could extinguish his excitement.
"You bet!" Ash declared, raising and clenching his fist. Pikachu hopped up on his shoulder and imitated the gesture with a determined squeak. "What do I have to do?"
"I just told you Ash," Melody sang, leaning in closer to him.
He sweat dropped as he leaned further back, "Yeah, I heard all that stuff, but what do I have to do?"
"Oh, it won't be very hard, Ash. Not for you," Melody winked at him and then let go of his hands to stand. She didn't walk away however, opting to squeeze herself onto the stone seat between him and Serena. The honey blonde grunted at the sudden motion, and glared at Melody behind her back. "And besides," Melody continued. "Almost all the Chosen Ones come back alive."
A collective 'huh!' rang from their table, and Ash heard a few voices come from Misty's table as well.
"Melody!" Carol called over in a scolding tone.
The girl in question laughed and waved over to her older sister. "I'm just kidding," Melody said to Ash, which did relieve a tension he didn't know had built up. Melody leaned over the table and plucked an apple from the fruit basket. "All you have to do is get these glass balls from three Islands," she placed the apple into his hand as she continued, "one from Fire Island-"
She reached over and then took an orange and placed it beside the apple in his palms, "one from Lighting Island-" next she snatched a pear and gave it to him as well. "-And one from Ice Island."
As Ash stared at the three pieces of fruit, Melody stood up. "You'll bring them to the Shrine back here," she said, dancing a few steps away and twirling in place twice. "And then I celebrate by playing this song-"
She raised her Ocarina to her lips and blew into it, playing a faster tune of the song she'd played during her entrance. "Then it's over!" she declared as she finished, and added a little dramatically with a bow, "oh, Chosen One."
With the space between her and Ash now vacant, Serena scooted back to her original sitting position. Ash was practically squirming in his excitement. "Do I get to wear a cool costume?" he asked.
"Sorry," Melody said as she straightened up. "It's come as you are, besides-" Serena grunted in alarm as Melody forced her way back in-between her and Ash. "-You look perfect to me, the handsomest Chosen One in years."
As Melody spoke, she leaned closer to Ash. Which in turn, made him lean back into Brock. Wanting to get himself out of his awkward sitting position, Ash jumped to his feet, raising his fist. "Okay! Get me a boat and I'm ready!"
"Pikapi!"
"You want to go now?" Clemont asked, a little shocked.
Gary snorted, "You should know he can't sit still longer than five minutes."
"There's no need to hurry," Melody said casually, reaching for the apple Ash had let fall onto the table. "You have all day tomorrow, tonight is just for fun."
"Well some things are more important than fun," Ash defended, slapping a palm to his chest. "I'm Ash, the Chosen One. I gotta be responsible."
"Do you have a boat?" Gary asked in a tone that clearly indicated he already knew the answer.
"Er-I-Uh-" Ash stumbled over his reply.
"What a Chosen One," Gary drawled. "So ready to save us all, yet you don't have a clue."
"You're just jealous that Melody chose me," Ash smarted back, congratulating himself for such a quick reply.
Gary, on the other hand, blew a raspberry and laughed. "If you're going right now, then this I gotta see. Let's see you swim to those Islands."
"I don't-"
"I think they're right, Ash," Brock interjected. "Take a seat, eat some more. It's late, we can handle collecting those glass balls tomorrow."
Ash folded his arms and grumbled, knowing that if Brock was against him then he had already lost. "Fine," Ash mumbled. "But we're going first thing in the morning."
"Deal," Brock nodded.
And with that settled, Melody jumped to her feet and sprinted back up to the stage. "We have found our Chosen One!" she called, sweeping her arms towards the crowd.
The locals erupted into a ferocious cheer that vibrated Ash's core. He heard a wolf whistle, and looked over to see Dawn using her two pinkies to sharpen the sound. She waved at him and winked, before sharing a laugh with May. Misty, however, was the one who caught his attention. She looked agitated, with her famous scowl covering her expression and her cheeks a faint red hue. Her aquamarine eyes caught him glancing her way, and she quickly yanked her head the other direction.
Music suddenly erupted from the stage, and Ash nearly jumped out of his skin. Pikachu's claws dug into his shoulder to maintain the little mouse's position. Without him noticing, a band of Shamouti natives had assembled onstage and begun their performance.
"Oooohhh! People are going to dance!" Bonnie declared, rising to her feet. "We have to find someone for you to dance with, Clemont!"
"Nennenene!"
"Huh? Bonnie, wait-" his words fell on deaf ears as the small blonde girl bolted into the crowd of people. With an alarmed cry, Clemont jumped up and chased after his sister.
Delia chuckled with a smile as she watched Clemont race off, and Professor Oak said, "She certainly has quite a lot of energy."
Ash didn't hear his Mother's reply. He had spotted Tracey waving over to him and motioning for Ash to come over. Without thinking to tell his friends, Ash started in Tracey's direction. As Tracey headed to meet him in the middle, Ash's nerves were tingling with excitement. Even if he had to wait until tomorrow, he was the Chosen One! Maybe it was just luck, but almost every time there was a festival in a place they were visiting, he got to take some part in them. He'd be lying if he said he never enjoyed doing that, or that he thought it was a thrill.
Ash and Tracey maneuvered through the mingling crowd, apologizing and saying excuse me until Ash scooted around a group of women and came face to face with his longtime friend. "Hey, Ash!" Tracey greeted warmly. "Hey Pikachu. Long time, no see. I saw you won the Kalos League."
"You bet we did," Ash greeted Tracey with his trademark confident grin. "Once we head back we get to challenge the Elite Four."
"Think you're going to go all the way?"
"You know it!"
"Pikachu!"
Tracey laughed. "That's the spirit, Ash! I imagine your confidence is pretty high, with what happened after your match."
Ash's confidence wavered, and he blinked. "After the match…."
"She was pretty, remarkably so, I must admit," Tracey let his eyes wander as he recalled Serena's image. "You did good, Ash! Never thought you'd of had it in you."
Of course that's what Tracey was talking about….that kiss…
Ash's eyes found Serena amongst the crowd, standing on her tiptoes and searching for something. Behind her, he saw a flash of orange and then Misty went twirling by with a laugh. He blinked a few times and quickly realized she was dancing…with Rudy. When did most of everyone start dancing?
"PikaPi?"
"You okay, Ash?"
The man in question blinked once again and turned his gaze back to Tracey. He met a curious, and worried state.
"You looked angry for a moment," Tracey explained his question. "Was it something I said?"
"Huh? Oh, no," Ash shook his head and forced himself to chuckle as he rubbed the back of his hair. "Everyone's been acting a little strange lately, guess it's rubbing off on me."
"Pika PiPikachu."
"I am not alway weird!"
Tracey sweatdropped. "Anyway, it seems someone else wants to talk to you."
Ash went from glaring at Pikachu to looking at Tracey curiously. Then a soft hand grabbed his forearm and tugged gently. "Hey, Ash! Do you want to dance?"
He craned his neck back to find Dawn looking up at him with a warm smile.
"Dance?" He repeated.
"Yes, dance! You got Caterpie string in your ears?" Dawn chuckled.
At first he went to feel his ear, but stopped halfway when he realized she was kidding. A sudden jerk on his shoulder told him Pikachu hopped off and landed on Tracey's.
"Pikapi!"
The little mouse made a dancing motion and pointed at Dawn.
"Gee, aren't you so helpful today," Ash grumbled to his Pokémon. Pikachu shrugged in response.
Now that the idea was on Ash's mind, he figured Dawn wouldn't be the only person asking him to dance before the night was over. Doing a quick count he could name off at least three other people who would probably track him down eventually. Might as well get it all over with.
"Alright, Dawn. Let's go," Ash have her a nod. "Can you watch Pikachu, Tracey?"
"No problem, Ash," Tracey nodded, giving Pikachu a scratch behind the ears. Much to the mouse's excitement. "You have fun."
"We will!" Dawn replied for them and then wasted no time in grabbing Ash's wrist to drag him to a more acceptable dancing location.
Her petite fingers barely wrapped all the way around, so it was a wonder to Ash that she had such a strong grip. As they passed a few people, Ash caught a glimpse of Serena standing still amongst the crowd. Her bright blue eyes were looking their direction, and Ash could swear there was a frown on his friend's face.
"This'll do!" Dawn suddenly declared and whipped around. One of her arms snaked their way around Ash's neck, and the other took his hand.
She was awfully close to him, granted the entire area was packed so there wasn't much room to maneuver. But still, it gave him a weird churning in his stomach. If that wasn't the strangest thing so far, he didn't know what was. Why on Earth would Dawn being so close to him cause him to feel…sick?
"You look like you stubbed your toe on a Geodude," Dawn said with a laugh. "Something up?"
Ash snapped back to reality, noticing that they were actually dancing to the beat now. When had he started moving?
"Ash?"
He blinked and looked down to her blue eyes, which were turning from amused into concern. Should he tell her what was raging through his mind? How he thought everyone was acting weird and all of these…emotions were bubbling in his chest and gut. It was just Dawn, she might even have some idea what was happening to him.
As he opened his mouth to speak, for some reason he couldn't explain, the image of Dawn swooping up and kissing him pierced his brain. He nearly threw himself backwards at the thought, but somehow managed to hold himself together. Dawn, however, noticed his sudden hesitation.
"Well, that just confirmed something's up," she said to him, a smug grin forming on her face. "Wanna share?"
"I-uh-"
"Does it have something to do with a girl?"
Did she somehow read his thought?! Was she going to attempt to act on it?!
Dawn erupted into a such fit of laughter, that had Ash not been holding her for their dance, she would've fallen to her knees. People in the closest surrounding area cast them a curious glance.
"You should've seen the look on your face!" Dawn mustered up the breath to say. "You looked so terrified. So, it does have something to do with a girl?"
"I don't know! Okay!" Ash said a little harsher than he'd meant too. "Everyone's been acting really weird, and I don't know why!"
Dawn's amusement faded as Ash's distress bled through his stern tone. "That's what's been up with you today?" she asked. "I knew something was bothering you."
"Was it that obvious?"
"Maybe not to someone who didn't spend a long time traveling with you," she replied smugly.
Right…of course she'd pick up on it. Shoot, almost all of his friends were probably able to tell something was on his mind. Even if they weren't exactly sure what.
"So, spill it," Dawn demanded. "Who's been acting weird?"
Now that the question had been asked so directly, Ash didn't have an answer. And now that he was being forced to really think about it, he realized that he was the one acting strange. Somewhat avoiding Serena, noticing things he wouldn't normally notice, trying to make sense of some of those things, feeling all these weird feelings. Yep, Ash was the one acting strange for sure.
"Okay, maybe I'm the one acting weird," he admitted a little quietly.
"That's what I thought," Dawn replied. "Though, there has to be a reason why?"
"I guess because…" he could feel his face turning red. What was the reason why? His lips started to tingle, giving him a pretty good indication of what the root cause was. "Serena kissed me."
"Now were getting somewhere," Dawn nodded. He expected her to poke fun at him, or to use a snarky tone, but that's not what he got at all. Instead, it seemed Dawn truly wanted to help him. At first he questioned why he would even doubt Dawn's intentions, but then he remembered the frown he saw when Dawn met Serena.
"You don't like her that way, do you?" Dawn asked.
"I…" it was Ash's turn to frown. "I've never thought about it."
If Dawn could facepalm, something about her expression told Ash she would've. "Geeze, Ash. You can be so dense sometimes."
"What do you mean?"
"She kissed you, dummy!" Dawn said sharply. "She obviously likes you, and you haven't even given the idea a thought? Have you ever thought about any girl like that?"
Once again, Ash could feel his face heating up. This was Dawn's answer, and this time she did remove her arm from around Ash's neck so she could facepalm.
"It's not like she's thought about it-" Ash started to defend himself, but as his own words reached his ears, he realized how incredibly stupid they sounded.
His expression must've reflected that, because Dawn said, "Now you get it?"
"Well…" he swallowed hard. "Why would me not thinking about girls like that be such a big deal anyway?"
He wanted to stump her. To prove that he never needed to think about girls…the thought nearly made him shudder.
"Ash," she sounded so serious, so concerned, that Ash found himself at her full attention. "I'm going to tell you something, but you have to keep it to yourself, okay?"
He swallowed hard again, and nodded.
Dawn didn't tell him right away, instead she bit her lip, open and closed her mouth a few times, and finally sighed before saying, "May used to like you."
It took him a moment, because the simplicity in her statement naturally went right over his head. Of course May liked him, they were friends after all, but as his brain slowly made the connection of what Dawn was saying…well…
"May what?!" Ash practically shouted, and Dawn immediately shushed him.
"Used to! I said used to!"
"I-she-you-we-but-her-I-"
"Ash!" her sharp tone shut him up. "I only told you so you'd understand, okay?"
He nodded at first, but then frowned. "Understand?"
"May said she used to give you signs and hints, but you never noticed them," Dawn explained. "That hurt her, a lot."
The implication that Ash had somehow caused harm to one of his best friends crushed his insides like they were made of glass.
"She got over it, so no need to worry about it too much," Dawn told him. "Her and Drew are a thing now, if you didn't know that already."
Ash found himself nodding. Why? He didn't know, because that was certainly news to him. Although, May had probably mentioned that detail in one of the emails he was so bad at reading.
"All I'm saying is, if you not noticing could hurt May, imagine what you ignoring what Serena did is doing to her?"
And there was the tidal wave of guilt. It came crashing into him like a monsoon, ripping and tearing into his heart.
"If you don't feel the same way about her, you're going to need to let her know."
When did Dawn become so knowledgeable and observant?
She watched him as his brain worked in overdrive. Connecting many of the clues he'd been too dense to see in the past. She was sure there were a few he was still missing, but for what it was worth, Ash had made a great leap just now.
Suddenly his face turned to horror and he focused on her. "Did…d-d-d…did you-"
Her cheeks turned a bright pink and she looked away. "Only at first. I realized pretty quick how you were."
"Dense?"
The fact that Ash himself said it, well, that was something Dawn was sure she was never going to hear. She couldn't help but let out a laugh. "You think?"
He nodded a few times, and then asked, "Is all that why you and May frowned at Serena when you met her?"
Dawn blinked, completely caught off guard that Ash had noticed such a minor detail. "No…that was for another reason…"
"What?"
Now it was Dawn's turn to look panicked. "Gee, would you look at the time? Thanks for the dance, Ash! I gotta go."
And she let go of him and was gone before he could question her. He was left standing there, blinking in his confusion at what had just happened. Dawn had helped him to a revelation and then just suddenly up and bolted. There was no overthinking that one, she certainly acted strange just now.
"What did you do to scare off Dawn like that?"
Ash jumped out of his skin at Misty's sudden voice in his ear, and even yelped pretty loud. She raised a brow at his over-reaction and giggled.
"Don't scare me like that!" Ash said to her, inhaling a few deep breaths.
"What a Chosen One Melody picked," Misty teased him. "How are you supposed to 'save the world' if you get so scared so easy?"
"I didn't get scared!" He defended, but recalled that he actually did say that out loud. Quickly he changed the subject, "You know Melody?"
"I've met her a few times," Misty replied. "She's Rudy's cousin."
"I knew that," Ash scratched his hair.
"Then why did you ask?"
"I meant about her being Rudy's cousin!"
"No you didn't."
"Did too."
"Did not!"
"Did too!"
"Did n-"
Someone bumped into Misty, causing her to garble her words and stumble forward into Ash's chest. He caught her out of basic reaction, and glared at the man who continued on like he didn't even notice.
"Thanks, Ash," she said up to him as she pushed off his chest to right herself.
He was about to reply, but caught a whiff of something strong and blanched. "Have you been drinking?!"
"Have I been drinking?" She repeated in a very sarcastic manner. "Of course I have! It's a party."
"I didn't know you drank," Ash said.
"And speaking of, I could use another. Come on," much like Dawn had done, Misty snatched his wrist and started to haul him through the crowd. "We can catch up over one."
Unlike what Dawn had done, Misty's touch was causing a warmth to spread throughout him from her fingertips. Also, he noticed his heartbeat was thundering like a drum. Which only caused it to quicken its pace as he thought of Misty against his chest like she'd been.
"Sure," Ash agreed, shaking his head. "I could use a drink."
And that was true. Between everything so far, and his new thoughts about girls, Ash was in desperate need for a drink.
"Where ya headed, Gary?" Brock's voice floated to his ears.
Gary stopped where he was, on the edge of the stone gazebo overlooking a dark stretch of forest behind the town.
"I need to get away for a bit," Gary replied, turning to find Brock standing a few feet behind him. "This scene is a little much for my liking."
Being as observant as Brock was, he noticed Gary's dark eyes glance towards the crowd of dancing people. Brock followed his gaze and spotted Dawn quickly moving away from Ash as Misty approached him from behind.
"Do you want some company?" Brock asked, returning his attention to Gary.
"Nah, one of the loser squad would just cramp my style," Gary replied, though there wasn't the usual amount of snark in his tone.
"Alright," Brock nodded. "At least tell me what you're doing in case Professor Oak asks?"
Gary almost gave a smart reply, but found himself telling Brock the truth, "I'm going to look for a multicolored Vaporeon I heard about in town today. If Gramps asks."
Then he was walking into the dark woods, leaving Brock to watch him go. He followed along a clear path for a good ways, forcing himself to keep his mind focused and not let it wander. Like he told her earlier that day...she was interested in someone else. And he didn't want to think on it.
Not very long ago that would he have let something so small stop him from even trying. He was Gary Oak, and he'd of had the girl...if it wasn't for his competition. Not that he would admit it, but Ash was fierce competition in the female department. Even if Ash was too clueless to notice.
Besides, there were plenty of other females...he felt his chest constrict at the thought. How annoying.
On he walked until he could hardly hear the festival music anymore. Then Gary stepped off the path and unclipped a PokeBall.
"Ampharos, I need some light."
Bright light erupted around him for a moment as the PokeBall released, but it was soon replaced by the faint yellow glow radiating from his Pokémon's tail.
"Amph!"
"Thanks buddy," Gary patted the Pokémon. "Ready to look for that Vaporeon?"
"AmphAmph!"
"Let's do it then."
And the duo headed further into the foliage, further away from the path and the festival. Further away from having to watch Ash and...her.
They were headed South, towards the Shrine. That's not where the Vaporeon was rumored to be, however. It was said to be a little West of the Shrine, but better to start from a location he could recognize.
Maybe an hour had passed, Gary wasn't really keeping track, until the trees separated and him and Ampharos stepped onto soft sand. The Shrine rose up on its stone platform to his right, meaning he was on the side he needed to be on. Without the trees blocking the moonlight, Gary could see the silhouettes of the neighboring islands across the ocean. With the gentle waves sparkling underneath the starlight above.
Not one to really stop and appreciate beauty, Gary began his trek West, keeping his eyes peeled for any kind of movement or spot where a Vaporeon might hide. He knew it wouldn't just lounge out on the sand. It would probably be poised up on a rock jutting out to sea, or something cliché like that.
He didn't make it very far from the Shrine when Ampharos suddenly stopped and turned towards the ocean. Gary noticed and ceased walking, looking back at his Pokemon curiously.
"What's up, Ampharos?" He asked, taking a step closer.
Then he heard it. A faint boom that resonated across the water and reached his ears. It was followed by a deep cry, and then another boom. His dark eyes snapped towards the source of the sounds, and he could faintly make out the dark shadow of Fire Island.
He narrowed his eyes as another boom reached him, and Ampharos whimpered. Something that glowed an orangish-red lit similar to a fire lit up on the far side of the island, and it was followed by a blast of light.
Gary had no Pokémon on him that could transport him to the island in haste. He had Blastoise, and as great a swimmer as he was, the waves mixed with that distance would be too much for the Pokemon to concentrate on keeping Gary on its back.
The booms and cries ceased, however, and no matter how long or how hard Gary listened, he could no longer see or hear anything to indicate something was going on.
His logical mind tried to tell him it was just two Pokémon battling, but Ampharos' fidgeting and whimpering said otherwise. Without solid proof or a means of transportation, there wasn't much Gary could do.
"Come on," he said to his Pokémon. "We have a Vaporeon to find."